Engagement as a principle of user experience
Every UX Designer has his views and best practices. We all have a guide book created through time and expertise. I want to share mine with you.
When I create, I base everything on the following principles. Meet my guiding star to the ultimate user experience.
In this article, I would like to address engagement.
As a brand, you have a load of expectations when it comes to your users. You want them to click, fill, provide, play, buy, and so on. Your survival depends on their collaboration. So before I dive into ‘the how,’ let’s focus on ‘the what.’
Engagement is filled with endless possibilities for someone like me. I perceive this principle to be my personal playground, where I can go a little crazy and a lot of creative. I’ve got an arsenal filled with lots of toys and neat tricks to implement.
For me, the implementation of engagement in a digital interface divides into two main categories:
1. Engaging content (information)
2. Engaging functionality (operation)
In simple words, if you want them to complete tasks on your platform, you need to keep them engaged. How you ask? Let’s see, hmmm…
Hey you! Yup, I am talking to you, love. Can you please stick around until the end of this article? I promise you will walk out of here with an insight or two.
(see what I did there? This was me engaging with you. Now we fist bump!).
So, here are a few examples of engagement implementation done right:
Engaging content
Textual messaging
It’s not all about being accurate and precise with your messaging. Engaging content works better. So how do we achieve it? It’s not like we are actually talking to our users, right? Well, what if I told you it is exactly like that? Yes, it’s the written word, but we can actually phrase our text in a conversational style and not just throw facts at the screen. Let’s try it now:
In one of the product pages on the Samsung global website, I found this:
This feels to me like a “Me, me, me” phrase.
Now, what if we could rephrase it in the following way?
Meet the next-level power
With Galaxy Note10 and Note10+, you’ll get a mobile experience that’s like a computer, a gaming console, a movie-tech camera, and an intelligent pen, all in one device. Are you sure you’re ready for this?
What do you think?
The secret, in my opinion, is to treat your users as if they were standing right in front of you. Talk to them.
These guys know what I’m talking about:
Micro Copy
These short and sweet words make all the difference when it comes to engaging with your audience. We apply them on every turn that might be a little too curvy. For instance:
Additional information tooltips
Guidance before action
Assistance and explanation
When we ask something that might be considered too personal (Phone number, credit card information, etc.)
Fact: Microcopy implemented correctly can do wonders for your conversion rate.
Asos.com, as always does it beautifully:
Video
It’s no secret that video is much more effective than text. If done right, it can significantly increase user engagement. Keep in mind the following:
1. Accuracy: be as accurate and precise as you can
2. Keep it short and sweet: under 60 seconds
3. Use your words: Do not rely solely on the video. Describe what they’ll be watching in words
4. Accessibility: let it be accessible at any point on their journey
And if you’re a number person — check this out
This sums up beautifully the way video can empower us to take action:
Engaging Functionality
Micro Interactions
Every action needs a visual reaction for the user to understand that what he intended actually occurred. A visual affirmation.
We click, we swipe, we tap, and we need this to know that we were successful. To sum it up real nice, Samsung Daily has made it easy for me:
CTAs (Calls to Action)
If you expect them to take action, you need to put some effort into it. Please avoid being a robot. Words like “Send” and “Submit” convert less than words that accurately describe what will happen right after the click/tap.
Here are some excellent examples:
Personalization
For you to provide real added value, you need to step up, ask the right questions, and adjust the content to your target audience’s preferences. Personalization is in no way a fleeting trend. If you want them to stay, you need to listen to their needs.
I am waiting for that moment that either Google or Facebook creates a smart data sharing feature that will put online forms to sleep for good. For instance, Facebook has all my information, and I can decide which personal information I want to share. These days I can register to almost any website with my Facebook login, so why not create a one-click fill-out-any-form widget? Just a thought.
Until this happens, we can still make it less tedious and more personal. For example, while filling out a name field and moving to the second field, we can use the name provided value and display it in the next field as a placeholder to greet the human and guide him to his following field info.
Your Name: Orly
Email: Hi Orly, what’s your email address?
Gamification
Any online process can be very mundane and robotic at times. Implementing gaming elements to an online process serves as motivation to participate and often complete it. These little sprinkles of fun can do wonders for the conversation rate. The best example comes to mind is Dominos pizza, visually enabling us to add our favorite toppings, super fun!
If you’ve reached this far, you deserve a treat! Here is the best engaging functionality I’ve encountered in a while now. You’re welcome!
In my next article, I will focus on availability — when you’ve got much to say, but little room to say it. I will introduce you to some neat tricks and tips on how to lay it all out in a way that will be easy for them to find and understand.
