Hoffman and Novak, according to their article “Marketing in hypermedia computer-mediated environments: conceptual foundations” (1996), propose two types of behavior on the Web: goal-directed and experiential (experiential). The directed behavior reflects a user looking to complete a task in the most efficient way possible, therefore tend to access the web; if you don't already know how to do your homework; run it and leave the website. By contrast, experiential behaviorIt will mean spending more time on the web, the activities will not be conditioned to specific objectives if not for the process itself; it is an autotelic activity (it is an end in itself). The user will spend more time in the latter way.
We find a series of parameters that help us to outline these two types of behavior, which we will easily see with the following table.
It is important to review the issue of motivation and clarify it. When we refer to the fact that motivation is extrinsic, we mean that the user performs an activity in order to achieve something other than that activity (such as the student who goes to a course to obtain credits), while intrinsic motivation involves seeking the benefit in doing that activity (who goes to a course to learn). Motivation in each type of behavior leads to the other characteristics (orientation, involvement,…).
A user with a directed behavior is occasional, since he will try to save efforts and spend the least time possible making the purchase process. Her approach is to complete a task.
By having such low involvement with the activity you are doing, you are not looking for a shopping experience that provides added value, so you will not be willing to pay certain premiums for them either. You will be a buyer focused on price, not very interested in the brand you are buying and who will not value the quality of service associated with the product.
According to the reference article in this behavior we can find two search reasons:
- Performing a task, whose involvement will be with the objective and occasional.
- Pre-purchase deliberation, whose involvement will be with the product and occasional.
We can give an example of a person who, knowing that he is going to travel to Venice, has to find cheap flights for a specific day. Search is not a pleasure in itself, but a way to efficiently achieve what you really want is to reach your destination.
Next week we will continue with experiential behavior.
Conversely, a user with experiential behavior will have a more lasting involvement, enjoying the information search process.
It will focus on the shopping experience, taking into account the added value that the virtual store can bring you.
This type of user seeks to create a bank of knowledge about the brand, so they will have more interest in it, laying the foundations for a long-term relationship. In addition, by accumulating information, you can act as an opinion leader by disseminating your knowledge and opinions about products, generating word-of-mouth dynamics.
Following, again, the reference article (Hoffman, Novak; 1996) in this behavior we will find the following search reasons:
- Generate an information bank, whose involvement will be with the product and lasting.
- Opinion leadership, whose implication will also be product and lasting.
- Entertainment, whose involvement will be with the process and lasting.
In the case of generating an information bank, we have the example of the person who browses the website of an NGO looking for information about the projects they carry out and the people who participate in and benefit from these projects. This person can gather information to decide in the future if he wants to contribute to this NGO.
In the case of opinion leadership, a blogger interested in technology can “dive” through the corporate website of an electronics company looking for the latest trends in order to comment on them and share their opinion on their blog.
In the last case, the entertainment one, a music lover could spend hours watching the records that a virtual music store has for sale. His goal would not be so much buying as enjoying looking for records.
With the examples, there seems to be a difference regarding the type of product, as if each product had an associated behavior. The virtual travel agency such as Edreams invites directed behavior, having selected the destination once for a ticket. It is true that there are certain products, such as a conveyor belt that gives little to experiential consumption; however, they can be worked to bring the Web closer to experiential behavior. If there was a travel agency that would give me information about the destination, maybe it would take longer. I think it is important to remember Levitt when he said that people don't buy drills, they buy holes; so although he will never spend hours on a website that talks about drills, perhaps he would do it on one of how to hang pictures.
