Social Media Creates A Better 'User Experience'

[Chris Tomlinson]

In 2004 I was quite the late comer to web design and development. I mean, let's face it, the web was really taking off at that point and I was a bit behind. Be that as it may, even back then (yea, as if 4 years ago was SO long ago) we were constantly taught about 'user experience'.

The user had to be in control and you should not control them. When they visited it had to be their choice on what to do, when to do it and how to do it.

In the last several years social media has put that control back in the users hands. From the big 'Flash everywhere you look' phase, to the sites riddled with inset tables and large amounts of graphics, I really believe the Internet is starting to come full circle and truly become what it was meant to be.

A network that connects people. Plain and simple.

You might have an article on Digg and it get's great ratings (digs), this creates a user experience that if done correctly can almost grow exponentially.

Companies can use blogs to interact with their customers. In all honesty, a blog is an interactive newsletter of sorts. But it becomes much more than that when you get user feedback. When was the last time you received a hand written note in the mail from a customer attached to the newsletter you sent them?

YouTube has created one of the largest and most entertaining user experiences by allowing people to copy/past their code into their own site. This gives the user control over their own experience.

Sites such as FaceBook and MySpace allow even greater interaction with status updates, video embedding, photo sharing and much more.

Now if I can just re-read this to myself and start using social media to it's full advantage. Hmmm...

~Chris
www.gonink.com