Secrets to Online Engagement: Persuasion, Emotion and Trust

Human Factors International (HFI), has just announced the preview of a new training programme, and ultimately a consulting practice, created to advance traditional web usability to encompass the broader elements of customer experience and engagement. "How to Design for Persuasion, Emotion and Trust (PET)," a 3-day course taught by Dr. Eric Schaffer, founder and CEO of Human Factors International, and other senior HFI usability experts, last week marked a fundamental shift in the approach to website design and online engagement. The training course is the first glimpse of a comprehensive PET consulting and training offering HFI will formally launch in early fall of this year.

While traditional user-centered web design focuses on creating simple, efficient interactions (so customers can find what they're looking for, complete transactions easily, etc), HFI's PET design process encompasses the full realm of customers' online experiences. PET design adds a deep understanding of the foundational drivers and choices users will make on a site, expanding the notion of user-centered web design by adding rigorous analysis of emotions, motivators, knowledge drivers, trust, and understanding online decision-making as it impacts successful conversion rates and other KPIs.

PET design is a systematic process developed to move web design beyond just efficiency and performance, instead aligning it with business strategy and objectives. With the evolution of Web 2.0 and websites often being the first (and only) customer touch points for organizations, PET re-defines web design as a holistic user experience that stimulates customer action, optimizes conversion, and maximizes ROI while simultaneously building brand loyalty.

HFI's PET design process was developed from extensive research and test programs over the last several years. It has been piloted successfully in select Fortune 500 client engagements during that time.

"Whether a website is e-commerce, informational, or transactional, the overarching need is to establish deeper relationships with customers," says Dr. Schaffer. "Understanding how and why people make online decisions that lead to conversion, and the subtle motivators and emotional triggers that influence how they react to website messages and content is vital to maximizing the success of a site."

PET training is geared for usability and user experience professionals, marketing managers, e-commerce managers, brand managers, design agencies, graphic designers, web and product designers, mobile interaction designers, and anyone interested in aligning website objectives with marketing and more broadly, business objectives.

Associated Link: HFI PET Training course dates

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