How to improve the customer experience in 2019

As consumers spend more time on the web, either via computer, gaming portal, or mobile device, one thing has become clear: the user experience is key to the consumer staying - or returning - to the portal. Page load times continue to be crucial, as does the overall experience. Here's how marketers, publishers, and brands can improve their experience strategy.

Ensure marketing and web teams collaborate


"Web content is only getting denser as we head into 2019, adding to the weight of the average web page. Innovations like AR/VR and 360-video content are driving next-generation web features that end users are increasingly demanding to enhance their experience. The ironic reality is that these heavy assets, if not managed and optimized properly, can literally weigh down the page and negatively impact that experience," said Anthony Larkin, Director of Product Marketing, Akamai. "In 2019, it will be paramount that marketing and web teams work together to leverage real user to evaluate the impact of these new assets and whether integration is truly worth it. For example, will adding a 15-second runway walk video for every gown on a retailer's site drive a better experience (and ultimately conversion), or will the 4-millisecond delay actually hurt it? Data-driven conversations like this between marketing and web team will become critical to keeping website weight down and experience up."


Overall experience will trump page load times

"Gone are the days in which simply the fastest app or website wins. Yes, page load time is an important -- but in 2019, performance as a practice will emphasize removing barriers to a good experience versus simply pushing for speed. Business will instead look to real user insights that look at metrics like "perceived performance" and "time to interactive" -- meaning the time between when a feature loads that allows a user to interact with the page as the rest of the page catches up in the background. These insights paint a better picture of end user interaction and the experience that user is actually having, allowing web teams to uncover potential performance issues that they were previously blind to," said Larkin.

Look for ways to integrate single page apps

"As providing a streamlined user experience continues to emerge as the name of the performance game, single page apps (SPAs) will explode in 2019. From ease of deployment and maintenance, to no reload requirements and a simple, easy-to-use interface for the end user, the SPA will eclipse the convoluted multi-page application," said Larkin.




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