Usability and Ajax

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Using Ajax on your website can be a good thing, but don't just slap Ajax in there to ride the hype. Ajax should improve your website and make it better for your customers. Websites that make proper use of Ajax really show innovation and that they are thinking about the latest things to improve customer experience. Netflix is one example of a company that does just this.

Functionality

I was browsing their movies looking for something to add to my queue and began to really appreciate what they have done with their site. First off, when you hover over a movie you can get a description of it without having to click through to a different page. I don't like having to click through an item for more information because that takes a lot of time and makes it harder to browse. This feature caters perfectly to our attention span on the Internet and keeps us browsing for more movies. It is just one of the things that makes Netflix really easy to use.

Netflix

The second thing that really impressed me was what happened when I was browsing through my recommendations. The second I pressed the "add button", a nice selection of more movies slid right up in front of me indicating that I might also like these options. This happened instantaneously and engaged me so much that I added one or two of those to my queue.

Netflix Ajax

These types of things get me to spend more time on Netflix and increase its value to me as a customer. The ultimate result of all this is that I end up with more movies in my queue and Netflix ends up with my money for a long time. That's a great use of Ajax.

Innovation

Using Ajax like this makes Netflix better for customers, and in doing so works to beat out any new competition. I found Netflix leaving me with little desire to change to a different company offering the same service. Just for kicks, I tried out the Blockbuster site and found that they had attempted many of the features that Netflix had minus the Ajax and usability. Granted, I didn't sign up or get a chance to browse thoroughly however from what I could tell I had to click through on a movie to get a full description. I also saw fewer movies on the screen than Netflix showed. The Blockbuster site was cluttered and less usable than Netflix.

Blockbuster

Basically, it is clear to me that Netflix was first on the scene. Their website shows that they have a lot of experience with their customers and are ahead of everybody else. The competition will undoubtedly gain some market share and continue to grow, however I see a great thing with Netfilx. They still seem to have the same innovation that got them started in this business and they way they run their website is a great reflection of this.

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