In my POWER branding formula the E stand for Experience. One session at the annual Forrester Automotive Summit held this month was devoted to user experience. Mark Kingdon was on the panel that discussed the "Future of the User Experience." He makes some excellent points about how other industries could learn from the Apple IPod experience. Experience is what will make or break your brand - and online can really push it either way. Another Forrester study showed that over 80 percent of websites frustrate the user. Isn't that an amazing statistic? I was testing an online course over the weekend and all the users got frustrated within five screens and clicked out. Not a good experience. Experience is the element where you can 'add value' to your product or service. And it's when the exprince is positive that people start to talk about 'my hairdresser" or "my auto dealership" and tell others about you. Sure an IPod is a fun device and gives you access to music. But it's all those extra experiential aspects Apple built in that makes it special. Take a good long look at your website. What can you do to beef up the experience? How can you make it an enjoyable experience right from first contact? | 
