Sherry helps to distinguish between functional and non-functional motives by describing “the oscillations of consumers between homo economicus and homo ludens” (Sherry, 1990, p. 180). We may render this distinction as ‘work’ mentality vs. ‘play’ or ‘necessity’ vs. ‘enjoyment’. Nevertheless we should not consider the functional and the non-functional dimensions as diametrically opposed but rather as separate dimensions.
The two types of motives are not two ends of a continuum spectrum but rather two parallel lines that tend to have a positive association, for which when one is high the other have the tendency to be lower, but not necessarily. Babin et al. exemplified this when they explained that “hedonic responses gleaned from shopping activities may some- times be an intended goal (as opposed to product acquisition as a goal). Thus, shopping with a goal can be distinguished from shopping as a goal. However, since enjoying the experience is the desired end, and not happenstance, some utilitarian value might be reflected as well” (p. 647).
The advent of online purchasing requires the understanding of how non-functional motives can be allured and satisfied on the web. Cheaper prices, easy product comparison and diminished purchase time are often indicated as main advantages of online shopping. Such considerations, however, are not sufficient to encourage consumers to prefer a web-based platform to a visit to the shopping mall, because there is a wider variety of non-functional shopping motives that determine purchase intent. In order to maintain competitive advantage, e-stores must consider that they now “compete not only with the store across the street but also with thousands of Web sites that span the globe” (Solomon, 2013, p. 345).
On-line replication of non-functional shopping motives
Tauber in 1972 hypothesized eleven motives that do not relate directly to the need for a particular product or service, grouping them under the umbrellas of Personal and Social motives. We will list those motives indicating how a website can be designed to replicate them.
Personal motives
Role playing.
Each individual plays a role in society, defined by factors such as family or occupation. For example, the five years old boy in a supermarket choosing with enthusiasm his first pencil case or school backpack, is feeling very proudly about his role of student, representing a learned behavior, likely mimicked from his siblings. Physical stores can appeal to different roles and create the right atmospheres and reminders, on the bases of market research about each role. In the web they are certain constraints that web designers are aware of, namely space and time: a web page can contain a limited amount of information that should not be overwhelming; additionally, competitors are only one click away and the website should capture attention in few seconds in order not to lose a potential customer. A strategy to overcome these challenges is to target certain roles even before the user lands in the webpage. For example, by advertising the site in other sites dedicated to specific roles; it is also possible to use the potential of targeted advertising based on cookies that perform an operation of intelligence proposing advertising to users on the bases of previous visits. A student or a housewife leaves breadcrumbs while visiting sites related to his/her role, which can be used to propose an adverting for another webpage. The landing page may not be designed for the role, but being recommended from a dedicated page or ad, it will be perceived as affine to the role itself.
Diversion.
Back in 1972, well before the very existence of the Internet, Tauber defined the entertainment opportunity offered by shopping in this terms: “the common term “browsing” and the phenomenon of masses strolling through shopping centers reinforce the belief that shopping is a national pastime” (p. 47). It is very interesting the use of the word “browsing” that nowadays refers to online activities, which is currently the real national pastime. Website can be designed in a way that adds the entertainment factor. Recently web designers are exploiting the potential of the HTML5 protocol that is visible in large slides occupying a large portion of the pages, offering also the opportunity to interact with the content, in some case through little entertaining slides or interactive games. Another popular device is the so-called parallax scrolling: while the uses scrolls down the page with the mouse wheel, images move and combine on the screen as overlapping layers.
Self-gratification.
The understanding of ‘comfort shopping’ has evolved to the psychological concept of ‘retail therapy’ that is the “notion of trying to cheer one- self up through the purchase of self-treats” in which “feelings of regret and guilt are not associated with the unplanned purchases made to repair a bad mood” (Atalay and Meloy, 2011, p. 638). Research confirms that mood improvements are associated with self-gratification shopping. Websites offer a great opportunity in this regard due to the fact that it makes very easy to research products, compare them and make payments, eliminating nuisances and maximizing the experience. Websites implement features such as graphic bars depicting the easy steps to complete a purchase. This type of graphic features becomes engrained in the gratification process, allowing the consumer to foretaste the purchase pleasure: select, add to the basket, confirm address and buy. The fact that the item may be delivered after some days can actually prolong the purchasing pleasure.
Learning about new trends.
Consumers like to be informed or to get new ideas about trends and lifestyles. Cyberspace offers the unique opportunity of hyperlinks allowing satisfying desire of further knowledge and connection between brands and lifestyles. A common marketing device is the use of websites offering lifestyle recommendations and product reviews: often these pages are not neutral but directly sponsored by vendors, or at least profiting from hosted advertising.
Physical/Mental activity.
Originally Tauber wrote about the fact that many people are welcoming the possibility to walk through shopping malls. Clearly this does not apply to e-purchases. Parsons (2002) described how web shopping could provide an opportunity for mental activity “defined as engaging the mind in activities that exercise your computing skills, knowledge, and ability to decipher and follow what can be complex instructions (p. 383). For this reason, web designers can design sites in a way that allows easy shopping but also other more complex functions for the users that enjoy them. For example, shopping in eBay or Amazon can be extremely simple but also allows complex filtering and item comparison functions that provide a gratifying mental exercise.
Sensory stimulation.
Visual stimulation can be easily implemented in websites, combining videos and graphic animation. Cluttering can be strategically used to replicate the distractions and noises typical of a physical retail environment. Solomon (2013, p. 362) cited examples of retailers that remodeled the stores to eliminate cluttering, with the consequence that “Customers loved the leaner, cleaner look. Only one problem: They bought less stuff”. The same principle can be applied to website, balancing the need for simplicity with a sort of treasure hunt experience, achieved through persistent sensory stimulation.
Social motives
Social experience outside home.
Integration with social networks provides websites with an immense potential to bring customers outside home even if shopping from within one’s house. Additionally, Internet allows shopping from the workplace or in other settings physically distant from home.
Peer group attraction.
Online communities constitute a powerful tool to create loyalty and satisfy the desire of belonging. Many sites include the option to register, which provides an immediate feeling of belonging to a restricted group. Whilst brand and consumption communities focus on single shared interests, “online communities are not limited to mere business transactions and are often used to provide an avenue for social interaction and information exchange for their members” (Jae Wook et al., 2008, p. 411). It is important for companies to enhance the feeling of cohesiveness among members and to present a clear sense of identity.
Status and authority
This type of non-functional motivation may be hard to replicate in an online environment where human contacts are removed and it is therefore difficult to reproduce ancestral ‘master-servant’ relationships. It is possible, however, to replicate the motivation for status. Frequent online shoppers can boast their knowledge of special deals with their acquaintances and be eager to recommend their favorite websites. In addition, some website include an internal ranking or common buyers or commentators in their communities. While some websites assign rankings of ‘expert’ or ‘trusted’, others use military terms such as ‘caporal, marshal or general’ besides the avatars of their registered users, according to the intensity of their participation.
Pleasure of bargaining
As websites shopping opportunities increase in number, they are more opportunities to enjoy bargain strategies. For example, shopping for a holiday constitute an example of the abundance of offers, last minute and special deals that a shopper can explore to experience the bargain experience. Loyalty and referral programs are used in web design to maximize this effect.
Conclusions
Clearly non-functional motivations can be exploited in the web environment as much as in physical retail stores. They are also some advantages, such the possibility to explicitly appeal to motivations that some consumers would feel guilty or embarrassed about in a store surrounded by people. Anonymity can be a powerful incentive for shoppers online, as well as an “opportunity to the retailer who is seeking to appeal to consumers on the basis of non-traditional role fulfillment” (Parsons, 2002, p. 388).
The major challenge remains, in my view, how to appeal to different types of non-functional motivations while maintaining a consistent brand image on a website. Integration with social intelligence technologies is likely to become a fundamental competitive differentiator in the future, allowing to dynamically tailoring the webpage design according to the profile of the individual user, as constructed through demographics and social information disseminated online by internet users. I can envisage a time when the web design standard will imply that not two individuals will visit the same page and see identical content.
Luis Miguel Battistella, MBA
Director, Audere Group
References
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