Flow

For some people, surfing the Web brings on a light, trance-like state of mind that stems from being totally focused on viewing information online. Known as flow, this state of mind can make one oblivious to surroundings, and to the amount of time that passes while they are online. This is similar to what happens when one becomes completely absorbed in a book or article. The concept of flow has been around for some time. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a University of Chicago psychologist whose interests include creativity and socialization, began using the term during the 1970s when he conducted research in the field. In 1990, Csikszentmihalyi wrote a book entitled Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience.

Although flow has been studied in a number of areas, including sports, games, and work, it has especially powerful implications for companies engaging in e-commerce. Vanderbilt University Professors Donna Hoffman and Thomas Novak have conducted research on the concept of flow as it relates to the Internet. In the Los Angeles Times, Hoffman explained: "The implications of flow go beyond advertising and are even broader for online transactions and purchases. If the online experience isn't compelling, people aren't going to stay very long on the Web in general, and your site in particular. A consequence of flow is the reinforcement of a good feeling, so much so that it may be important for encouraging repeat visits or repeat purchase behavior."

In their research, Novak, Hoffman, and Yiu-Fai Yung of the SAS Institute indicated that flow was of importance to Web site designers and online marketing professionals. Creating Web sites that provide ample excitement for a wide audience was a major challenge for designers. If users find a site uninteresting, boredom can break a pattern of flow and they'll move on to another site or an offline task. This defeats one of the central marketing tactics of e-commerce, to keep consumers on a company's site as long as possible, increasing the chance they will purchase goods or services or view online advertising.