Effective Ways to Integrate Social Identity Theory with Web Design

When you are trying to create a successful web design, you should take note of all the preferences of this particular industry. For providing the easy experience for the users, the information with the unique traits can be used in the navigation process. The appearance of the social media has created a new virtual world for the web designers. The social identity theory plays a great role in each and every sections of the society. This particular theory was introduced by Henri Tejfal in 1979, which says that every human being considered himself or herself to be a part of a particular social group.

Social media

What Is The Basic Concept Of The Social Identity Theory?

The social identity theory states that the human behaviors can be assumed with the help of the similarities and the differences that can be perceived in the group. This self identification process through the different groups can create self esteem and sense of pride. It also helps in the relationship bonding activities between the different members of the same perceived group. In short, with the help of the social comparison, an individual can identify all the positive attributes within himself. Those members who possess the similar positive characteristics can be considered in-group members and those possessing the negative characteristics are the out-group members.

How the Social Identity can be combined With the Web Design?

All the marketers require studying behavior of the customers for providing noteworthy inputs to the web designers. The social identity theory can create the basics of the web design structure. The user experience is a process that simplifies the communication between the users and the product. The overall idea is to improve the value and the usability of the products to the users. The designs can be used for the purposes of market testing, simulated models and product prototypes. The web designers can apply the A/B testing methods for improving the conversion rates and the user experiences.

Different business models have different requirements. A single solution cannot be found that can be suitable for all the business models. To apply the potential of the social identity theory, you must be aware of all the unique opportunities. You should answer all the questions yourself before preparing a strategy for the social identity theory. Ask yourself about the common experiences that the users can obtain from the products you are selling. You can also ask about the ways in which you can keep your users socially interactive and informative about your products. You can also

  • Ask about the method of classification of the user’s page
  • What are the general Research and development efforts for creating innovative designs for your company
  • Does your product easily customizable to changes
  • Do you have an excellent idea that can be integrated with the user experience design
  • Are there possibilities for the social interaction for your products

You can check out the activities of your competitors in the industry. They might be doing something wrong, where you can have the correct approach. It can also help you in generating unique concept that can maintain your consumer base. Provided with the right strategy at the right time and an increased level of commitment, the social media can play a great role in this case. By using the various attractive platforms, you can create a unique voice about your brand so that it can be heard by the potential customers in your industry. Relationships with the customers can be reinforced strongly and the new perception of the brands can be considered as the ‘in-group’.

For example, a soccer fan will identify himself by joining an online soccer forum. It can help him to adopt all the common characteristics of those particular group members. The common excitement and the interests towards the game can be easily shared through the forum. The social bonding can increase with the interaction throughout the group. The social comparison takes place when one group tries to compare themselves with another group. In this case, the feelings within the group improve as they consider all the other groups as the out-groups.

Examples of the Platforms Where the Identity Theory Can Be Used

  • Facebook/Twitter: The social identity theory can be applied in the social media platforms like the Facebook or the Twitter. Facebook allows the members to form groups with common interests or ideas. The new group members can be invited and the friends can provide suggestions for joining the group. The visibility can be modified according to the desire of the group moderators. The group members can also share posts, tag, like and comment according to their convenience. The online marketers can easily track the interests of the users through these social networks. These helps in promoting the relevant ads to their targeted users. On the other hand, Twitter has grabbed a large online market through their function of the hashtags. The specific subjects can be hash tagged for gaining customer feedback at a common ground.
  • Amazon: It is the largest online shopping platform that allows the customers to share their feedback or the purchase experience through the social media networking. For the strong social influence, the future sale prospects can easily be improved. The marketers can target their customers in various ways. For example, if an individual enters into Amazon, but goes out without purchasing, the marketers can observe his behavior and can advertise the similar products through his social media profile. The product reviews section of this online purchase store can help the subsequent customers for taking their final decision.

Therefore the social identity theory can be one of the ruling factors that can help in the social influence of the group members. The concepts can be used for providing unique user experience and to establish a proper brand image for your company. If you hire a web designer and a social media agency and think that your work is over, you are wrong. A proper integration between them with proper strategies will help in building connections between the users and the products.

Author Bio

Jack Dawson is a web developer and UI/UX specialist at BigDropInc.com. He works at a design, branding and marketing firm, having founded the same firm 9 years ago. He likes to share knowledge and points of view with other developers and consumers on platforms.

Image Credit: shutterstock.com

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