EEG

CA Calls for European Businesses to Wake Up to ‘Web Stress’ or Risk Losing Customers and Sales

• World’s first* neurological experiment into poor online customer experience proves existence of ‘web stress’
• Brain wave analysis indicates that consumers need to concentrate 50% more than normal when using a badly performing website
• Two most stressful points of the online sales cycle are search and checkout

* Based on extensive desk research in February 2010.

London, UK February 24, 2010 – CA, Inc. (NASDAQ: CA), the world’s leading independent IT management software company, today announced the first ever neurological study of consumer reactions to a poor online experience. The research proves that many consumers experience ‘web stress’ when trying to make an online purchase. The stress levels of volunteers who took part in the study rose significantly when they were confronted with a poor online shopping experience. In order to retain customers, attract new ones and prosper during the economic recovery, CA is calling for European businesses to focus on giving their customers the best possible online experience.

CA partnered with Foviance – a leading customer experience consultancy – to explore ‘web stress’ in relation to application performance, and its impact on consumer behaviour and buying habits. Brain wave analysis from the experiment revealed that participants had to concentrate up to 50% more when using badly performing websites, while facial muscle and behavioural analysis of the subjects also revealed greater agitation and stress in these periods.

During the study, volunteers were wired up to sophisticated neurological and physiological testing equipment, including an EEG (Electroencephalography) cap which was used to monitor brain wave activity. The volunteers then carried out a series of everyday online tasks such as finding and buying a laptop PC and travel insurance. Using all the data gathered, CA and Foviance identified the two most stressful points of the online sales cycle were search and checkout. At these two points, subjects experienced heightened levels of ‘web stress’. During the experiment, volunteers persevered and completed the purchase but in reality, more than three quarters of customers will abandon the site. The study also revealed that after a bout of heightened ‘web stress’, on average it took each participant up to a minute to return to a relaxed state.

“The results of this study sends out a clear message – businesses need to reduce ‘web stress’ and improve the online experience of their customers if they’re going to maximise returns from their web channel,” said Kobi Korsah, Director, EMEA Product Marketing at CA. “It’s not just about website design or internet connection speeds – the performance of a website is dependent on the performance of the web applications that support it. Businesses need an Application Performance Management (APM) solution which not only provides real insight into how customers are experiencing their web applications, but will proactively manage the performance and availability of these applications. This translates into better customer service, improved brand loyalty and increased sales.”

Catriona Campbell, leading behavioural psychologist, Director and Founder of Foviance, said: “Consumers have very high expectations of web applications and web sites – to be always available and instantly responsive. This experiment simulated the experience of underperforming web applications for our volunteers. The results show that when online expectations aren’t met, people quickly become agitated, confused and have to concentrate 50% more than normal. All these problems can be detected and prevented as long as businesses take a proactive approach to measuring the customer’s experience of web applications.”

The experiment builds on the CA 2009 Web Stress Index published last year which examined the frustrations associated with underperforming web applications. The research found that more than three quarters (77%) of European consumers blame either website owner or the website host (which is in any case chosen by the website owner) when an online application fails. It also revealed that if consumers encounter problems online, 40% will go to a rival website and 37% will abandon the transaction entirely. Only 18% said they would report a problem to a company, which means companies need to have their own measures in place to understand how their website is performing from the customer’s point of view.

About the Experiment

Foviance carried out the study on behalf of CA at the labs of Glasgow Caledonian University in January 2010. Thirteen volunteers took part in the study – eight female and five male participants, aged between 22 and 42. The participants were from the UK, Italy, Spain, France, and Germany. During the study, volunteers were wired up to sophisticated neurological and physiological testing equipment, including an EEG (Electroencephalography) cap which was used to monitor brain wave activity. They then carried out a series of everyday online tasks such as finding and buying a laptop PC and travel insurance.

Download the study here

About CA

CA (NASDAQ: CA), the world’s leading independent IT management software company, helps customers optimise IT for better business results. CA’s Enterprise IT Management solutions for mainframe and distributed computing enable Lean IT—empowering organizations to more effectively govern, manage and secure their IT operations.

About Foviance

Foviance is a leading customer experience consultancy that works globally with some of the world’s best known brands to deliver measurable improvements in performance.

Founded in 2000 and with a heritage in website usability and data analytics, Foviance delivers consultancy to its clients about the effectiveness of their individual channels, such as mobile, web and call centre and how they combine in a cross-channel environment. For many clients, insight is provided not only in their home market, but also internationally through Foviance extensive alliance network.

Foviance engages with its customers wherever they are in their product lifecycle, and provides insight so they understand how to improve, create and deliver excellent customer experiences.

Foviance boasts 43 of the UK FTSE 100 companies among its client roster, including Barclays, BSkyB, and Sainsbury’s. In addition Foviance works with International brands such as AstraZeneca, Dell and Nokia. For further information please visit: www.foviance.com

Press contacts

Catriona Campbell – Foviance  info@foviance.com +44 (0)845 054 6500

To explore ‘web stress’, CA partnered with Foviance to see if application performance had an impact on buying habits and consumer behaviour online.

Using an EEG (Electroencephalography) cap and sophisticated neurological and physiological testing equipment, volunteers were wired up during the study and had their brain wave activity monitored. Everyday tasks online such as finding and buying items were tested by the volunteers.

The results revealed that search and checkout were the two most stressful points of everyday processes carried out online, resulting in the volunteers exhibiting a heightened level of ‘web stress’. This type of stress results in more than three quarters of customers abandoning websites before they have completed the task that drove them to the site in the first place.

To download the whitepaper a valid e-mail address is required, however Foviance will not contact you unless you specifically request it.

Foviance’s CEO, Paul Blunden is running a session at the MarketingWeekLive! -  Online Marketing Event on Wednesday 1st July with Sean Gilchrist of Barclays.

The session will be held at 9.30am at the Online Marketing event called “Barclays Online Banking – Putting the customer at the heart of it”

Hot topic : Electroencephalography (EEG), Download Foviance’s white paper on Emotional Engagement Research

Neurological research provides crucial insight into customer experience from an emotional perspective

London, UK, 19 December 2008 – Foviance, the expert in customer experience, has launched a pioneering new method of measuring customer experience for ecommerce and gaming website visitors. Electroencephalography (EEG) research provides the means to gather detailed information on a user’s emotional relationship to a brand or service.

Neuropsychologists have shown that 85% of decision making happens at a subconscious level. Foviance has also tested and proven emotionally engaging websites to provide higher commercial returns.

EEG involves measuring electrical activity in different parts of the brain in response to certain stimuli. Once the preserve of the clinical lab, Foviance has pioneered the use of EEG in the assessment of user experiences. By recording reactions at different stages of interaction with a website – with emotions ranging from excitement and anticipation through to anxiety and boredom – Foviance can provide detailed and specific site design recommendations that improve customer conversion.

Foviance customers have already started to benefit from EEG. So far, Foviance has analysed the emotional responses of online poker players, measured response to imagery alternatives on a travel site and identify effective merchandising strategies for an online retailer. EEG can be used to assess emotional response to various types of stimuli and Foviance plans to apply the method to understand the multi-channel user experience. For example, it is possible to gauge people’s emotional engagement while on the phone to a call centre.

Marty Carroll, consultancy director, Foviance said: “We recognise that differentiation in user experience for many brands means moving beyond simple efficiency, performance and functionality, towards connecting with consumers emotionally. We are incredibly excited to be bringing this complex neurological science to the marketing industry for the benefit of businesses and consumers.”

EEG on PKR gaming research

PKR is an online poker playing site that uses advanced gaming technology to provide 2.25 million subscribers with personal, involving and highly entertaining poker games. Foviance and PKR used EEG to measure players’ visceral responses to different stages of gameplay and gameplay outcomes. Foviance research revealed that for the novice player, PKR offered much higher levels of emotional engagement compared to competitors’ sites. Foviance was also able to identify the peaks and troughs in concentration, the areas that cause confusion for the novice player and the importance of the tutorial stages in engaging customers. Now PKR is also aware of how high levels of concentration and focus on what is happening in some stages of the game mean that the company can optimise cross-marketing and up-selling opportunities during the game.

Simon Prodger, marketing director at PKR Technologies said: “This method of user research helps us understand the all important emotional experience that customers go through when using our site. This is very important to PKR as we aim to provide the most engaging poker experience online. Foviance’s insight has helped us identify how we can harness and develop the unique aspects of PKR’s engaging and immersive approach to online poker to ensure that our customers enjoy the highest quality experience possible.”

Foviance EEG measures factors ranging from cognitive and visual attention to emotional attraction and engagement, revealing the pattern of visceral activity during an experience. It uses an Apprehension/Excitement index to reveal how people respond to specific incidents and allows for comparison with other everyday activity benchmarks.
The service, developed in tandem with Neuroco is available immediately from Foviance.

Press Coverage

econsultancy: EEG: cracking your clients’ sub-conscious
By Marty Carroll, February 19, 2009

Easss.vox.com: Online poker firm engages in scientific inquiry in order to relaunch their site
By easses.vox.com, January 25, 2009

LobsterPoker: Using science to assess Poker player preferences
By Diana Sterling, January 18, 2009

NetImperitive: Guest Comment: Winning minds through cutting edge consumer marketing
By Marty Carroll, Foviance, January 12, 2009

GamblingReview: PKR.com Researhes Brain Reactions To Provide Better Service
By Gambling Review, January 9, 2009

UsabilityNews: Online poker company uses Science to assess Player Preferences
By Joanna Bawa, January 8, 2009

DigitalResponseMedia: EEG research ‘could aid internet marketing’
By Digita Response Media, January 8, 2009

ZeroStrategy: New advance in brand relationship
By Zero Strategy, January 7, 2009

SwissPoker: PKR Getting Inside Your Head
By Richard Honegger, January 7, 2009

Online-Casinos.com: Getting inside your head
By Online-Casinos, January 6, 2009

GlobalGold: Foviance: Understanding decisions improves business
By: Global Gold, January 6, 2009

BCS: New Method ‘finds brand emotional relationship’
By BCS, January 6, 2009

4flush.com:  Mind-Blowing To Brain Scannin; What’s PKR Poker Up To Now?
By 4 Flush, January 6, 2009

RecentPoker.com: Online poker company uses science to assess player preferences
By RecentPoker.com,  January 6, 2009

RuffPoker.com: Online poker company used science to assess players
By RuffPoker, January 6, 2009

GamingIntelligence: PKR Turns to Neurology to Understand Player Preferences
By Gaming Intelligence, December 23, 2008

DealerSupport Customers’ emotions to be analysed
By Dealer Support, December 23, 2008

NewMediaAge PKR taps into user emotions with Foviance
By Charlotte McEleny, December 18, 2008

For further information:
Melanie Hesketh / Becky Cheers
Prompt Communications for Foviance
+44 208 996 1638 / +44 208 996 1636
foviance@prompt-communications.com

By Marty Carroll

I’ve been reading a great book that I highly recommend you get hold of. It’s called ‘Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are” by Rob Walker. It’s a cracking book on a number of counts, but what’s particularly interesting is what Rob Walker describes as the “Pretty Good Problem”. He discusses how, when Consumer Reports tested 53 kitchen ranges a couple of years ago they found that all 51 were rated either ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’ while two were rated ‘good’. None of the kitchens tested rated as ‘fair’ or ‘poor’.

When we started out in 2001, most of the work we did was focused on identifying and eliminating functional usability issues on websites. Our clients would usually ask us to conduct research to help them understand why people could not buy, register, subscribe, bet, book or whatever else, on their site. Our recommendations helped these brands make significant improvements to their respective conversion rates but the issues invariably had something to do with layout, terminology, process, content or functionality.

Nowadays, most websites are ‘pretty good’, meaning that most of the low hanging fruit has been picked. So why is it that people still choose one site over another or more importantly one brand over the other? The answer is not usability but rather the overall user experience offered. Relatively speaking, it’s much easier to conduct research to identify usability issues than it is to uncover why people feel compelled to choose one brand over another (and more importantly remain loyal to that brand over an extended period). The particular websites and brands people now use are not just consumer choices but are conscious expressions of who we want to be perceived to be. Of course, nobody in their right mind will disclose in a room full of strangers that they feel a pathological kinship with a particular brand, and as such, focus groups are almost useless as a market research technique in these circumstances.

Psychologists estimate that 85 percent of decision making occurs in the subconscious which means that most market research is tapping into 15 percent of what matters. We’re currently carrying out work using EEG (electroencephalography) which involves monitoring emotional response by measuring the electrical activity in the brain when presented with certain stimuli. Previously the preserve of laboratory experiments, we’re finding that it has direct applications in measuring customer experiences. For example, it’s possible to research three to four different design alternatives and conclusively show which elicits the most positive emotional response.

So here’s the bottom line: when you and all around you are ‘pretty good’ you need to know how to set yourself apart from the crowd!

By Mark Gristock

Gaming companies have long recognised that user experience is a significant factor in winning and keeping clients. Over the years, every element of the gaming experience – from initial signup through to the latest live betting sports books and 3D casinos – has been thoroughly tested across multiple and diverse audience groups.

The latest development, electroencephalography, or EEG research, reveals how people are responding to specific aspects and periods of the experience, and could instigate the next generation of online and multi-channel gaming. The first time we really started to be aware of the potential of EEG research was with the release of Microsoft’s Halo 3 on the Xbox 360. Within 24 hours of launch, the game had become the biggest entertainment launch in history, garnering an estimated $170 million in sales in the US alone. Research and conversations with the team at Microsoft revealed that the design of Halo 3 had been based around a system of design called MDA – Mechanics-Dynamics-Aesthetics. From the designer’s perspective, the mechanics give rise to dynamic system behaviour, which in turn leads to particular aesthetic experiences. From the player’s perspective, aesthetics set the tone, which is born out in observable dynamics and eventually, operable mechanics.

EEG is a pioneering neuroscience technique. By measuring mind-states, emotions and other sub-conscious responses, it helps us to understand how respondents really think, act and behave. It combines eye-tracking and neurological data to measure sub-conscious reactions and marry them with cognitive responses. By studying, in real-time, variations in the different patterns of electrical activity in the brain, it is possible to gain a very considerable understanding of exactly what is going on inside the mind at any given moment.

When combined with classic qualitative research methods, this approach enables us to explore the otherwise mysterious depths of the subconscious. It is already widely used in the advertising and film worlds, and has been successfully used in packaging, merchandising design and creative and concept work. By combining EEG techniques with the latest eye tracking, we are able to see exactly how opinions are formed and how consumers react to positive and negative outcomes, to exposure to different processes (e.g. registration), and where cross-promotions have the most impact.

What does this mean for the gaming industry? Well, for the first time, we are now able to measure the impact of both individual and combinations of elements on how the customer feels during the gaming process. We can look at, for example, the live betting process and how participants respond to different winning or losing messages. We can start to experiment with new concepts, such as:

• How much does positive or negative reinforcement change the way you view a game?
• How much is satisfaction increased by congratulatory or hard luck messages
• Would additional animations at key stages of game play (e.g. on the bubble, as betting closes) increase emotional engagement with a game or gaming company?

This research technique also allows us to challenge long-standing assumptions. The vast majority of the work that’s been done with registration processes has been focused on simplifying and shortening the time and effort needed to start gambling. But our work in the insurance industry has revealed that there is actually a trade off between providing a smaller amount of information and the amount of trust customers have in a brand and its security. Does this apply to gaming, and what elements would increase brand affinity?

Our workshop at EiG Expo 2008 in Barcelona from 23 to 25 September, will include a practical demonstration of the technology in action, as well as reviewing the findings of our initial EEG research. But what we’re really hoping to achieve is for you to leave the session with renewed vigour and focus on customer experience. These new techniques provide insight and answers that were previously unobtainable – and the information could lead to the biggest step forward in online gaming in years.

Launch of Experience Blueprint service.

Cross-channel research into Travel market published in Travolution magazine.

Present EEG research at EIG conference in Barcelona.