Can Your Members Find the Content They Need?

Tobin Conley | 10.06.15
Topics: Web - Mobile - Social

We finally signed up for Netflix streaming service, and at first were disappointed at the lack of items they had available. Of course, that was before the algorithm got hold of our past choices and started displaying categories based on them. Granted, categories like Cerebral TV dramas, Imaginative TV Sci-Fi & Fantasy, or Because you watched Phineas & Ferb may be useful, but as time goes on, well, the patterns can get a little funky.

Members Are Looking For Relevant Content

It was a pleasure to discover the holy grail of Netflix categories (in order to do such things as distinguish between Religious & Spiritual Dramas andReligious Comedies & Satires – an important distinction if ever there was one). In all seriousness, categorization is what allows Netflix viewers to get to the content they want, no matter what it is. 

Many association websites have a similar wealth of content – but members cannot find the information they seek. Why? Because much of it is not categorized and therefore finding it becomes a matter of guesswork.

Tip: the better your content is classified/categorized, the easier it is to find. That makes for happy members!

Of course, this can be taken to extremes. One example from happyplace.com (see below) shows us how categorization might actually work against finding the movies we want.

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The trick here is to establish categorization for your site that best suits your site visitors. Otherwise, it will be very much a crapshoot in terms of guiding them to the desired content. Worse yet, they’ll take their dice elsewhere, never knowing what high-value content they might’ve scored on your website.

 
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