My roommate is an Olympics junkie. I mean, she is into it… and she’s keeping up with details. She knows the athletes, their hometown and everything about them. Before Chad Hedrick's race, she went online and clicked on what appeared to be an article about him. It was actually the race results! I heard a gasp from the study, and a sad face appeared saying, “They should have warned me.”

She had forgotten that the televised events are a delayed broadcast. Preferring to watch the race unfold before her eyes, she was disappointed to know the outcome in advance. Her guy won, but the experience was tarnished.

The difference is the medium and what users expect from it. Web users are usually information and results focused. We know that, and often maintain sites with that in mind. While, broadcast viewers, like movie-goers, want to experience the emotion, the struggle, the victory. And, we (being a cross-medium species) sometimes get a bit startled by the lack of cohesion between the two.

The Internet is becoming more universal. Podcasting and the like are sure to bridge some of the gap technologically. We can post more info, turn broadcast into podcast, and feed it wherever we want at the click of a button.  But, as technology grows, we have a constant challenge ahead of us; a bigger mission (should we choose to accept it.)

We have to address the user, anticipating what and when they'll want information, and their reactions once they get it. We constantly ask how we can enhance their experience, which doesn't always mean simply throwing EVERYTHING at them. At Zunch, our strategies are more than SEO friendly and functional but also have the user in mind: names of links, where they’re located, where and how content is posted, and now more than ever, timing is a growing factor.  We know that immediate action is often important in beating competition to the punch. However, patience can be a virtue at times, even in our “instant” society. But under any circumstances, clarity is key.

We use the Internet as a tool, somewhat like the nightly news. But there’s a big difference. We forget the Internet is not in the same local bubble with the bulk of our broadcast experience.  As Internet gurus and technologists bridge the gap between the two, industry leaders like Zunch will need to continually consider the user response and our timing in the global community.

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