Interactivity and The Long Tail

Interactivity

I’ve never really considered the complex textbook ideas of interactivity. For me, it’s always been just the ability of a person to interact with a computer, whether it be with software, a website, et cetera. The article Interactivity: a concept of explication made me realize that interactivity is generally associated with new communication technologies. And the questions presented in the beginning got me thinking:

Is interactivity a characteristic of the context in which messages are exchanged? Considering activities online, I think interactivity is definitely a bi-product of communication through technology.

Is it strictly dependent upon the technology used in communication interactions? Today, I’d have to say yes. Interactivity will develop only as technology does.

Is it a perception in users’ minds? Perhaps. Everyone does have his or her own ideas about what interactivity really is.

There were so many different theories mentioned in the article about what experts say constitutes interactivity, many of which were multi-dimensional. Some were more detailed than others, but the theories were all closely related. Basically, there has to be a user, content, and some level of responsiveness. Following are just a few of the comments from the experts. Even though they each word their definitions differently, they’re all saying about the same thing.

Ha and James say that interactivity is the ‘the extent to which the communicator and
the audience respond to, or are willing to facilitate each other’s communication needs’ (1998: 462).

DeFleur and Ball-Rokeach contend that ‘interactivity generally refers to the processes of communication that take on some of the characteristics of interpersonal communication’ (1989: 341).

Steuer says it’s ‘the extent to which users can participate in modifying the form and content of a mediated environment in real-time’ (1992: 84).

Ha and James say it’s ‘the extent to which the communicator and the audience respond to, or are willing to facilitate each other’s communications needs’ (1998: 461).

Jensen says it’s ‘a measure of a media’s potential ability to let the user exert an influence on the content and/or form of the mediated communication’ (1998: 201).

According to the article conclusion, there are three principal domains of interactivity: technological properties, communication context, and user perceptions. Interactivity is defined as “the degree to which a communication technology can create a mediated environment in which participants can communicate, both synchronously and asynchronously, and participate in reciprocal message exchanges.”

Interactivity and the Long Tail

Through a combination of interactivity plus three additional steps, The Long Tail becomes a successful business model. Interactivity; making everything available; cutting prices in half, then lowering them; and helping users find what they are looking for sells products online.

Without interactivity, the Long Tail wouldn’t work. Online-only mega-retailers like Amazon, Napster, and Overstock wouldn’t be anywhere near as successful because they wouldn’t have the means to move less-known products. The simple function of product referrals and the ability to locate obscure items increase sales exponentially. For me, The Long Tail will continue to be a successful business model, especially as technology continues to encourage online shopping.

Besides, where else but through an online retailer could I buy a new copy of Muse or Dead Milkmen? Certainly not at Wal-Mart or Target.