How to make users more active on website ?

How to create website features for a specific target audience ? Part - 3

In this last part lets discuss the features that emerge from the interaction of the user with the possible activities on the website. Consider, the situation where a pensioner is paying online. What would he consider when he finds an option to pay online ? What might go through his mind ? What features would actually turn him away from paying online ? What would actually induce him to pay online ? All these questions should pop up inside our head when we consider a feature that allows pensioners to pay online.

Again a little bit of the unique nature of the user comes up. As far as i could gather, there are not many seniors who are web and computer friendly. They are not familiar and hence very reluctant to trust the new age payment mechanisms. I have seen many senior persons asking a relevant yet rather strange question - Who are we paying online in an E-Com site ? There is no one to receive the money and there is not even physical currency involved. Simply put, our older generation just don't believe in online payments. So going back to the questions that i have listed in previous paragraph, lets reconsider one specific question - what will actually make a senior citizen pay online. If the answer to this question can be executed flawlessly, that site would see a lot of traffic from the TA and online payment by senior citizens is bound increase. Lets consider a few features based on this single question alone:

• Descriptive helps for all the steps and processes to complete the payments.
• A customer support person who is reachable 24 x 7 over the phone to help. Messages like this would help increase the safety feeling a lot - "Are you finding it difficult to pay online, Call Ms. Mandira Bedi, Customer support executive. Toll free number : 1800 180 1407
• Give telephone number clearly visible in the payment page.
• Use trusted online payment systems like icici payment gateways
• Testimonials of individuals who have payed online before through the site would increase the credibility tremendously.
• A system that ensures that when someone pays online or could not pay online completely, the person gets a follow up call from a customer care executive to help.
• A contact address upfront with images of head office of the company to give a personal feeling to the whole business.

So far we considered only one proposed requirement in the scope document that is to allow senior citizens to pay online. In similar fashion, each requirements in the scope document should be considered as deep and elaborate as possible to come up with all the user specific and activity specific features related to it. Hope i made some sense to you. It would be great to know your opinions and thoughts. I would love to hear from you so that i can get to know the areas where my readers would actually like to read about. Drop me comment below or click here to know my credentials. Thank you.