Microsoft"s ExpertZone is a place where retail pros, tech support specialists or really just about anyone who is passionate about Microsoft can get educated on the Redmond based company"s latest products and initiatives. To help make sure these users are highly engaged, Microsoft has overhauled its ExpertZone website.
Prior to this major release, the site was dated which made the educational process more of a burden than an enlightening experience.
When we were in Seattle a few weeks back, Ben Rudolph gave us a tour of the new site and it now provides a modern learning environment that works on any device. For ExpertZone users, no longer do modules feel boring and outdated: The content is more interactive, dynamic, and can be built quickly with easy to use tools.
"The new ExpertZone isn"t just about educating retail pros—it"s about making them feel like they"re part of the Microsoft family," Rudolph said. "By creating a community of fans working in stores around the world, Microsoft has a way to connect with consumers, one at a time, in a really personal way."
The idea is pretty simple: If you create engaging content, users are more likely to respond positively to the information. More so, if they enjoy the learning experience, it is far more likely that they will come back frequently to view Microsoft"s latest information which is a huge win for the company.
Here is a quick breakdown of what is new:
- It"s built from the ground up in HTML5 responsive design: This means that it works equally well on PCs, tablets, phones – even Xbox! Now users can learn, connect and share on any device, anywhere in the world.
- New bite-sized content goes live every day: The new ExpertZone gives users new, fresh content in shorter, more frequent doses. Everything on selling scenarios, tips and tricks users can use to blow customers away, and inside looks at Microsoft’s most awesome products and projects.
- Every interaction is a chance to earn rewards: The old ExpertZone only rewarded users for completing courses. The New ExpertZone makes everything the user watches, reads or views – even the shortest post – into a chance to earn points that they can redeem for awesome rewards.
During our brief time with Ben and his new site, it was clear that he was extremely passionate about the final product. With the site now live in nearly 60 countries, if you don"t put your heart into a project of this size, the end result will always be lackluster.
With its new site, Microsoft is hoping for higher user engagement with its content which should allow the user to better retain the content once they are done with the training.
For those of you who are curious about what the site looks like, we have posted a gallery below showing the many different regions where it is available.
If you have access to the site, you can see all the new bits on the Expert Zone site.