The document discusses how websites can address human motivations as described by Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs. It analyzes how the real estate community website ActiveRain fulfills several levels of needs, such as social belonging, ego/esteem, and economic security. However, it notes some ways the site could better meet needs, such as removing sponsored posts that undermine feelings of community and inclusion, and adding safety-related topics important for real estate professionals. Addressing a variety of emotional and psychological needs as described by Maslow can increase a website's success and user engagement.

1. Creating a Successful W eb
Experience with Maslow’s
Need Pyramid.
Danielle Gatsos
Digital Psychology - MCDM
7/27/10

2. Knowing what drives people is the best way to
motivate them into taking action. We all have the
same basic needs for survival; food, water, and
shelter. But our emotional needs go much further
than that. Websites have the ability to address
these emotional needs, and the more they can
fulfill, the more successful they will be.
In 1943 Psychological Review published an
article titled A Theory of Human Motivation by
Abraham Maslow. This theory was Maslow’s
observation on what motivates us. The main
notion of this theory is that we are motivated by
needs that have gone unsatisfied. His studies
demonstrated that our general emotional needs
(safety, love and esteem) must be fulfilled before
we will act unselfishly. Eventually these needs will
push a person toward the stages of growth and
self-actualization. Maslow says that denying
these needs leads us to act selfishly, or just
downright mean.
In the digital realm the motivation is typically not
so much to get people to act unselfishly, but
instead to get them to buy, or contribute to a
larger community.
The first stage of Maslow’s pyramid consists of our
basic needs: food, water, warmth, shelter, etc. The
second stage is based on our need to feel secure,
both financially and physically. The last three stages
are more emotion-based.
The social stage describes our craving to feel like a
part of a group, a sense of belonging as part of a
team that demonstrates success. The second to last
stage considers our egos, stating that we require
recognition from others in order to feel worthy and
accomplished. The final stage is self-actualization.
Self-actualization is reached when we begin
producing and getting involved at a higher level,
where our innovation, creativity, and overall
awareness hit a peak and we are finally satisfied.
W eb Experiencesand Maslow’sNeeds
Self-
Actualization
Ego (Self-Esteem)
Social (Belonging)
Safety / Security
Physiological

3. Community blog and networking sites like ActiveRain.com are great examples of websites that capitalize on
the social needs listed in Maslow’s pyramid. These communities are becoming viral because they have
different levels of status that facilitate various facets of recognition and learning. They also facilitate social
acceptance and belonging by allowing people to communicate with one another in a designated group.
W eb Experiencesand Maslow’sNeeds
By displaying the amount of members in the
activerain community the website creates an
even larger NEED for real estate professionals
to belong because they may feel like they are
missing out on information and networking
opportunities that could improve their lives.
On the front page of the website the need to
fulfill one‘s EGO is addressed via the
recognition for bloggers who create posts most
frequently. This creates a status level within
the community and facilitates heavy
recognition from others because it is the
most viewed page on the site. It also helps
bloggers to identify with a successful team,
as those that are featured on the front page are
supposedly highly esteemed since they made it
over 186,000 other members.

4. W eb Experiencesand Maslow’sNeeds
The activerain Professional Channels address
one of the secondary needs for survival on
Maslow’s pyramid: economic security. Since
the members of ActiveRain.com are all
expected to be employed within the real estate
industry the site producers address current
economic conditions in the market as well as
advice on how to succeed during economic
strife- making it a great resource for finding
economic stability.
The activerain Consumer Channels also
apply to Maslow’s list of physiological
needs. They address the human need for
shelter by not only providing information
on how to purchase homes but also how
to efficiently maintain the heat and overall
physiological security within the home.
The ‘featured members’ box also makes
exclusive members feel that their work is
important within the community.

5. W eb Experiencesand Maslow’sNeeds
While activerain.com is successful at appealing to numerous stages in Maslow’s Needs Pyramid there
is still room for improvement.
GET RID OF THE SPONSORED POST: The fact that the top post on the front page is a “sponsored
result” impairs the feeling of community and belonging on the page because it demonstrates that with the
right amount of money anyone can buy the position that so many others have worked so hard in the
community to gain. In order to facilitate higher learning, creativity, and mastery, sponsorship options
should come in alternate forms. Allowing frequent membership benefits to be purchased takes away from
the motivation to contribute more to the website.
INCLUDE SAFETY FEATURES: While scanning the topics
for the site I couldn’t find anything with regard to the need
for physical safety. This could be a crucial topic for real
estate professionals because their work is often in the field
meeting at random new locations with new people.

6. W eb Experiencesand Maslow’sNeeds
While activerain.com is successful at appealing to numerous stages in Maslow’s Needs Pyramid there
is still room for improvement.
GET RID OF THE SPONSORED POST: The fact that the top post on the front page is a “sponsored
result” impairs the feeling of community and belonging on the page because it demonstrates that with the
right amount of money anyone can buy the position that so many others have worked so hard in the
community to gain. In order to facilitate higher learning, creativity, and mastery, sponsorship options
should come in alternate forms. Allowing frequent membership benefits to be purchased takes away from
the motivation to contribute more to the website.
INCLUDE SAFETY FEATURES: While scanning the topics
for the site I couldn’t find anything with regard to the need
for physical safety. This could be a crucial topic for real
estate professionals because their work is often in the field
meeting at random new locations with new people.