In college, my roommate for my first two years was absolutely obsessed with “jam bands.” How obsessed? Do you know what set list Phish played on Halloween in 1997? Neither do I, but he sure did. I’m telling you, it was almost scary.

As for me, I’m more a fan of Dave Matthews than Phish, but I did develop a high level of appreciation for what these “jam bands” do on tour. When some musical “artists” are too focused on their dance moves to do anything but lip sync, these bands are going out there and giving their fans a different experience every. single. night. You could probably go to every stop on a tour and see a completely different show every night. And the fans? Well they eat it up.

Why?

The bands are producing dynamic experiences for their fans.

You never know what to expect next.

This is exactly the type of experience that brands should be aiming to provide. A static experience can make you a quick buck by cashing in on a fad which will be thrown away two months later. Long term success requires you to continuously search for ways to “spice it up” for your customers and deliver an ever-evolving experience through your product. Dynamic experiences keep your customers hanging around and encourage repeat purchases.

So, how can you create a dynamic user experience?

Product Upgrades/Enhancements - One option is to continuously provide the user with new features that actually add value to the user and enhance their experience. Some companies may choose to offer free upgrades, whereas others may charge a fee for product add-ons or upgrades.

Empower the User - Another option is to give the user the power to either create their own product upgrades (think open source) or to choose on their own how they want to use the product. A key aspect of this is that you must try to avoid placing too many legal restrictions that prevent them from doing this.

These were the two main methods I could think of, please add others in the comments section below!

What are some examples of dynamic user experiences?

iPod/iPhone – Apple has done a magnificent job of letting users create their own experiences on the device. First, you have the apps that are largely user-created and have completely changed the way the consumer uses the product. In fact, I’d argue that there are very few people who share the exact same user experience. Outside of the actual phone function (yes, it is still considered a phone), some use iPhones as a web browser, an organizational tool, a social networking device, an mp3 player, you name it. Apple also provides you with a very convenient way to add music, video, etc. which means that it can really never get old.

Twitter – The folks at Twitter have made VERY few attempts at providing their own product upgrades. Twitter lists are really the only recent addition that has enhanced the user experience in any way. The ever evolving user experience here is all thanks to the user. The users have the freedom to follow whoever they want and, as they follow new and different people, their experience never becomes “stale.”

Video Games – Okay, even if you’re not a gaming nerd like me, hear me out. As a kid, games got old pretty fast. You could only race through Super Mario so many times before you wanted to buy a new game. Recently, however, gaming companies have done a good job of preventing consumers from buying a game, playing it for a month, and then getting rid of it. First, online play has allowed for a very dynamic experience, since you could play it over and over again and the game play always changes based on the other players. Games have also gotten very deep into game upgrades and add-ons that you can purchase or download. Whether it’s new clothes for a character, a new weapon, a new song, or even new levels, companies have begun offering these as a way to get even more money from gamers enhance the experience of playing their games.

Really, all I’m saying is that your product can’t be stagnant. It has to always be evolving so that the consumer won’t lose interest.

So, what do you think? What are some examples of great dynamic user experiences that you’ve come across recently? How else can a company create a dynamic user experience? Sound off below in the comments!