Websites as Pinball Machines

January 22, 2005

I'm not sure I entirely agree with the website as pinball machine metaphor, but it's an interesting one:

A pinball machine is a great metaphor for describing how a Web site works -- not the mechanical side of working that involves ASP, PHP and databases, but the reality of how a Web site attracts and retains customers. By thinking of the Internet as a huge arcade, and your customers as kids with a pocket full of quarters, it's possible to take a fresh look at your Web site and how it can be more effective.