In the 1940s psychologist Abraham Maslow proposed the Hierarchy of Needs, first published in his paper A Theory of Human Motivation. This framework suggests a succession of human needs, where a person must fulfil a basic need before moving on to a higher level of satisfaction.

Marketers use Maslow’s theory to understand consumers’ behaviour in the market. Considering that customers are online more than ever before, it is quite significant to learn about their online needs and behaviour. Web analytics applications help marketers understand online consumer behaviour.

One might question whether Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs applies to online consumers as well. Is it possible that the hundreds of millions of users have a mutual hierarchy of needs, the same way that humans have a hierarchy of needs in the real world?

The Internet does indeed have its own version of Maslow’s hierarchy. The most basic requirements, physical needs, are prerequisites to everything else. These include a functional and reliable electrical power, bandwidth access, devices and network management. No other Internet need can be met if access is not functional.

On a higher level, there is the need for safety. Cyber security and protection from attacks, virus/malware infections, abuses, invasion of privacy and any other harmful activities are crucial. In Maslow’s terms, someone who is escaping danger would not be worried about aesthetics, but would be focused on his/her own safety.

Once the web is secure, people surf, communicate and engage in online activity that satisfies their social needs. Users thus join social networks, groups or communities.

Popular people tend to have many friends and connections. Normally, the number of people one deals with in real life tends to correlate positively with the number of virtual friends. Nevertheless, some people argue that people who are less popular or charming in the real world may compensate and overindulge in virtual social networks.

Through social networks, people are more than just any other user. They put a face to their name. Users’ personality is quite evident from the images posted, videos shared and status updates on social media.

One user differentiates from the other in the way s/he uses the web – the ability to organise information, search for information over the web, make use of search engines, criticise source reliability, advertise and more. Such esteem satisfiers are prerequisites for a person to evolve to a higher state of fulfilment.

A user reaches the highest stage of openness once she or he embarks on new levels of creativity and innovation. People who blog and leave comments, express themselves online and come up with new applications are known as ‘self-actualisers’.

Physical, security, social and esteem needs must generally be all satisfied in this order before the Internet becomes a frictionless tool for personal growth and realisation.

Daniela Grech is a PR, Content and SEO Specialist at local web design and development company, ICON (www.icon.com.mt).