CX Strategic Knowledge · CX Methods
The Engagement Fallacy
Customers are task-oriented, not engagement-seeking. High time on site usually signals friction, not value.
Engagement is often a bad KPI because customers want to get something done and leave efficiently. High time on site or frequency of use frequently signals confusion, friction, or poor design rather than value. The exception is entertainment and content, where time spent is the task itself.
Most products exist so a customer can complete a task and move on. When teams celebrate rising time on site or visit frequency, they may be celebrating confusion. A customer who spends twenty minutes on a task that should take two is not engaged — they are stuck.
There is one legitimate exception: entertainment, social, and content experiences, where time spent is the task. Everywhere else, more time does not mean more value. More time often means more failure.
Apply this
Reading about the engagement fallacy is one thing. Seeing where it applies in your journey is the useful part.