MN Interactive

Get Active Through an Interactive Website Design

The Internet has changed dramatically over the last decade, as has the way we now view sites. Static or brochure sites which do not pop, will not capture audience interest, nor gain high web rankings. Yet, given the growth in web-technology, there’s nothing easier than to redesign your already existing site to make it more interactive. And if you are building a site from scratch, most web-hosting companies will have site building software included in the package.

Interactive site designers are in huge demand simply because they can get the job done, in the shortest amount of time, and on the client’s often tight budget. A good designer will understand the underlying reasons a site has to be interactive, and this of course depends on the site’s motive: to give users a unique experience each time they visit; to allow them to browse the site and make their purchase with ease; to give them a chance to clarify or address any concerns they have, etc.

Creating an interactive site is simply a question of adding some of the following features to it. Don’t go overboard and stick them all on your site, you risk the chance of making it too busy. Instead, select the ones you think will work best, and test them for 6 months. If you feel you can do better, experiment with various options till you get it right.

Newsletters: These are the most popular and often the easiest to create. Sign on with sites like Aweber and Constant Contact. They are fully automated, and help you build your mailing list with minimum effort. Always provide your audience with the chance to unsubscribe; it’s required by law and shows your customer they have an out should they wish to take it.

Forums or message boards: These take a little more effort, as with every discussion board you need to have a moderator or someone who can monitor and guide discussions. These work really well however if you have an online retail store, as they allow customers to chat, ask questions, review products and discuss features; actions which are guaranteed to draw visitors back to the site. Keep your board open or private depending on your store. Another option is a chat room http://chat-forum.com/ which works in real time- people type in messages, to which others in the chat room can respond to. Chat rooms however work well only when the time is predetermined and a message sent out to everyone inviting them to join.

Surveys or polls: Surveys are fun to do, as long as they are short and to the point. Long surveys usually call for some incentive in the form of free offers, discounts etc. Don’t forget to post the results of the survey for all to see.

Guestbooks: Can visitors leave comments or sign a guestbook? If you are using these features, be sure to enable the ‘approval’ button, so you can screen the comments before they get published. Testimonials too work like comments/guestbook, only in this, people usually review the product/service they’ve already used so others may get a better idea before buying it.

Search feature: This is a great little tool which allows visitors to search your site for particular information, saving them time and effort. Most visitors will appreciate a search button and you can add either a ‘search the site’ or ‘search the web’ button. The former is more valuable in keeping your visitors on your site, but works well only in you have enough content. The latter will direct visitors away from your site to related links on the web. Gather the data to track what your visitors are really looking for.

Referral services: If someone likes your site, services or products, allow them to share it. You can do this via share buttons, or by integrating a widget that generates an email of the article, product/service, with your website’s URL. What better way to get the word out than have your fans do it for you?

Other features to consider include:

JavaScript, which allows you to add current date and time, visitor counters etc.

An FAQ area, updated with user questions.

Personalized postcards, which are great for image rich sites like travel and photography sites. Use your own site photos to create free postcards.

A calendar of updated events, if your site holds online or offline events, teleconferences, group meetings, etc.

A news column which automatically updates itself.

A blog which is one of the easiest ways to draw visitors to your site.

And last, but not least, interactive games and quizzes, which provide your audience with some fun time. They can be branded, and the quizzes tailor-made with your product information incorporated.