Web Interactivity and Engagement

Interactivity

While the Web Interactivity and Engagement class does focus more on interactivity in terms of web management and content management systems, the user end of interactivity is also a vital and interesting part of any web site. With out your users interacting with your pages or content, your site becomes pointless. Exploring some of the benefits of user-end interactivity seemed like an excellent topic to learn more about, regardless of where the WDOC program ultimately takes me. So what are some benefits of interactivity?

As Benefits of Interactive Websites article by DSC points out – “Adding interactivity changes how people feel about a website.” That can have a huge impact on a site and the business behind it, regardless of if it is a fashion retailer or an auto mechanic. Giving your visitors a sense of engagement can also give them a sense of community or belonging, which would in turn have them visiting your site time and time again. That article also points out that having interactivity can lead to personalization by your users if they are creating accounts to interact with you/your site. This can in turn provide more information on individual users which you can turn around and utilize for personalized recommendations on products, services, or other advertisements. Thinking of Facebook or Amazon alone can give you a great idea of how websites can use this to the advantage of all parties involved. Also, by learning the likes and preferences of your users, you can cater your future developments or marketing to the audience base you already have, and expand your target audience based on the data you’ve already got on hand.

Another article, Interactive Website: Top 7 Benefits by Herman on drostdesigns.com discusses the benefits of interactivity and building relationships with your customers. Benefits from those relationships can span from brand building to attracting more traffic which leads to better search engine rankings, and obviously generating more sales.

Lastly, in Sean the Flex Guy’s article The Business Advantages of an Interactive Website points out that interactivity can add dynamic aspects to your website, which can attract more visitors than static sites that are not updated regularly. The article also mentions adding interactive elements will make your audience value your service more, creating a stronger sense of customer satisfaction – which should be a high priority for any company hoping to succeed.

What it comes down to in the end, is that regardless of the basic purpose of your website, adding aspects of interactivity can make it more useful, enjoyable and memorable to your audience – in turn making your site and business stand out from your competition.