How do I create interactive experience?
Interactivity has become a buzzword over the past year or two. From virtual reality to augmented reality, interactive experiences are all the rage. There’s even an entire Interactive Marketing Association dedicated to this topic. Interactivity is simply the capability of a device, software, or website to respond to user input and act upon it. It can be as simple as allowing users to rate something they just saw or as complex as allowing viewers of a video the ability to go back and review previously missed footage after seeing it for the first time. When creating an interactive experience we need to consider how our users will receive information and feedback from our site design. For example, in an e-commerce site we may want to direct users who have made a purchase to their confirmation page so they don’t wonder where their order is or why there was no tracking number sent with their delivery confirmation email. However, if we direct them directly back to our homepage upon making another purchase then we risk having shoppers become lost on our site forever wondering what it is they wanted from us in the first place.
Make your site voice user’s language
If you want your site to be an interactive experience, you will want to make sure that it speaks the language of your users. This means that whatever they type in the search box or what they are trying to buy, the website should understand so it can respond accordingly. When creating a voice for your site, it’s important to consider what kind of feeling you want to create for your visitors. For example, if you run a travel website then your voice might be more lighthearted and playful than if you run a law firm doing corporate finance.
Be responsive
The most important thing is to be responsive. If a user completes an interactive activity then our website should immediately recognize that fact and provide them with the information or service for which they were looking. It’s also important to consider what kind of content your website contains. If you have video on your site, then it should respond accordingly. For example, if the user has just been watching a video, the website should automatically start playing another video upon completion of the first one.
Measure everything
To create an interactive experience, you need to measure everything. In order to ensure that users are receiving the information they need and that your website is optimized for the best possible user experience, it’s important to track many different metrics. You can measure things like bounce rates, conversion rates, time on site, and more. These numbers will help you understand how your website is performing over time with regard to marketing goals. It’s also important to keep in mind what your user’s expectations are when creating an interactive experience. What does a successful experience for them look like? What do they expect from this interaction? How long should it be? Do they want a customer service chat window? A live chat feature where someone answers their questions? Will they want to be able to share or bookmark content?
Ask for input before you show something to user
Another important consideration when designing an interactive experience is to ask for input from your users. By asking for input, you will be able to get a better idea of what your user wants and need and ultimately how you should design the experience. This will also allow you to create a more meaningful interaction that will resonate with your audience. For example, if our e-commerce site was displaying a rating system on all of our products we might ask customers who rated a product four stars or higher “would you like us to send a sample of this product so that you can try it out before buying it?” This would allow customers to test the product without committing to purchasing it without any risk of being disappointed in the product. If they aren’t satisfied, then they could just skip over to another item and not have wasted their time with our less than stellar product. Ask for input before showing something to user
Show and tell – explain why you have something in place before showing it to user
One of the most powerful ways to create an interactive experience is to show and tell. This means you explain why you have something in place before users get a chance to see it in action. For example, let’s say you’re creating a website for a local business but want to start off your site with a video instead of text content. You could explain the benefits of this strategy in a blog post or on social media before debuting it on your website so that users can know what they are getting into when they click play. If you introduce your customers to the idea first then they will immediately understand what they are signing up for when they visit your site. Another great way to create an interactive experience is by letting users try things out themselves. For example, if you are creating an e-commerce site for fitness products then let customers try out different exercises with interactive videos or demos of the product so that they can learn what it is like from their own hands before making a purchase. In this day and age of technology, consumers make purchases faster than ever before and expect instantaneous gratification, which makes it harder than ever for brands to keep up with them. With interactive experiences practically taking over our lives, we need new ways to make people want to interact with us rather than just buying our products or services.
Don’t be afraid to show a little skin
We must also consider the user’s environment. If we’re creating an interactive experience for an app on your phone, then it may not be appropriate to have a lot of visuals, since our users are already limited in their field of view. On the other hand, if you’re designing an interactive experience for a website, then you can take things up a notch and give the user more to see. Whether you’re creating an interactive ad campaign or designing something as simple as a new website homepage, one thing is certain: we must think about how our users will receive information and feedback from our site design. If they don’t understand what they are supposed to do next, then they won’t engage with our content or purchase anything.
Conclusion
If you want an interactive website experience, you must make your site speaking the user’s language and use responsive design. Don’t be afraid to ask for input before showing anything to the user. Show and tell – explain why you have something in place before showing it to user. Don’t be afraid to show a little skin.
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