What is Interactivity?
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. this opposite
reaction is called interaction. Since Internet is an interactive
medium and successful websites are those that are built on a
foundation of interactivity., it is little wonder that we respond
with the most interest and comfort when our Internet experiences
feel interactive as well. Interactivity plays an important role
in conversation on the web.
Adding
Interactivity
At Creative Web Solutions, we build sites that promote communications
through enhanced interactivity on your website. The websites
we build open two-way communications between your company and
your users. Interactivity is a very broad term and used with
great liberty online. As we say "Smart Websites that entertain
users, inform and bring them back!". One of the most commonly
used interactivity on internet is FORMS PROCESSING. It is still
the most widely used interactivity on websites where we enter
our enquiris for a particular product and we get a response
to the enquiry directly to our email ids.
An action often is prompted by a thought or emotion, which
creates an expectation for a specific response. Should the
response be as desired, the experience is positive. A positive
experience naturally leads to satisfaction with the action
taken, and a willingness to take additional steps. This is
why interactivity is so crucial to conversation! Creative
Web Solutions have demonstrated many different types of innovative
interactive elements to show that interaction can be more
than just filling out forms. We can make "smart"
applications like forms checked for inconsistencies prior
to submission and have forms that dynamically change options
based on other selections combined with dynamic instant help
pop-ups.
While all the above "smart" applications can contribute
to a highly responsive user experience, but the one by which
Creative Web Solutions can create the most impact in your
sites to attract users ultimately is the creation of streaming
content such as flash. Flash not only allows streaming informational
content, which optimizes download time for larger files, but
it can also easily add interactivity to the presentation without
significantly affecting file size. Additionally, a properly
planned flash interface can load all needed components incrementally,
and in sequence, without the user ever suspecting that anything
is missing. This creates an interactive experience that makes
the users feel instantaneous.
Interactivity Tools that you need in your
Website
1) Newsletters & Articles Manager &
Archive Tool (works with Email Manager):
This feature of Creative Web Solutions allows your website administrator
to post current articles and newsletters of interest, and also
to archive the information. The Newsletter Tool works with the
Email Manager, and can automatically mail your newsletter to
as many people as wish and have on your email account list.
We also provide a "Search" facility (in simple language
data search and data feeding) for finding past newsletters or
articles for your visitors to read or the administrator to find,
and can manage multiple accounts. 2) Email Manager
(works with Newsletter Manager):
The effectiveness of this function cannot be understated.
It keeps people in touch, not only with the website, but also
the business or area making them feel a part of it. This function
collects email addresses from a "Subscribe" function,
and also automatically manages multiple lists.
3) An Executive Calendar:
Creative Web Solution provides a monthly wall calendar grid
for important activities and events on request. This is a
great function for Chamber and Tourism Associations also.
We can customise the calendar according to required size and
can include optional supplementary information in a drop-down
box.
4) Web Page Generator:
One more feature of Creative Web Solutions is Web Page Generator
is perfect for creating pages for product information, recipies,
articles, resource pages, listing area accommodations, restaurants,
attractions, guide services, or other important information.
An easily managed feature with many applications.
5) Guest Book or Message Board {Testimonials}:
In simple words it is an area that allows website visitors
to post their remarks, comments or ask questions say like
discussion forums (explained below). An excellent function
for unsolicited testimonials or for a guestbook. We even provide
a "Sign" and "View" function.
6) Poll/Survey Question {Discussion Forums}:
Discussio Forums are great way for viewers to become involved.
This multi-purpose function shows results as well. The viewers
can get reply to thier questions or experiences as well. An
excellent tool for determining viewer demographics.
7) Suggest This Site to a Friend {Share our site}:
A simple but very effective tool which Creative Web Solution
uses in expanding the viewership of a web. {NOTE: This tool
needs to be functioned by the Outdoors Online administrator}.
[Read
Article on more features that are available]
A few examples of the many interactive features which can
be incorporated into a website:
- Personalizing the site so that returning customers are
greeted by name
- Questionnaires which return results based on submitted
answers
- Simple games
- Searchable databases of information
- Message boards and discussion forums.
- Make the website easy to use
[For
more details Read this Article]
Ultimately it refers to the process by which a user initiates
an action and receives a response based on that action.
Interactivity plays a key role in online
conversations
Interactivity is the cornerstone of every strategy aimed
at attracting, keeping and motivating users to act. Due to
a number of factors and increasing web technologies, there
are rising important reasons to examine the role of interactivity
on the web today.
Due to following reasons interactivity is gaining importance:
1) What happens when too little interactivity?
Now a days web designers often present sites with heavy text,
little or no instant interactivity other than fast loading
text pages. {specially for better Seo rankings}.
[For
more details read this Article]
Research has shown that people read differently on the screen
than in printed form. Actually, web users read fewer words
and more slowly than when reading printed material. Interactivity
is a method to engage and inform visitors without forcing
them to read uncomfortable amounts of type on the screen.
2) Too much emphasis on show business
Some companies make special efforts to create an interactive
platform for their prospects. Many of these sites, however,
provide interactivity via enormous video or flash files ignoring
download times, usability and purpose. When such interactive
feature are poorly planned from a marketing perspective, it
is easy for the programmers to use this function as a display
of their creativity and technical skill. While creativity
has a crucial place in marketing, it loses its power when
the needs of the target audience are not made paramount, and
when the core purpose is ignored.
3) Slow response or bad interactivity makes the user
less interested in our sites
Users interact with the real world in real time. Even computers
respond within the 0.1 – 1 second timeframe that provides
an instant or at least interactive experience. Therefore,
a slow response will quickly bore or frustrate a user unless
steps are taken to optimize the experience.
Be interactive; good interactivity engages the user and makes
your site memorable.
A truly interactive user experience makes it much easier
for users to forget about external distractions and instead
focus on the current website environment they are interacting
with. The Web is an interactive hypermedia communications
medium that your Web site should reflect. Sites that involve
the user and have a sense of fun or adventure will get more
hits, and can charge more for ad space.
Another advantage of interactivity is self-generating content.
By allowing your visitors to interact with your site they
actually create content for you.
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