One of the biggest goals of any marketing department is engaging audiences and encouraging them to take action on a website. <\/p>\n
After all, a website is often the most important lead-generation tool for businesses and brands. When you can make it a more interesting place for visitors, they are more likely to want to interact with your brand. <\/p>\n
Adding <\/strong>interactive content<\/strong><\/a> to your website is a great way to increase your conversions<\/strong> and give your visitors a more entertaining experience. <\/p>\n When a customer knows that a website delivers a great user experience and that there are plenty of opportunities for interaction, they are more willing to return even if they don’t become a customer right away. <\/p>\n But what exactly is an interactive website? What are the direct benefits that it can bring to your brand and the advantages that your company can achieve?<\/p>\n In this article, we’ll answer those questions, explain how to make an interactive website and provide some examples of great interactive websites.<\/p>\n Oftentimes, when envisioning an interactive website, we focus on the desktop experience. <\/p>\n However, the majority of website visitors will come from a mobile device. That means that your interactive elements need to be adaptable to a mobile screen.<\/p>\n If you build a <\/strong>responsive design<\/strong><\/a> for your interactivity, you can entertain users on any device. <\/strong>Without making your site accessible on mobile, you can risk losing your customer’s interest.<\/p>\n Interactive elements like animations and interactive scrolling can be a great way to garner interest from the first page of a website. <\/p>\n But sometimes a customer wants to be able to quickly navigate to another page or visit a specific area of your site without engaging in the interaction. <\/p>\n Make sure that you keep your navigation menus clear and simple. <\/strong>You’ll also want to make sure they are easily accessible on any sized screen.<\/p>\n Honestly, there\u2019s nothing more frustrating than landing on a visually stunning website and getting lost in a sea of fancy graphics without a clear way forward. Test your menus with people who aren\u2019t familiar with your site\u2014sometimes what seems obvious to a designer is totally confusing for a first-time visitor. A smooth, intuitive experience beats flashiness when it comes to building trust and driving action.<\/p>\n Another thing worth mentioning: keep an eye on how your navigation works alongside interactive elements like pop-ups or slide-ins. It\u2019s easy for these features to clash, especially on mobile devices, where space is tight and thumbs do a lot of the work. Small missteps here can turn curiosity into annoyance pretty quickly\u2014which, let\u2019s be honest, is the fastest way to send someone back to the search results.<\/p>\n Adding interactive elements doesn’t mean you need to redesign your entire site with a new scrolling experience and tons of animations. <\/p>\n You can start small and begin by adding in interactive elements that don’t drastically change the style of your site. <\/p>\n Adding in a calculator to help a customer understand costs <\/strong>or a quiz that identifies an issue is a great first step.<\/p>\n An interactive video<\/a> like a 360 experience or interactive images and animations can sometimes take more experience and technique than your design team can manage. <\/p>\n Investing in video or image services from a specialty agency <\/strong>might be a good idea if you want to provide an experience outside of the box for your customers.<\/p>\n You can also check out Ion<\/strong><\/a>, an easy-to-use interactive marketing tool.<\/p>\n Animated elements are great ways to increase engagement and improve customer experiences. <\/p>\n Dynamic scrolling, hover-triggered pop-ups and changes, 3D effects, and even different cursor images can make your website more engaging from the first interaction a customer has. <\/p>\n It also helps your customers get a feel for the new design of the website<\/strong> by being able to play around with different effects and environments.<\/p>\n Now that you understand how to make an interactive website, let’s take a look at some different examples of websites that have successfully implemented interactive elements to create a memorable experience.<\/p>\n Foot Locker<\/a> provides a great example of an interactive microsite. <\/p>\n The Home Game site uses gamification to encourage visitors to interact with virtual games and contests. <\/p>\n The site also uses interesting colors and animations to create a unique visitor experience and encourage conversions throughout the visit.<\/p>\n Prometheus Fuels<\/a> uses video and gaming elements to create an interactive experience that tells the story of the brand in a much more interesting and engaging way than a traditional “About Us” page. <\/p>\n The user is in control of the pace of the video, allowing customers to feel as though they are a part of the story being told.<\/p>\n Delve Architects<\/a> is an example of a website that uses interactive elements to share a message. <\/p>\n The goal of the brand is to make architectural design more approachable and light-hearted. By using a pastel color palette and creating clickable elements, the brand is able to stand out from competitors.<\/p>\n Whiteboard<\/a> is an agency that uses animations and scrolling to create an interesting experience that helps you browse through their portfolio. <\/p>\n Rather than having straight lines and case studies linked under a separate tab, you can click through images on the homepage and learn more about Whiteboard’s capabilities.<\/p>\n Knowing how to make an interactive website is a great way to improve the overall experience that your customers have. <\/p>\n By providing plenty of interactive elements that draw them in and bring them back again and again, you can improve your conversion rates<\/a> and help your audiences engage with your content. <\/p>\n4. Make it Mobile-Friendly<\/h3>\n
5. Keep Navigation Clear and Simple<\/h3>\n
6. Find Areas to Begin Adding in Elements<\/h3>\n
7. Invest in Video or Images<\/h3>\n
8. Try Animated Elements<\/h3>\n
Best Examples of Interactive Websites<\/h2>\n
Foot Locker<\/h3>\n
Prometheus Fuels<\/h3>\n
Delve Architects<\/h3>\n
Whiteboard<\/h3>\n
Wrap Up<\/h2>\n