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Title: How Active is Inter-Active?
Author: Stefene Russell
Article:
"Interactive," like "post-modern," is an impressive word, though
no one precisely knows what it means. This can be confusing--not
to mention annoying-but the lack of a clear definition provides
a good launching point for brainstorming.
We'll leave "post-modern" to the Derrida theorists. What does
interactive mean, then? Let's break it down into components:
"inter," means through (a relationship is established between
two objects) and "active," means it actually does something.
Using this definition, a simple email form becomes
"interactive." The user acts upon the form, and the form sends
mail. Simply put, it's the cyber version of conversation:
exchange in all its forms. You just want the user to leave
feeling as if they received something, whether that is a return
email, a bit of trivia, or a slideshow.
Most of us (including myself) are used to thinking of
"interactive" as a Rube Goldberg whiz-bang collection of
interactive flash features or auto-checking radial-dot forms
that are smarter than we are. Of course, this causes us to push
the concept of "interactive," out of our heads, because it
sounds too complicated to be bothered with. But believe me, it's
worth pondering (and implementing) at least a few interactive
features.
Here's a short list of ways to make your site more interactive
without drastically increasing download times, or giving
yourself a migraine as you attempt to decipher a complicated
audio/video/bell and whistle software package.
*Weekly newsletters (naturally) *Discussion boards *Professional
tips and advice *Printable "coupons" for goods or services
(which rewards users for visiting the site) *Calendars *Events
related to your website's subject (conferences, speakers, etc.)
*Recipes *Free samples of your product/service *polls and
surveys *Frequently updated articles (iSyndicate and FreeContent
are two good sources of copy. You can find them at
www.isyndicate.com and http://www.egoups.com/group/Free-Content)
*Q and A columns, using reader's questions (this should also be
updated as frequently as possible) *Quick, reliable customer
service *Easily located contact information (name, phone,
address, email) *A bio page-if people feel like they're dealing
with another person (rather than a borg-bot) that's the original
human version of interactivity. *Easy, clear navigation *An
order form/catalog/shopping cart that is easy to find, easy to
use (and hopefully secure).
You've probably already implemented some of these, but if not-
what are you waiting for? You've got nothing to lose--except
bored, confused users.
About the author:
WHAT MAKES USERS CLICK? Expert Stefene Russell will do a
complete analysis of your site, including personalized tips on
copy and design. Whether you're an e-business or a content
provider, find out how to make your site professional and
effective. Get Stefene's free web site tips newsletter at
http://FixMyWebsite.com Reach her at stefene@drnunley.com or
801-328-9006.
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