What is Website Interactivity?

In meetings and conversations where web design is the focus, someone almost always drops the word “interactivity.” This word used to convey undeniable power, and the mere utterance of “interactivity” or one of its variations meant something.

“Our website needs to be more interactive,” they say.

And we would jump on the bandwagon. “Interactive, you say? Of course! An interactive website is much better than those static presences that sit in the corners of the Internet, gathering dust.”

Unfortunately, though, the word “interactivity” is in danger of succumbing to cliché-status. Think “crowd sourcing” or “social media expert” or, and I shudder to type these words, “thought leadership.” These are frivolous terms put together to form even worse phrases, and like any fad, they achieved a status of stratospheric importance, elevating anyone who used them to pseudo-intellectual stardom.

Thankfully, people began to wake up and ask, “What does ‘crowd sourcing’ mean?” And those who threw around the lofty terms stared back with a blank expression, uncertain what was being questioned. That’s when the truth hit.

Perhaps “interactivity” has already reached this level, or perhaps it can be saved, but the fact remains – it’s an empty word. When someone says, “We need our site to be more interactive,” what is it they’re asking? Does “interactivity” imply some sort of special force that had been previously known but left untapped – a force that, with simple implementation, can propel a website to an undefined level of success?

The time to give “interactivity” a rest is now. No one knows exactly what it means. But I don’t believe everyone who uses it has ill intent. It’s merely a lazy man’s term – a term meant to convey something that, with further thought and effort, can actually be defined.

So let’s define it. What is “interactive?”

For me, there are three levels of meaning behind the word: users, technology, and ideas.

Website users are obviously the most essential ingredients, and the first step toward achieving interactivity is by ascertaining who exactly is visiting your presence. Once you have an understanding of the people accessing your site – whether it’s prospects, customers, partners, or constituents – you should strive to learn what their needs and desires are. What does the user want of your website? What are they looking for? You want your website to be interactive with visitors, but you cannot possibly accomplish that without knowing who they are.

Technology is a tool to help you implement interactivity, and there are a plethora of options available. Video, blogging, forums, shopping systems, demos, games, and contests are just a few to name. Some are old, some are new, and what really matters is which technology is going to fit best with the user. However, if you haven’t unraveled the user first, technology won’t be able to help you, and sadly, this is a trap many people fall into. Technology is meaningless without knowing who’s using it.

Ideas and innovation are what’s going to keep your website afloat. A web presence can easily turn stale. Users change in their needs and desires, and technology becomes old and obsolete. An interactive website isn’t something that happens overnight, and then once accomplished, left to sit in the sun. No – truly interactive sites are constantly changing and adapting to the environment, and the power behind this force comes from ideas, and ideas come from constant brainstorming and obsessive research.

Put these three layers together, and maybe – just maybe – you’ve achieved a website resembling the vague conception of interactivity.

But that’s my definition of interactivity. No longer will I utter the word. Instead, I’ll explain what interactivity means and how it can be achieved by describing specific, actionable notions – not the notions that make people lust for immediate results, but the notions that are brought from reality and which can be injected into a concrete plan. Those are the notions that achieve success.