Does your web site interact with visitors?

The Internet has become a more interactive place. Videos, blogs, image galleries, new PR rules, and so forth are defining how people are consuming content. A web site used to be a fairly static presence in which someone would visit, read blocks of text, see a picture of a product, and then leave. The rules have changed. You have to work harder and more creatively to capture the attention of people. Not only that, but you must create dynamic content that pushes people to keep your site on their mind. Mike Villarreal is a Texas State Representative, and a client of ours. In re-designing his site, Mike wanted a tool that he could use to better connect with constituents. He wanted something cutting-edge and interactive. We highlight three important things we (and he) did to accomplish this:

• A blog. There are millions of blogs. However, only a small fraction of those blogs are published by elected officials. The blog format allows Mike to speak candidly on issues that are important to his district. It also allows Mike to speak in a more conversational format (although he has comments turned off).
• Online videos. Mike has a page dedicated to publishing videos. These are videos of him speaking to crowds, talking about issues and doing interviews. A video is a great interactive tool that allows Mike to reach viewers on a whole new medium that can better stimulate the attention and emotions of viewers.
• Online petitions. Getting citizens more involved in their government is a hard thing to do. Mike is taking the first step by encouraging his constituents to sign online petitions. This enables visitors to take direct action on Mike’s web site.

What are you doing to make your web site more interactive? A good place to start is to make sure you have a stream of fresh content. Start small with news, events and even a blog, and then take bigger steps with more interactive and out-of-the-box tools.