Website interactivity – keeping users interested…

The web has become our lifeline in a way we’ve never appreciated during the last 14 months. In June 2020, Ofcom released a report which stated that UK adults were spending more than a quarter of their waking day online – the highest usage ever recorded. So, with usage at an all-time high, how can website owners use interactivity to keep their users interested?

Website interactivity – what is it?

Interactivity is a way of bringing to life the content and user experience on a website. It can be achieved in a variety of ways including clickable buttons, interactive tools and forms, animated images, data visualisations and more.

Why is it important?

Website interactivity can help to deliver a more effective website in a number of ways:

  • Navigation: it can help to better navigate a user through a site, pointing them to places which may be of particular interest and ensuring that their journey through the site is seamless.

  • Content: interactivity can help bring to life important content and showcase particular points. Introducing interactivity to a certain area of the site can also help to keep things fresh.

  • Reach: Using interactive design in content can make it much more appealing, and depending on the subject of the content and the brand, it can encourage sharing on social media, helping to extend the reach and drive awareness.

  • Personalisation: web designers can use interactivity to allow users to personalise parts of the site. For example, they may choose a particular image to greet them, to view the site in a certain colour way, adopt a specific icon or a personal photograph and attach it to an account that they have registered with the site. The ability to change things, keeps a site fresh and drives an emotional attachment between the user and the site.

  • Experience: All of the aforementioned points create a better experience for the user, encouraging them to visit again and even recommend the site to others.

Too much of a good thing?

There is a point at which too much interactivity can overwhelm, confuse and irritate a user. As with all things in life, it’s all about balance!

Who are we?

We are Olamalu, Drupal experts and experienced web developers. We’re a friendly and down to earth team based in West Oxfordshire, who work together to achieve brilliant outcomes. We’ve been building websites and designing tailormade tech solutions for a huge range of different challenges for over 10 years. We work alongside clients and really get under the skin of the business, understanding not just what is needed now, but also how to plan ahead and consider the business needs in the future. www.olamalu.com

June 2021
Keep exploring
Does displaying data on your website feel like a minefield?
Thought piece
May 2021

With the majority of us still working remotely (and set to remain this way), the reach potential to our identified audiences through our websites is massive.

Read more here
Intranets – the growing force of an internal website
Thought piece
April 2021

The word ‘intranet’ doesn’t always provoke a positive feeling. Back in the day, they were often seen as an inward facing, dowdy internal system in contrast to the engaging, interesting and exciting outward facing customer website.

Times have changed.

Read more here
Is your website giving your customer the experience they expect?
Thought piece
February 2021

The digital world has never been more important than it is now – supporting our lives during this global pandemic. Our work and homes lives are reliant on the goods, services and entertainment that we can access online and with this increase in digital usage comes an increase in users’ expectation of great service and what a good experience feels like.

Read more here