The Benefits Of Using Interactive Content To Engage Website Visitors

Studies have shown that humans' attention span has shortened in recent years, with the average person now having an attention span of about 8 to 12 seconds. It means it's more important than ever to engage website visitors quickly and effectively or risk losing them to other distractions. 

Given this short attention span and today's competitive digital landscape, a boring website with plain content is not going to cut it for you. Businesses must find new and innovative ways to engage with their online audience. This is where interactive content comes into play!

Interactive content engages visitors and encourages them to interact with your website. It gives an engaging experience to visitors through quizzes, polls, games, calculators, and more. Moreover, It helps you better understand your visitors' preferences and interests.

This article will walk you through interactive content, how it benefits businesses, and how you can create it. Let's get started!

 

Different Types of Interactive Content

There are various types of interactive content, of which a few are discussed below. Each content type offers different advantages and caters to a different audience. Research and brainstorm what content will suit your website best, and design it accordingly. 

1. Quizzes

One of the most common and successful types of interactive content is quizzes. They engage users by asking questions and providing them with instant feedback. You can use quizzes to test knowledge, educate, entertain, or generate leads- all in a fun and interactive way.

With a quiz builder, you can easily create interactive quizzes to engage your customers

The best example of leveraging quizzes to increase engagement is DoFasting. The website offers a quiz to help people identify their “intermittent fasting type” based on their lifestyle, habits, and goals. 

2. Polls

Polls have become popular for websites to engage their audience and encourage interaction. Websites successfully incorporating polls into their content strategy have seen increased traffic, engagement, and user satisfaction. 

One example of a website that uses polls as interactive content is BuzzFeed. BuzzFeed is a popular entertainment and news website that covers a wide range of topics, from politics and technology to food and celebrity gossip. They have a section dedicated to quizzes and polls, one of their website's most popular sections. 

3. Calculators

Calculators are a useful form of interactive content. They can help visitors make decisions, such as calculating the cost of a product or service. Calculators can also be used to educate visitors about your products or services, provide valuable information, generate leads, or improve user experience.

Zillow, a real estate website, offers a mortgage calculator to help users estimate their monthly mortgage payments based on the loan amount, interest rate, and down payment. It not only helps users calculate but also increases website engagement.

4. Games

Games are a highly engaging form of interactive content. They can entertain visitors and provide them with a challenging experience. Games can increase engagement, promote brand awareness, or educate users.

Gucci, the high-end luxury fashion house, created a game called “Gucci Mascara Hunt” to celebrate its mascara L'Obscur's launch. Light pinkish tones and winning on getting as many mascaras as possible hooked the audience and promoted the product in the best way. 

5. Interactive Infographics

Interactive infographics are digital content that presents information in a visually engaging and interactive format. These can increase engagement, improve retention, and enhance the user experience by allowing users to explore data, facts, and statistics engagingly.

Websites can also use these infographics to create awareness, place their products, and educate or entertain users. One of the best examples is National Geographic's “The New York Skyline” interactive. 

6. 360-Degree Videos

360-degree videos allow users to explore a virtual environment from different angles and perspectives. They offer an immersive and engaging experience that can be used for educational, marketing, and entertainment purposes. 

These videos provide a unique way to showcase products, services, or destinations and can effectively increase engagement and brand awareness. One example is Lenstore, a contact lenses website featuring a 24-hour view of London.

 

Benefits of Interactive Content For Businesses

There are many benefits of using interactive content on your website. Let us discuss a few most significant ones. 

• Increased Engagement 

Interactive content can capture visitors' attention and encourage them to stay on the website longer. It can help businesses to reduce bounce rates and improve the chances of visitors becoming customers.

• Brand Awareness 

Interactive content helps businesses create a more memorable and engaging user experience. It improves brand awareness and encourages customers to return to the website in the future.

• Higher Conversion Rates 

Interactive content can guide customers through the sales funnel and encourage them to act, such as purchasing or filling out a lead form. It can result in increased conversions and sales.

• First-Party Data Collection

Since interactive content creates engagement, website users usually enter their details. Businesses can leverage this data to gather customer preferences, needs, and behavior.

Thus, understanding their target audience better and creating more effective marketing campaigns.

• Competitive Advantage Over Static Content 

Interactive content can help businesses stand out from competitors offering only static content. Incorporating interactive content into your online strategy increases user engagement, helps your businesses stand out, and builds long-term customer relationships.

 

Best Practices for Creating Interactive Content 

Creating and implementing interactive content on your website requires careful planning and execution. Here are some best practices to keep in mind:

• Audience Targeting And Goal Setting

Interactive content can only work when it resonates well with the audience. Research your niche audiences and their needs, preferences, and pain points. Use this information to plan out your content accordingly.

• Visual And Functional Design Considerations

The design of your interactive content should be visually appealing and user-friendly. Consider using multimedia elements such as videos, images, and audio to enhance the user experience.

Moreover, optimize your content for different devices and browsers. One thing that makes Buzzfeed's polls distinct is their optimization for mobile devices. 

• Integration With Other Marketing Channels 

Interactive content should be part of a broader marketing strategy that includes other channels such as social media, email, and paid advertising. Use these channels to promote your interactive content and drive traffic to your website.

• Testing and optimization

Regularly test and optimize your website's interactive content to ensure it meets your goals and engages your audience. You can use analytics tools to track user behavior and adjust your content accordingly.

By following these best practices, businesses can create interactive content that engages their audience, drives results, and helps achieve their marketing objectives.

 

Wrapping Up!

Interactive content is the future of digital marketing! In the world of mindless scrolling and passive content consumption, interactive content does stand out. It increases engagement, improves retention, generates leads, and multiplies sales.

Fun, enjoyable, engaging, memorable, and result-driving- these words summarize the scope of interactive content. Start creating interactive content for your website today and see the change it brings!