One of the challenges of moving a web site up from good to excellent is transforming it from just a bunch of web pages and graphics to an interactive experience. Another term for this is community - a place where people can come to communicate with others. The very best web sites have mastered this transformation, thus attracting return visitors again and again.
The whole point of a web site is to communicate ideas and concepts to other people. If you are just putting up pages and graphics, then you are performing half of a communication. You are telling people what you think, want, desire or need.
The other half of communication is listening. That's why merely adding an email form (or link) and a guestbook go a long way to improve your visitor's experience with your web site. You are giving them the opportunity to tell you what's on their mind. If you also take the time to answer their messages and perhaps even get involved in an online communication - then you may very well have a friend for life.
You can add even more value (and get a few more visitors as well) by adding a "tell-a-friend" capability to your site. This adds a third and very interesting (although seemingly trivial) element to your site: the ability to add others to the communication.
Look at it this way. Someone surfed to your site and actually found something that was interesting. That's actually not an incredibly common occurrence on the internet (consider how many stupid, boring or just plain silly sites you've visited). Okay, they've found something interesting, perhaps very interesting, and they want to tell someone. You would be very wise to give them this capability. This is not just because it gains you another visitor, but it makes people feel better. Why? Because people like to share good experiences with each other.
You want to increase the ante? Include a message board! Now you've added another form of conversation to your website. People can jump on your board and leave messages for each other, answer questions and generally have discussions about whatever subject appeals to you. Some advice about message boards: be sure and actively moderate the board. Why? Some unscrupulous people have a tendency to leave advertisements, pornography, curses and flames on message boards. Unless that's what your board is about, none of this serves your purpose: to get people to talk about your subject and come back to your website.
Another good reason to moderate the board is it puts you in control, which is where you should be. It's your board and naturally conversations should be about subjects in which you are interested. The purpose of the board is to improve your site and your visitor experience - not ruin their good time.
Another great interactive feature which is not so obvious is running an awards program. What this accomplishes is simple: you are inviting people to submit their sites to you for review. By giving them the opportunity to apply for the award you are increasing the value of your site to them, and improving your chances of getting them back for more.
Perhaps one of the very best interactive features is hosting your own custom made e-cards. These are extremely popular and greatly improve your visitors experience on your site. Better yet, they give your visitors an opportunity to communicate (by sending cards) with their friends - and their friends may visit your site also.
Other features which increase your site's desirability even more is polls and surveys, interactive stories (to see our own interactive story, visit http://www.internet-tips.net/cgi-bin/story/story.pl - and add your own chapter), ezines and even chat rooms.
By adding these and other features, you are increasing your value to people who visit your site. If there is one thing that people like to do (and must do to survive well) it's communicate. By giving people many different ways to communicate, you are making it more likely that they will visit your site, stick around, and recommend it to their friends.
About The Author
Richard Lowe Jr. is the webmaster of Internet Tips And Secrets. This website includes over 1,000 free articles to improve your internet profits, enjoyment and knowledge.
Web Site Address: http://www.internet-tips.net/cgi-bin/story/story.pl
Weekly newsletter: http://www.internet-tips.net/cgi-bin/story/story.pl
shuttle from Midway Glen Ellyn ..Ever browse across a website that took ten million years... Read More
Ever wonder how HTML color codes are put together? For... Read More
One product, one long web page: this kind of web... Read More
Q: Should I build and maintain my business Web site... Read More
So you want to build a website here I will... Read More
Imagine you're going on a blind date. You've heard wonderful... Read More
They say the eyes are the window to the soul.... Read More
Mechanical spiders have to eat. In fact, they usually have... Read More
Effective navigation stands out. It's clear, obvious, and highly visible.You'll... Read More
Read the title of this article over a couple of... Read More
If you'd like to create/maintain a website, having some HTML... Read More
I do site reviews. Needless to say, I see a... Read More
Your web site is the key to your success on... Read More
About two years ago, I had a go at commercial... Read More
With an increasing number of employment portals emerging, it is... Read More
When you begin the design of your Web site, one... Read More
When you start building your online business and search for... Read More
Are you looking to create the perfect website? A complete... Read More
First off, I am a designer. Now you're thinking, here's... Read More
So your web site's online and you've got high rankings... Read More
This is a two-part article about creating a web site... Read More
These days, it seems that everyone has a website. Unfortunately,... Read More
Reading on the web is different than reading in all... Read More
The internet continues to grow and has become the default... Read More
There are many companies who build websites, all of which... Read More
shuttle from O'Hare North Chicago ..Website design firms come in all shapes and sizes.When choosing... Read More
Yes, in a world that is obsessed with makeover madness,... Read More
Colors have long been known to have psychological affects on... Read More
Color is one of the most important but least understood... Read More
"How to turn "slightly interested" customers into "I've got to... Read More
I'm sure you've all heard the saying 'Build it and... Read More
Don't just put your slogan in the title tag when... Read More
In this era of ultra-sophisticated internet marketing and web design,... Read More
Many businesses want a simple website where they tell people... Read More
Any kid, and their grandmother too, can make a webpage.... Read More
What dollar amount does your web site contribute to this... Read More
If you have a business, big or small you may... Read More
By following feng shui guidelines and techniques, you can build... Read More
Since you'll spend lots of time and money to create... Read More
The most important person that you need to please when... Read More
As a webmaster, you want to keep your visitors content... Read More
If you think it's simply a case of who will... Read More
Here is a quick list of components that make a... Read More
The time it takes to load your site can make... Read More
If one more business owner tells me their website sucks... Read More
There are many ways to add fancy bells and whistles... Read More
A "template" is simply a design format which you can... Read More
Easy navigation and usability are one of the most important... Read More
FACT: 30 to 60% of visitors tend to drop off... Read More
Making a successful online business can be a long and... Read More
Web Design |