A tremendous opportunity to optimize user experience

Due to a number of factors, there are increasingly important reasons to examine the role of interactivity on the web today. Some issues to consider:

Too little interactivity?

Today’s web users are too often presented with text-heavy sites with little or no instant interactivity other than fast loading text pages. Research has shown that people read differently on the screen than in printed form; specifically, web users read fewer words and more slowly than when reading printed material. Interactivity is a method to engage and inform visitors without forcing them to read uncomfortable amounts of type on the screen.

...or too much emphasis on "show"

Some companies make the effort to create an interactive platform for their prospects. Many of these sites, however, provide interactivity via enormous video or flash files that ignore download times, usability and purpose. When interactive feature are poorly planned from a marketing perspective, it is easy for the creators and programmers to use them as a display of their creativity and technical skill. While creativity has a crucial place in marketing, it loses its power when the needs of the target audience are not made paramount, and when the core purpose is ignored.

Slow response times

Users interact with the real world in real time. Even computers respond within the 0.1 – 1 second timeframe that provides an instant or at least interactive experience. Therefore, a slow response will quickly tire or frustrate a user unless steps are taken to optimize the experience.

Since many sites have not optimized their sites on an interactive level, this creates a considerable opportunity for inventive and forward-thinking companies to set themselves apart by providing a well-planned, truly interactive user experience.