Let's start by defining what makes a website interactive. A truly interactive website creates a two-way dialogue with visitors, responding to their actions and needs in real-time. It's not just about fancy animations or hover effects – it's about creating meaningful engagement that converts visitors into customers.
In this article, we'll show you the features that make a website interactive with real-world examples.
The most exciting development I've seen recently is Expertise's talking website.
As soon as you land on their website, you are greeted with a call (the website mimics like it’s calling the visitor). The visitor can accept or reject the call, or choose to interact with their Voice AI agent through the AI nav whenever they want.
The Voice AI agent can:
What Makes It Work: Voice interaction taps into our most natural form of communication - conversation. While most websites force visitors to click around and search for information, voice AI creates an immediate personal connection.
It's like having a knowledgeable salesperson ready to help every visitor, making complex navigation simple through natural dialogue. Plus, voice removes the barrier of typing, especially on mobile devices where typing can be cumbersome.
The best part is that you can use Expertise's Conversational AI platform to give your website a voice too. Sign up to get started!
Gallery.vision's implementation of AI chat support is a masterclass in interactivity. They're not just handling basic queries, their AI chatbot can:
They've seen impressive results with this approach:
What Makes It Work: Traditional websites leave visitors to figure things out on their own, often leading to confusion and abandonment. Gallery Vision's chatbot creates a guided experience that feels like talking to a knowledgeable sales rep.
TurboTax transforms the complex tax filing process into an engaging, interactive experience. Their calculator-driven interface:
What Makes It Work: Filing taxes is complicated, but TurboTax's interactive approach makes it feel manageable. By showing immediate results and breaking complex calculations into simple steps, they keep visitors engaged.
GEICO's website showcases how branching logic can create personalized user journeys. Their interactive quote system:
What Makes It Work: The intelligent form logic that creates a unique path for each user while maintaining simplicity and clarity.
Matterport revolutionizes virtual property tours with its interactive 3D experience. Their platform enables:
What Makes It Work: Traditional property listings rely on photos and descriptions, leaving much to the imagination. Matterport's 3D tours eliminate uncertainty by giving visitors complete control over their viewing experience.
Trunk.io demonstrates how motion design can enhance user engagement. Their website features:
What Makes It Work: Developer tools can be overwhelming, but Trunk's motion design makes the experience feel intuitive and connected.
The animations serve as visual metaphors for how their tools work together, making complex concepts easier to grasp. Plus, the subtle movements keep users engaged without becoming distracting.
Runway uses an airport theme to make financial planning feel like a guided journey.
Their interactive journey includes:
Why it works: Financial planning can feel overwhelming, but Runway's travel theme makes it approachable and engaging.
By mapping complex financial concepts to familiar travel experiences, they create an intuitive framework for understanding and taking action. The consistent theme turns what could be a dry process into an engaging journey.
Gapminder transforms statistical data into interactive stories.
When you interact with their charts, dry statistics become engaging narratives about global development. You can play time animations, compare different metrics, and discover insights through exploration. Here’s how:
What Makes It Work: Gapminder's interactive approach lets users explore data at their own pace and discover relationships between different metrics. The playful interface makes complex data accessible and engaging, even for users without statistical backgrounds.
Looking at these examples, we can identify several key features that make websites truly interactive. Let's break them down and see how you can implement them on your website:
1. Conversational Interfaces Whether it's voice AI like Expertise or chatbots like Gallery Vision, conversational interfaces create a natural, two-way dialogue with visitors. To implement this:
2. Smart Forms and Calculators TurboTax and GEICO show us how to make form-filling engaging. To create interactive forms:
3. Visual Engagement From Matterport's 3D tours to Trunk.io's motion design, visual interactions keep users engaged. Consider:
4. Personalized Experiences The best interactive websites adapt to each user, like Runway Financial's journey-based approach. To personalize:
Ready to add interactivity to your website? Here's your action plan:
1. Start with the Basics
2. Add Smart Features
3. Optimize for Impact
Start small, measure results, and build up based on what works for your visitors. The most effective interactive features are those that solve real user problems while keeping the experience smooth and intuitive.
Want to start with the most natural form of interaction? Give your website talking with Expertise's AI platform. Sign up for free and transform how visitors experience your website!