How do you make a web site more interactive? While this might strike the seasoned online community professional as prosaic, it is nonetheless a question we hear continually in our consulting services at Forum One. Many groups approach us generally happy with the "publication" capabilities of their web sites, but seeking more user engagement, feedback, contributions, and other forms of interactivity. They also fear the cost, management and legal implications of missteps. Here is our summarized advice:
Step One: Ask a Different Question
"Interactivity" isn't a goal, it is a tactic. As such, the question shouldn't be "how do I add interactivity to my site", it should be "what is my organization's mission, and how can interactivity assist?" If you can state your organization objectives (many organizations can't...), I can tell you appropriate interactive tactics.
Step Two: Survey the Options
In the distant past (say, three years ago), "interactivity" generally meant message boards, chat, or listserves. With the explosion of new participatory technologies (now conveniently bundled under "web 2.0"), there are myriad options. It is important to cast a wide net for appropriate tactics. My firm maintains a list of about 75 interactive technologies (workspaces, wikis, blogs, q&a boards, polls, jobs boards, etc.). The array of interactive technologies that make sense for any given firm varies widely.
Step Three: Prioritize based on Mission, Effectiveness, and Cost
Interactive options can be scored against their contribution to organization mission, against effectiveness (by 2007, most of the guesswork about effectiveness is gone), and by cost. The last item, cost, is particularly important since some interactive applications carry significant ongoing management requirements. Many don't, however. Two of my favorites are surveys, which are both popular and cheap to conduct; and (asynchronous) interactive interviews, in which questions are gathered by e-mail.
The good news is that many organizations are moving online from simple web publication to more effective web interaction. Following these three steps can facilitate the journey.
