If you want to unlock your eCommerce business’ full potential, boost customer engagement, and drive more sales, it’s time to create interactive content.
Gone are the days of static content that merely describes your products – the future is all about giving customers a chance to experience what you have to offer. As 88% of marketers say, 10% of their static content will be updated to interactive content within two years. This number will more than likely increase.
But let’s back up a bit. What exactly is interactive content?
Interactive content refers to digital content types that actively engage the audience. Interactive content marketing does more than entertain; it provides the audience and even the business with valuable insights while increasing brand recognition.
That said, creating interactive content can lead to eCommerce business benefits such as:
- Increased customer engagement and user interaction
- Enhanced brand perception
- Expanded traffic and sharing on social media platforms
- Increased conversion rates
- More opportunities for data collection
Ultimately, interactive content will allow your business to stand out in a competitive digital landscape and create meaningful customer relationships.
Keep reading to discover five interactive content ideas for your eCommerce business:
Interactive Product Tours
Interactive product tours are game-changers. They are self-guided walkthroughs of your product users can conduct at their own pace. This makes them attractive to 67% of users, who prefer learning about a product on their own rather than speaking to a company representative.
Because users can explore your product as long as they want at their convenience, this type of interactive content can lead to more informed purchase decisions and, ultimately, boost sales.
Interactive product tours can come in the form of interactive infographics or maps that include clickable elements or 360-degree tours.
For example, Tesla’s interactive product tours provide potential customers an engaging and informative experience. In the tour, you can see the entire inside of the car model of your choice as well as the specifications of the car.
Because of the immersive experiences interactive product tours provide, they’re a great addition to your product page. Over 90% of consumers are more likely to purchase a product after experiencing the brand. So, where better to include this type of interactive content than in the product page, where they can easily access the “Buy” button right after going on the tour.
Platforms like ThingLink transform static content into engaging, interactive experiences for customers. With ThingLink, you can add rich media links such as interactive maps and 360-degree images. You can also add this interactive content to emails and send them out to prospects and email subscribers. Just make sure you verify contact details using an email finder to ensure your messages reach your intended recipients.
Augmented Reality (AR) Experiences
Augmented Reality (AR) is revolutionizing the way customers shop online. However, only 1% of retailers are using these types of immersive experiences to get visitors to make a purchase. In other words, if you use AR for your eCommerce business, you can stand out easily.
This cutting-edge technology puts the product in the right place so the customer can see exactly what it will look like in their own environment. As such, this type of engaging content can help businesses boost customer engagement rates and increase sales. In a Harvard Business Review study, customers who used AR were found to spend 20.7% more time interacting with the brand. Their likelihood of making a purchase during the session was also 19.8% higher than the ones who didn’t use AR.
One way to leverage AR for your eCommerce business is through interactive tools like AR apps. These apps enable customers to virtually “try on” products. For example, furniture merchant Burrow created an AR app allowing customers to place 3D models of Burrow sofas in their living rooms.
If you opt for this strategy, just make sure your app runs smoothly. If a user encounters glitches, this may negatively impact your eCommerce brand instead.
Interactive AR experiences elevate the user experience to new heights and keep customers engaged with your eCommerce business for longer periods. Use them to your advantage.
Interactive Quizzes
Interactive quizzes are a fantastic way to connect with your audience. They offer personalized experiences that ultimately help customers determine the products that best suit their needs.
Interactive quizzes come with SEO benefits, too. You can increase your brand visibility by incorporating relevant longtail and competitor keywords. So when a user makes a relevant search query, your quiz can come up in search engine results pages. Here’s an example. When I Google “skin product test,” you see Sephora’s quiz at the top of search engine results pages:
Quizzes can also be a powerful marketing tool for lead generation. By collecting valuable data from your customers, you’ll be able to optimize your marketing strategies, nurture leads more effectively, and measure the performance of your interactive content. This translates to a more efficient sales funnel and increased revenue for your business.
As we’ve seen a while ago, Sephora does create quizzes to engage their customers and help them choose the products that are perfect for them. Here’s a more in-depth look at its quiz to help shoppers find the best skincare products. This is the first question:
So, based on this question alone, Sephora can get an idea of how their target audience searches for products. The brand can use this data to organize its offerings on its eCommerce site.
There are free tools like Typeform and Mentimeter you can use to create interactive quizzes. A paid interactive content tool like Qzzr offers additional features like brand customization and more in-depth analytics.
Calculators
Calculators allow users to input specific data or preferences so the interactive content can generate tailored results or insights. Calculators don’t just engage site visitors with their interactive elements. They also allow users to get to the bottom of the sales funnel and make a purchase.
There are different types of calculators you can use for your eCommerce business depending on your offerings. These include:
- Discount calculators
- Quantity calculators
- Financial planning calculators
- Measurement conversion calculators
For gardening and landscaping projects, for instance, Home Depot provides a mulch and soil calculator with an interactive format. Users can input the dimensions of the area they want to cover, and the calculator estimates the amount of mulch or soil required in cubic feet or cubic yards.
This type of interactive calculator not only provides valuable information to the user but also strengthens the brand’s credibility as a reliable source of advice.
By offering personalized and data-driven solutions, interactive calculators can create a stronger connection between the brand and its audience, leading to increased trust and brand loyalty. Brand loyalty is important. A whopping 57% of consumers said they spend more on products offered by brands they’re loyal to..
Interactive Videos
Interactive videos offer a unique and engaging way for brands to connect with their audience. Unlike traditional linear videos, interactive videos empower viewers to actively participate and shape the content’s progression.
This interactive experience not only captures viewers’ attention but also enhances brand recall and message retention. No wonder 35% of marketers report an increase in conversions and 25% an increase in sales when they use interactive video.
Interactive videos in interactive content marketing often include clickable and storytelling elements that allow users to choose their own paths within the video.
For example, IKEA used interactive video to showcase their products. At the beginning of the video you can choose the path the characters are going to take and the solution to their problem. You can also click at different products that appear throughout the video.
By providing viewers with an interactive and personalized shopping experience, the brand not only promotes its products but also fosters a deeper level of engagement and brand loyalty among its audience.
In Closing
Interactive content is becoming increasingly important in today’s competitive eCommerce industry. Customers today need more personalized and engaging experiences that bring them closer to businesses they want to buy from.
You learned five interactive content ideas you can implement for your eCommerce business. These are interactive product tours, augmented reality experiences, interactive quizzes, calculators, and interactive videos.
These types of interactive content offer a wealth of opportunities for eCommerce businesses. Leveraging interactive content will set your business apart from the competition and help you foster a loyal and engaged customer base.
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