The Limitations of Online Social Interactions!

Social interaction and its presence on the web can be seen in terms of the popularity of this concept. Although many sites are yet to adopt this strategy, it goes without saying that it does lend a valuable contribution to websites.

Apart from social networking websites, interaction online is useful for professionals all around the globe. It helps a firm to collaborate and solve issues even if teams are located in different areas of the world.

The most common ways of interacting within a group is through online webinar sessions. Once the date and time is fixed, everyone can attend it from any area all over the world.

However, I am sure you must have faced some issues which have been my concerns as well. I have listed these below:

• You can attend the presentation or the online meeting only if you are present online at the given time.

• If you are unable to attend it, there is no other medium through which you can know details about the discussion.

• Even if you do try to gather inputs post the presentation, you may be able to connect only with the host and trying to get in touch with all the participants would be a tough task!

• You can probably interact or know about details through mail but it does not have the same effect as a live interaction with users online.

TeemingPod users however may have experienced that social interaction continues whether or not the person is online at the same time. A user is able to share presentations and connect with others at his/her leisure. A user can even refer to the FAQ or Ideation section to know about the kind of interaction that has been going on between others.

In fact, it’s online social interaction without the restrictions!

Top 5 Sticky Ideas for Your Website

The term sticky did seem odd to me first when I started having a closer connection with the web world! I thought, “What does the term sticky have to do with a website?” As I shrugged my shoulders, it was only a matter of a few days when I learnt the importance of this term. Look up on Word Web and one of the definitions would be, “Having the sticky properties of an adhesive.” Rightly so, there are elements that create the same effect for websites. For those who wish to know the other side of ‘stickiness for sites’, can read on for 5 sticky ideas for your websites!

Those who are still perplexed with this term: Stickiness for a website means the user is kept on the page for a longer time. The content and presentation should be embedded in the minds of the users!

Top 5 Sticky Ideas: Interaction is what you need

Many webmasters strive to add the stickiness factor to their websites. What you need here is social interaction on the page. A website that only contains graphics and content may attract users but may not make them return back to the websites. The need thus arises to create a kind of social interaction on the page. Here’s a look at some ideas that will help to bring about social interaction on websites.

Publish Authentic Content

Words and visuals go together. The content for the site should be authentic and appeal to all readers, precision and catchy headlines help!

For example: An article directory site that is interspersed with links is bound to drive away genuine readers. Articles that are published on many sites in one go also tend to put off readers, hence the requirement of authentic content.

Start a Forum

A forum is like a space where users can interact with each other. This peps up the overall look of a website.

For example: A product website that adds forums to its site will ensure that users interact with each other. In this manner, users can discuss the products, recommend stuff and perhaps even suggest areas for improvement.

Include a Poll

Another way to add to the stickiness of the website is to include a poll on the page. This increases the curiosity amongst the users to know what others users feel about the topic.

For example: If you have a news related website, you can highlight important points in the form of polls. By gathering opinions, users will actively participate and will always remain interested in the website.

Allow Special Users to Blog

A blog option helps to add to the stickiness factor. It keeps users on the page, besides, it even gives them the option to contribute and be active with the website.

For example: A fashion website can include a blog section wherein reputed names in the industry can contribute. This will add to the interest factor as fashionistas will enjoy returning back to the site to be up-to-date with the latest trends.

Resource Sharing

Provide a space for users to share, recommend links or share photographs. The idea of photo sharing or link sharing online will increase social interaction amongst users.

For example: A site dedicated to photography can include these options. Avid photographers can share their photographs with users and will spend more time on the web page.

These points listed in random order are only some of the many other points to add the stickiness factor to websites. Watch this space for more information!!

The Burning Need for Social Interaction

There are many people who always talk about being with the times. There is a need to accept new ideas and be in sync with things happening around us! Pull on a flowered shirt today and you are considered old fashioned! A desktop is no longer the most-sought after commodity with the arrival of laptops.

As we know that tastes change, preferences can change but there are some things that should hopefully never change. (Things that bring about a smile to our face such as sumptuous home-cooked meals or listening to the pitter-patter of the raindrops!)

As the Internet rules our lives, things surely have taken a different turn in the new age. The reason could be to shop, lookup information, bank online, search for a new eat-out, etc. The Internet serves as a medium for our every need. But then, in a fast-paced environment, how connected are we really? Actual interaction between people has reduced visibly, as users resort to social interaction online.

Social interaction is required not only on a personal one-to-one basis, but even online. Net addicts turn to chat to find friends and connect. A website that contains these modes to connect with users is most popular. Social networking sites such as Facebook or Orkut are therefore successful as users sign up to stay connected with old friends or discover new friends! It’s time we embrace the change and equip ourselves in the best possible way!

The Much-Needed Factor for Websites: Social Interaction

The other day, I was checking my mail and I realized I had received an email from a very earnest person. I wish to share some of his concerns with you.

It went in this manner….

“I have a very talented design team who has used their creativity to come up with an excellent design for my product site. The website includes a display of all the products with details required by my consumers. It also contains a varied range! Yet, I feel that I do not have the right kind of response that I wish to generate for this website. Please have a look at my website and kindly let me know where the problem exists for the site.”

The first thing that struck me after reading this post was that if the website is good then why should he seek feedback a person who has never visited his website before? It would definitely make sense to talk to his visitors directly and check out their views and opinions. Well, still wearing a critique’s hat I surfed through this website to see what could be the issue.

My first impression was exactly how the mail stated; it was attractive and interesting to look at. I could view all the pages with ease. Yet, there was an element that seemed missing from the picture.

I saw everything seemed fine in terms of design. The missing piece seemed the lack of activity on the web page! The web pages and their product display played the function of attracting the users. The thing about the website was that it did not create any action for the user!

The website basically lacked a very important factor - creation of social interaction amongst users. This is why the website owner did not receive the desired results. One may wonder what the importance of social interaction is! The answer lies in the results which are seen after the use of social interaction!

What happened here was that due to lack of interaction with the consumer, the website owner had to resort to seeking my advice. This not only created a longer channel for the website owner, it did not give him the chance of knowing the consumer opinions!

The use of social interaction on the web pages would solve many things! This gives the website owner a chance to interact with the users online. Users can put forth their views. This gives better and faster results once the changes are implemented. These changes when implemented also make consumers feel that their suggestions are valued. It only generates loyal traffic for the website!

One can use many ways to interact with users. The use of a Presentation slide show that showcases the latest achievements of the week may garner more interest. This can make a user take active interest and watch the slide show of the products, either to submit comments or view those from other users.

The website users should also get a chance to interact with each other that helps them to discover more about the options being offered on a website. There could be an FAQ, which users refer to for information posted on a website. They can also ask their questions to which other users or a website owner can answer. In this manner, live chats, sharing of images or links can be utilized to make the whole experience socially interactive!

Implementing social interaction on a website helps users to interact amongst each other, which in turn proves to be useful for a website. Apart from creative presentations, a website that obtains feedback from users will get better results!

This is what I finally replied to the email I had received. I received a long email thereafter that thanked me for everything!

The Latest Brew: Social Interaction!

Walking through the cobbled street always gave me a sense of pleasure every morning. It was like a complete experience, passing by the green lawns and shops bustling with activity in the busy morning hours! I loved looking at these scenes and nodding a quick ‘Good Morning’ to people around. It is on this note I would like to share something interesting with you!

As I said before, I loved walking through this street. The thing I loved doing most was sipping on a cup of coffee and looking across lazily at the people across the street. The enticing aroma of coffee tempted me to stop by for a sip! The presence of two coffee shops on this lane drew many people throughout the day. I always ensured I visited both throughout the week. The total crowd that visited these shops always seemed equal in number. While one was named ‘Java Lovers’, the other was named as ‘Something’s Brewing!’ I loved being at both places as the crowd and ambience rocked. I noticed for many months that the number of people that visited these coffee shops were equal.

Then, it was on a sunny morning, when I passed through this lane again, I realized, ‘Something’s Brewing’ seemed a little more packed than ever. This scenario continued for many more weeks. Whenever I passed by this lane, I wondered what the buzz was all about! Yet, as I wondered, I shyly went into the other coffee shop for my brew!

It was then I decided that I need to visit ‘Something’s Brewing’ to find out what brought about such a change in the number of customers. As I pushed the glass door open, I was greeted by a large number of people happily sipping their cup of coffee over conversation. I managed to locate an empty seat in the corner and turned into the silent observer. As I observed, I noticed the guy behind the counter read things out aloud whilst looking at his mobile phone. I leaned forward to hear and I could catch some latest gossip being read out. “Jennifer Anniston will be featured on the latest issue of Vogue”, he said. The people listening in turn gathered around him for more gossip and of course, cups of hot, steaming coffee! After a few minutes, he announced some more news items related to technology. This immediately caught the attention of the professional crowd sitting on the other side! The person behind the counter was doing a marvelous job of reading latest updates from his cell phone and engaging the people present there. I even saw two groups mingle together and share their table for more cups of coffee and goodies.

I rested back in my chair and was surprised to see some people approach me in a bid to have a general chit chat! I chatted around and as I left the coffee shop, a little delayed, I realized I have made 2 new friends! The following morning I was eager to meet the same. As before, the same person announced latest news updates and I met up with my new set of friends! With time, I felt my friend circle increase! A simple change of strategy changed things not only in the coffee shop, but even the way I spent time! There was more than just something brewing in ‘Something’s Brewing’!

A simple change in business strategy helped ‘Something’s Brewing’! It soon became the most popular hangout in this area! This shows the power of social interaction. It can even be applied to a website. Social interaction when applied to a website can give the website owner more traffic! Once users interact with each other rather than going through normal text and visuals, it surely has a different effect. Users tend to return back to the website to interact and befriend other users. It proves to an effective way to increase traffic and also the stickiness factor for the website. Websites with social interaction tools on their pages will surely stand out from the rest! So, are you game for the same?