TomTom device is optional.

Depending on whom you ask, describing what constitutes today’s interactive landscape could be a very short answer or a very long answer. A vast majority of people would probably give the short answer of “a website”. And of course they would be wrong.

The change in “the system” (if you will) over the last few years isn’t so much what people are saying (which, indeed, has been altered) but how they’re saying it. It’s the distribution channels, the delivery systems, the way your message, your product, your brand is being conveyed that has changed drastically. And if you aren’t aware of how to reach your target audiences through this new avenue then you’re going the way of the horse-drawn carriage. Times change and if you can’t adopt and adapt…well, you see where this is going.

So. What is the Interactive Landscape? Before answering that, the question should be, “Why is there an Interactive Landscape”? Because today’s world is instant. Spontaneous. Impatient. Over-worked. They don’t have time to spend with traditional methods, with more casual, passive attempts to get their attention, hold their interest. People need their information and entertainment provided in sound-bites and modular portions. No longer will people wait for someone to deliver the paper before they get the news. Wait for the 6:00 news to come on to find out what happened today. Wait till the weekend before they head to the store to buy clothing or a movie. They want it quicker and easier. And so new channels have developed to meet that need. CNN, MSNBC, ESPN are online. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, EBAY provide instant, twenty-four-hour ability for someone to browse, compare and buy what they want.

Understanding the needs will determine the landscape. Initially the web was a dump of information, kludged together and slapped onto a page. It was information people might not normally have known or had access to, that was not actively searched for, often stumbled upon. Sometimes difficult to find, but driven by self-directed, self-motivated individuals. That changed into the “dot.com” bubble of providing goods and services to people online—telling them what they need and why they need it. So the Interactive Landscape changed to fit the new requirements of delivery. A webpage wasn’t enough. There was advertising. Banner ads. Emails. Spam. People wouldn’t necessarily search out a product or service, but if they were told about it, shown, then the probably was raised of catching their eye.

And then the landscape changed again. Banner ads were ignored if they were too intrusive. Spam filters segregated unwanted email. People got tired of being told. People started to ignore everything that had been done.

So what is the new Interactive Landscape? It’s multiple options. It’s many delivery systems. It’s providing two-way communication. It’s giving the consumer/customer/client a wide variety of methods and platforms to engage.

Think of your Interactive Landscape like a kitchen: in order to make a meal, to develop something satisfying, you need cooking equipment. Appliances, utensils, measuring devices, recipe cards, ingredients, silverware, etc. The combination of all those elements will make the experience more successful and less problematic. Ever try to bake a casserole on a plate instead of a dish? Why would you? Ever cooked a pizza over the open flame of a stove as opposed to using an oven? Maybe if you’re Ted Kaczynski. But most of us wouldn’t because we understand there are tools and methods available that will provide the end result we desire.

Same with the Interactive Landscape. Using the tools. Combining the tools. Harnessing the tools.

And what are those? Implementation of a dynamically developed website employing the correct amounts of Creativity, Functionality and Technology (see the Experience Trifecta). A mobile version of the website that is either optimized for hand-held devices or built as a stand-alone, enhanced by custom icons, high-quality compressed videos and java-enabled movement. Creation of a blog that will serve as a platform for current information and as a reason for users to come back to your site. An eNewsletter (shameless self-promotion insert: sign-up for the free PFI Monthly eNewsletter) delivering relevant data on subject your consumers/customers/clients will respond to. Multiple HTML email templates, segmented for target audiences, delivered through a system to track and collate open-rates and click-throughs. Micro-sites presenting your demos for clients to view at their discretion. Client review sites, extranets. Intranets for your employees to get the latest information via blog, email or wikis. Embracing social-media by (if applicable) developing Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter information delivery systems. Rich-media banners, targeted to specific demographics, delivering more than just a few pithy words, but providing users with an experience rather than an annoyance. And the list can go on and on.

Depending on your need, creation, integration and implementation of these multiple and varied delivery systems is critical to broadening your reach in the online world. It’s this creation of your Interactive Landscape that will allow consumers/customers/clients to seek you out through whatever mode they are the most comfortable with.

That’s the long answer of what an Interactive Landscape is.

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Tags: blogs, communications, digital footprint, facebook, interactive landscape, mobile, social media, social networking, trend, twitter

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009 at 8:37 am and is filed under Miscellaneous, Technology, Usability. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.