Interactive features are a very important aspect in any web site because, in essence, it is the interactivity that makes the web different from other media. A website uses interactivity so that the visitors can feel like they are part of that website and actively contributing to the website’s content. Interactivity is not just limited to users uploading files or content, however; interactive websites are ones that directly engage you, either through user-generated content, fresh and dynamic data and presentation, or intuitive, responsive interfaces. Many times, these features require a user to register with a website, creating a personal link between an account and a particular site on the internet.

In short, interactive features can be defined as features or technologies that a website or webmaster creates or uses to gather, exchange, or share information with its visitors.

Interactive features help visitors create a relationship with the site. There are many features which can help do this. Flickr.com for example, has become very popular because of its use of tagging; people gain control over a wide variety of information through its tagging interface. The Microsoft.com support site is also a good example for interactive features. There, visitors can research about the product they bought or want to buy, and then they can also send reviews on how helpful that information was. The site also includes discussion boards for users to communicate with one another.

In addition to discussion boards, some other features, including those on social networks and blogs, facilitate discussion between visitors. In this way, they are talking to and interacting with real people instead of just machines.

With interactive features, websites can talk to the people, interact with them, and help them enjoy their time on that website more, therefore giving them a reason to come back to the website again. Ultimately, interactivity, when used well, is a great benefit to a website because it creates community, adds new, engaging, features, and facilitates the spread of information between the webmaster and the user, and between users themselves.