What is interactive content and how can you use it successfully?

Interactive content is a crucial way to not only inform website visitors, but also entertain them and actively engage them. Today more than ever, it’s important to focus on unique, high-quality content and elements to stand out from the crowd.

Key Takeaways ⓘ

• Interactive formats turn passive browsing into active participation.
• Choose tools to suit your format, budget and required features.
• The GDPR governs the processing of personal data.
• Achieve a balance of information and engagement.

Why is an interactive website important?

The reasoning is simple. Interactive content engages users on multiple levels. Visitors don’t just read a text or look at an image; they can actively influence an element, unlock access to additional information, or express their own thoughts. In this way, content becomes an experience and is more likely to stick in people’s minds. Interaction with the website—and by extension with the brands or services behind it—is significantly more engaging than simply consuming content passively. This higher level of engagement increases the chances of user satisfaction, encourages conversions, and leads to longer time spent on the site.

What formats of interactive content are there?

There are many different ways to implement an interactive website, all of which can be integrated into your own web project with varying levels of effort. Depending on the format, this may require a wide range of tools or programming skills. Ultimately, this means that the individual types of content also differ significantly in terms of the costs involved. The following table provides an overview of selected solutions for creating interactive website content.

GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and interactive content

When using interactive tools that collect or process user data, it is crucial to comply with the requirements of the GDPR. Interactive content such as surveys, quizzes, forms, or the integration of external APIs and iFrames may involve personal data. Companies must ensure that users are informed about the type of data processing, identify a lawful basis under Article 6 — consent is one possible basis — and keep the data secure.

Users have rights of access, rectification and erasure subject to the conditions in Articles 15–17. Under Article 3, the GDPR applies in particular to processing in the context of an EU establishment and, under specified conditions, to offering goods or services to people in the EU or monitoring their behaviour in the EU. Compliance also helps build trust and protect users’ privacy.

The best tools for creating interactive content

All of the content types discussed involve a considerably higher level of effort than traditional text or image-based content. They also come with increased costs, largely driven by the tools, technologies, and services required to build and maintain interactive elements. For instance, if in-house expertise in game development is lacking, integrating a game into a website will typically require working with an external agency.

The situation is similar with professional 360-degree videos, which involve far more work than is apparent at first glance. The need for high-quality equipment and the time required to post-process the raw footage can quickly lead to costs in the five-figure range—and that for just a few minutes of video.

However, certain types of interactive content—such as interactive graphics, quizzes, or slideshows—can often be created without relying on external service providers. All that’s needed is a well-thought-out concept and the right tool. For this reason, we present some of the most interesting tools below.

ThingLink

In 2011, the Finnish company ThingLink launched its Rich Media Tags software, enabling links to be embedded directly into images on websites and social media platforms. Since then, the development team has continuously refined the web application, now known simply as ThingLink. Today, it allows images and graphics to be enriched with additional elements such as text boxes, images, audio, videos, or links.

To do this, users can rely on an intuitive, AI-supported web editor that makes it easy to import original images or graphics via drag and drop. The added customisable buttons clearly indicate where interactive elements are embedded, guiding viewers to additional content.

The image editor is available as part of a free trial. The basic version includes standard buttons in various colours to highlight interactive elements. The number of permitted views depends on the selected package and the provider’s current terms and conditions.

ThingLink’s business plans include Team from €425 per month and Business from €1,300 per month, both billed annually. Enterprise pricing is available on request. Features and usage allowances depend on the chosen plan.

Infogram

If you want to present data in an engaging way while making use of interactive elements, Infogram is a strong choice. The web-based tool is now owned by Prezi, which also offers presentation software and other visual communication products.

Infogram provides a wide selection of layouts and modular building blocks for creating interactive infographics, maps, and charts. Content can be added manually using your own datasets or imported via built-in functions. The tool also integrates with services such as Google Drive, Google Sheets, Dropbox, and OneDrive. Finished visuals can be embedded into your web project using an embed code or downloaded as JPG or PNG files, which is only available with paid packages.

Infogram’s Basic plan is free and, according to the provider’s FAQ, intended for personal use. Businesses need a paid plan. Only a small number of maps (including the USA, Europe, and Africa) and a restricted selection of icons and images are available. Projects must be saved as publicly accessible.

To create private projects and gain access to more than one million images and icons, Infogram offers paid plans: Pro (up to 100 projects, US$19 per month), Business (up to 1,000 projects, US$67 per month) and Team (US$149 per month). These prices are billed annually and exclude taxes. Enterprise supports 10,000 or more projects, with pricing on request. Business, Team and Enterprise allow you to use your own logo.

Qzzr

Qzzr is a powerful tool for creating customised quizzes, surveys, and top lists. With this solution, you can create questions, answer options, explanatory descriptions, and tips in no time—adding images, videos, or audio files further enhances the interactive content. Finished content can be linked, embedded directly into a web project via embed code, or alternatively shared with one click across various social networks. It is also always automatically optimised for mobile devices.

Qzzr not only enables the creation of interactive content but also provides detailed user activity analytics. For example, you can see how many users completed a quiz or took part in a survey, how long they spent on it on average, and whether they worked through the content from start to finish (completion rate). If a call to action is linked to the content, the conversion rate can also be tracked.

Qzzr offers 300 free completions with no time limit. After that, the subscription costs €9 per month, including 1,000 completions. Each additional block of 1,000 completions costs €5.

Cincopa

The multimedia platform provider Cincopa, founded in 2006, offers solutions for integrating and managing media content in web projects. Users can use it to enhance their website with custom video portals, podcasts, or slideshows. For this purpose, Cincopa provides, on the one hand, dedicated web editors that let you create the desired interactive content. On the other hand, the company also provides the required hosting resources for the media files used (audio, video, images, etc.), which are mainly operated on servers outside the EU, especially in the US.

In addition, there are several ways to embed the finished content, such as via HTML code, a landing page, linking, or a CMS-specific plugin (including WordPress, Joomla, Blogger, Drupal, and Wix).

To design interactive media content, you can choose from a range of templates for collages, slideshows, video players, playlists and timelines. Cincopa offers a 14-day free trial.

Cincopa’s plans include Starter at US$99 per month, Growth at US$350 per month, and Enterprise with pricing on request.

Adobe Express (formerly Adobe Spark)

Adobe is known, among other things, for its Creative Cloud (formerly Creative Suite). With Adobe Express, the software company also offers a powerful solution for visually crafted storytelling and web-based content creation. Whether you want to enhance a photo with text and design filters, create high-quality promotional or informational clips, or present content in an appealing, page-based format is entirely up to you. Adobe Express can also be seamlessly connected to the Creative Cloud and Adobe Stock.

To fill your own projects with content, you can of course upload and use your own images. You can also create headlines, text blocks, and buttons and position them wherever you want. Choosing a theme also lets you influence the design. Clips can be imported by entering the respective URL. The content can be shared via the automatically generated link, sent by email, or embedded into your own website via code. Using Adobe Express is free, but subscribers can, for example, remove the branding.

Typeform

Typeform, founded in Barcelona in 2012, provides a platform for creating interactive forms, surveys, quizzes, and polls. The tool is designed to make data collection feel conversational and user-friendly, replacing traditional static forms with a step-by-step, interactive experience. Typeform is commonly used for lead generation, customer feedback, onboarding flows, and market research.

Typeform offers a browser-based editor for building interactive content using predefined question types, logic jumps, and conditional flows. Responses are collected and processed in real time. US and EU data-hosting options depend on the plan; check Typeform’s data information for the applicable arrangements.

The finished forms and quizzes can be embedded in various ways, including via HTML embed code, pop-ups, landing pages, direct links, or CMS integrations such as WordPress, Webflow, and Wix.

To create interactive content, users can choose from a wide range of templates for surveys, quizzes, lead forms, and feedback forms. The free plan includes 10 responses per month, logic, calculations and selected integrations. Typeform branding remains visible.

Paid plans include Basic, Plus and Business, with higher response limits and additional features depending on the plan. Check the current provider terms for branding, integrations, analytics and data-hosting options. Enterprise pricing is available on request for larger organisations.

Mapme

With the web editor Mapme, you can create high-quality, interactive maps even without programming skills. Users can choose from map styles such as satellite imagery, street maps or nature. Location limits depend on the plan; Expert supports up to 500 locations per map.

It’s also possible to customise the look of the pin (premium packages also let you use your own icons) and add images, audio or video files, as well as social media buttons. Depending on the selected layout, the interactive pin content appears in a slider menu at the bottom of the map (Slider Style) or in a list on the left side of the map (List Style).

Mapme offers a 14-day trial with publishing and embedding, limited to five locations and 100 views. Starter, Professional and Expert cost US$30, US$55 and US$110 per month when billed annually, or US$50, US$90 and US$180 with monthly billing. Enterprise pricing is available on request.

Check the chosen plan for CSS customisation, branding and other features. Advanced analytics and custom integrations should not be assumed to be included in Expert.

Best practices for interactive website content with examples

The tools presented above make it possible to add interactive elements to a website even with limited resources and a modest budget. Companies with larger budgets can, of course, also work with specialised agencies to design, implement, and maintain more complex interactive experiences. Regardless of the approach, interactive content can significantly enhance a website—provided it is used purposefully and does not distract users from the core product or service.

The key is to create the right context for each interactive element and to achieve a balanced mix of information and engagement. When done well, interactive content supports decision-making, improves usability, and keeps users involved. The following websites demonstrate how this balance can be achieved in practice:

• Airbnb: Airbnb frequently uses interactive maps, filters, and data-driven visualisations to help users explore listings and destinations. In addition to personalised recommendations, interactive elements such as map-based search results and dynamic pricing insights make complex information easier to understand and navigate. This approach shows how interactivity can directly support usability and conversion.
• Nike: The Nike website makes extensive use of interactive product experiences, particularly through its ‘Nike By You’ configurator. Users can customise shoes by selecting colours, materials, and design details, previewing changes in real time before purchasing. This type of interactivity not only enhances engagement but also strengthens the emotional connection to the product.
• Starbucks: Starbucks demonstrates effective use of interactive content through its store locator and rewards tools. Interactive maps, filters, and personalised dashboards allow users to find nearby locations, track rewards, and explore menu options. These features combine practical information with a smooth, interactive user experience that supports both online and in-store engagement.