5 Ideas for "Appifying" Your Site
It used to be the axiom on the Web that "content is king," but the king has a new rival. The best sites do not just placidly provide content to a passive audience, but engage that audience to help create and explore content through online tools or "apps." Applications are not just for the desktop anymore; in fact, with the rise of the Web, it is increasingly becoming easier and even necessary to create applications that hook into the internet or even run completely within a browser window.
Simply stated, a Web Application, or just Web App, adds functionality to your website either as a small component or an entire interface that allows your users to perform specific tasks and might even allow them to add content directly to your webpages.
This may feel like you are turning over the keys to the kingdom to your audience. You are no longer in the drivers seat. Although you may think of your website as simply a way to share information about your organization, adding fully integrated apps can greatly increase your appeal and draw, turning your site into a destination your audience will come to rely on and return to regularly. Make no mistake, just adding random Web apps to your existing site is not enough. You will need to map your apps carefully to your target audiences needs. But if you get the formula right, then you can expect attention.
Where to begin? Here are five types of Web apps to get you started.
Data Visualization
Turning data into knowledge and knowledge into understanding is not an easy job, but there is even more danger for information overload with all the real-time information streaming from around the world. The right web application is about more than just spewing out data, but about providing the best tools to filter and sift that information into a meaningful focus. Data mashups allow users to bring together data from different sources to find unlikely relationships, empowering them to discover views that may have otherwise gone unseen.
In developing County Sin Rankings, Forum One used the idea of mashing up data about different counties' ratings on the seven deadly sins. Users can choose any county in the U.S. to view how it rates along the seven health indexes, and then compare that data to other counties in the same state.
Fun, Games, & Learning
We all learn better by doing than through passively reading or watching. One easy way to get kids of any age engaged in the learning process is to provide them with challenges to solve or tools they can use to create their own ideas. These can be as simple as a game that teaches trajectory by hurling angry birds or a musical instrument played by placing dots in a 3-D field to compose symphonic music (http://hakim.se/experiments/html5/keylight/03b/).
In Planet Makeover, NASA, which has one of the most successful government websites, uses an interactive "game" that enables their users to play around to see what it takes to create a habitable planet.
Productivity
Increasingly, people are turning to the Web as a place where they can get things done. Whether it is Google Docs, H&R Block's Mortgage Calculator, or even image editing tools that have begun to rival Adobe Photoshop, the line between the desktop and the online world is becoming blurred. Providing an application to your audience that really helps them with specific tasks will not only keep them coming back, but instill a sense of loyalty.
Cloud Canvas is an image editing tool, based on the latest web standards, that runs without plugins to allow anyone with a web browser to do everything from cropping images to complex photo effects.
Online Community
A social media plan for your online presence is no longer a "nice-to-have" option, but a necessity if you expect to draw a crowd. The good news is that, because of their importance, social media apps are the most common and easiest to implement. Whether it is simply adding the Facebook "Like" button or a "Tweet this" button, the tools are all there to keep your audience involved. However, that's only the beginning. Content management systems like Drupal and WordPress can be used to turn your website into a full online community, equal in quality to Facebook, but tailored for your particular audience.
InfoSpring is a question and answer website where anyone can ask a question about global climate change. "Experts" in the community can then answer the question. The catch is that the answers are then rated by the community to establish who the real experts are.
Social Hub
Websites are increasingly becoming the central clearing house for online users to share unto date information. Part data mashups, part online community, these social hub sites provide very specific ways for users to interact and share information.
Crowd Map is a neat little tool that allows for the crowd sourcing of information, allowing users to report on specific conditions in an area using their mobile devices. The data is then displayed on a map on your website. For example, Ushid-Haiti used Crowdmap to collect and visualize information after the Hati earthquake last year.
These are just five examples of apps you can add to your website to keep user engagement high. The important part about selecting your web apps is knowing your audience and what they want. The possibilities are endless. Select the one that is right for your audience, and you'll see great value!
Forum One News
Managing Director of User Experience
Jason, a Greensboro, North Carolina native, has immersed himself in all thing geeky since he and his best friend first encountered the Apple...
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