Let’s face the facts, PDF documents can be pretty dull!
If you were to describe an ordinary PDF document, you would typically imagine a company newsletter, sales contract or product brochure which contains a lot of text, perhaps a couple of images, and usually not much else. From a user’s perspective, standard PDFs can be pretty lacklustre and very uninspiring to navigate.
What are Interactive PDFs?
Whilst standard PDFs usually only contain text and imagery, an interactive PDF will also incorporate a variety of additional digital features such as enhanced navigation, eye-catching animations, embedded media and interactive forms that enrich the user’s experience.
These features can help turn your old and boring PDF documents into an engaging experience that will draw your reader in and hold their attention for longer by integrating these additional features.
In this blog, we will explore the vast features and benefits of Interactive PDFs for your business, and how they can improve the overall user experience for your stakeholders.
So, without further ado, let’s dive in!
Features of Interactive PDFs
Here we have listed some of the most exciting and beneficial features that can be embedded into an interactive PDF.
Integrated Buttons
One unique feature you can add to an Interactive PDF are interactive buttons which are a great way to encourage user engagement within your document. Integrated buttons can help users to navigate and gain access to additional embedded features within the file whilst adding an interactive element to your documents.
Animations & Transitions
Another distinct feature is the inclusion of integrated animation, which can enhance text, imagery and transitions between document pages. One of the key benefits of this feature is that it can help create eye-catching content and draw the attention of users to focus on specific areas of the document. For example, a sales brochure may want to use animation to highlight and draw attention to a specific call-to-action on the page (e.g., ‘buy it now’, ‘contact us’)
Embedded Media
One of the best features of Interactive PDFs is that they allow users to view high-quality audio and visual media within the document itself. For example, a sales brochure may want to include a video demonstration that provides further information such as assembling or using the product. Incorporating stunning visual and audio media into your document can help to explain the subject in greater detail whilst creating an entertaining and memorable experience for the user.
Hyperlinks
Another feature is the inclusion of internal and external hyperlinks. With internal hyperlinks, you can help users to better navigate your PDFs document and quickly direct them to relevant internal pages. External hyperlinks can also be used for leading users to external relevant online resources.
Interactive Forms
As well as displaying content, Interactive PDFs allow the opportunity for additional information to be collected from the document readers. By adding check boxes and text fields, this allows the PDF author to gather relevant information from users such as contact information and feedback. Interactive PDFs can conveniently integrate with CRM and other business software, so that collected data can be easily managed and extracted.
Applications of Interactive PDFs
By incorporating these innovative user features, Interactive PDFs can enhance the usability of previous PDF documents and be applied in a wide variety of different environments.
A common use for Interactive PDFs is producing highly engaging brochures that inform and educate users whilst bringing your products and services to life. By adding interactive elements to your brochures, this guarantees higher reader engagement and can help to convert readers into prospective customers.
Another potential application of Interactive PDFs is by using these to create visually stunning magazines, e-books and newsletters. By including interactive links and embedded media, this allows users to conveniently access a plethora of additional and relevant information to support your content.
Interactive PDFs can also be used to help your employees within a work environment. For example, a salesman may want to use an Interactive PDF brochure to explain a product in greater detail to a customer, and then use integrated forms to collect additional customer data.
Benefits of Interactive PDFs
With all these features and more, it is clear that Interactive PDFs can offer a wide variety of potential benefits to both the author and the end-user. Here, we have listed some of the key benefits of Interactive PDFs.
Accessibility
The first key benefit of using an Interactive PDF is that this type of document is incredibly accessible to most users. In this day and age, it’s safe to assume that most people will have had experience navigating a traditional PDF document. With this, you can guarantee that most users will conveniently navigate and interact with the Interactive PDF document.
Additionally, Interactive PDFs are easy to circulate via online downloads and emails and seamlessly work across multiple platforms on all laptops, desktops, smartphones and tablets.
Cost-Effective
Another benefit of Interactive PDFs is that they are also incredibly cost-effective. Whilst many businesses will spend a large sum on printing standard PDFs, Interactive PDFs are inexpensive to develop, easy to circulate to your target audience, and can save on printing costs as well as your carbon footprint.
Enhanced user experience
In our opinion, the biggest benefit of implementing Interactive PDFs, is that these can provide a richer user experience and take your audience beyond the basic reading experience. By integrating the multiple interactive features, Interactive PDFs can enhance the overall user experience and create an eye-catching and engaging document. The memorable experience can help to inspire, inform and educate readers whilst potentially converting these into customers.
Summary
As you can see, there are many different features, applications and benefits to implementing Interactive PDFs.
At Eon Visual Media we are incredibly passionate about creating visually stunning and engaging Interactive PDF documents which can help your business stand out from the competition.
If you’d like to find out more about how we can help your business, please contact us here, or alternatively drop us an email!
