In the 90s and early 2000s, many of the most interesting sites were full of experiments: calculators, games, virtual tours, configurators, and choose-your-own-adventure experiences. Websites were playgrounds for creativity and problem-solving. Much of my work was done with Nestle where we were creating amazing Flash-based content that felt more like a cartoon than it did a website.
Then, something changed.
As the internet matured and every company realized they “needed a website,” the web shifted. Budgets tightened. Timelines got shorter. The goal became to launch something akin to a sign or billboard for your company – and so the brochure site was born.
For years, most B2B websites became digital brochures: some nice photos, a few paragraphs about what you do, and a big “Contact Us” button. It’s the world we’ve lived in for almost 2 decades now.
But that’s starting to change – again.
AI is giving brands the ability to create and maintain interactive tools, calculators, and experiences without the six-figure development costs that used to come with them. What once required a custom-coded back end can now be done with no-code tools, ChatGPT integrations, or a lightweight JavaScript app that personalizes content on the fly.
And users are expecting more, too. They don’t want to read about how your company could solve their problem — they want to see it. They want you to help them do it right now.
Here are a few ways B2B brands can start bringing interactivity back to their websites:
- Build a self-assessment or quiz.
Help users identify where they stand — their readiness, maturity, or fit. AI can handle the scoring, logic, and even generate tailored recommendations instantly. - Offer a pricing or ROI calculator.
Instead of static “contact us for a quote,” show users the value you deliver. Even a rough estimate builds trust. - Create guided wizards or configurators.
If your product or service has options, let AI walk users through them. It’s an easy way to reduce friction and improve lead quality. - Make your content dynamic.
Imagine if your site could detect what kind of visitor someone is — a marketer, engineer, or executive — and adapt the examples or tone accordingly. AI makes that feasible today. - Use interactive storytelling.
Case studies don’t have to be PDFs. Build clickable narratives where visitors explore outcomes, challenges, and decisions interactively.
The tools are finally catching up to the vision that got many of us excited about the web in the first place.
So maybe it’s time to rethink your website. Not as a static destination, but as an evolving, interactive experience — one that solves problems in real time and makes users say, “Wow, that was actually helpful.”
Because that’s what people expect now.
And the best part? You no longer need a massive dev team to make it happen.
