Interactive PDFs for your business

What exactly is an interactive PDF?

To give it a more straight-forward definition, an interactive PDF is a document that you can do more with than just read. It could contain checkboxes, radio buttons, text fields, hyperlinks + embedded videos to name a few features. It’s just like other PDFs except that when opened digitally, there are areas that you can manipulate.

How can an interactive PDF help you?

Depending on the function of your PDF, it can probably do one of two things — improve your process or give your clients a better customer experience. Which means that adding one of these documents to your regular systems is a win-win.

By creating a document of things you normally send in an email, you can speed up your process because you don’t have to look for the template email (or worse, think of the questions each time you get a client inquiry.) Sending a potential client a saved document with everything you want to know, or directing them to a link where they can access the PDF saves you from a lot of typing + allows you to get back to the other emails filling up your inbox.

Providing potential or existing clients with a document that helps improve their lives only improves their user experience. Folks that have a great experience are more likely to come back, recommend you + promote your stuff on social networks. I’m not sure why you wouldn’t want that for your business…

Ways to add interactive PDFs to your business

Below are some examples that you can use as inspiration to get started on your interactive PDF. This is just the tip of the iceberg, but will hopefully get your creative juices going. The examples don’t have to stick to the industry mentioned. That’s merely my way of making it easy for you to quickly find suggestions that might work best for you.

(Interior/Graphic/Web) Designer: Questionnaire featuring the key items you ask every client before considering their project or creating a quote.

Photographer: Pricing sheet that has links to examples for the different packages that you offer.

Nutritionist: Recipe with checkboxes for grocery shopping + notes area to add extra information for the next time they make the meal. An embedded video could showcase a specific step or the entire recipe.

Maker: Custom product order form with input fields for important information you will need to know.

Writer: Proposal with links that take the user right to examples of your work. Checkboxes could be used for them to select what add-ons they want.

Personal Trainer: Goal setting worksheet with text areas for inputting specific goals + data.

(Life/Business/Relationship) Coach: Single page planner or organizer to help your client stay on track.

Personal Chef: Dinner request form with space for allergy information, checkbox area for specific likes + input fields for preferred times.

Financial Planner: Budget worksheet that can be used to set goals or to monitor spending.

Tech Support: A “How To _______” guide with an embedded video.

What to consider before making your PDF

While you are brainstorming ideas for adding this great tool to your business, keep in mind that you will want the PDF to be well-designed + contain great content. Slapping a couple checkboxes that can be clicked onto a document does not make it a useful thing for you or your clients.

Also think about how your clients (or you) will use the interactive PDF. Is this something that you are going to keep copies of? Is your client going to use a blank template of the PDF every time they set a new goal? How can you brand the document to direct people back to your site or contact information?

Start using PDFs now

You can use interactive PDFs in your business almost as quickly as you can decide on how you want to use the technology. It is something that you can do yourself, with the right software + some time. If you want to DIY a PDF, check out Jewels Branch Creative. Christie Halmick has a PDF Workshop course that will help you design + create beautiful documents you can use in your business.

Add your PDF to your site

You can upload your PDF right to your WordPress media library + set it to not show on google searches to keep your content protected.

Is your file too big to upload? try increasing your upload limits first.

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