For a small business, it’s easier than ever to create a website, throw it up and boom, you’re online. And some commercials out there sell this idea to small business owners. With Hughbanks Design using WordPress primarily as our design and development we see this all the time. While technically this is true, if you are looking to use your website to get leads, drive local business or sell online, it’s usually not that simple. It can take up to 10 times for a potential customer to see your brand name before buying. That means your website has to have phenomenal content and user experience in order to beat your competition. Here are 5 tips to keeping your website visitors coming back.
Good User Experience.
This is probably the most basic and simple principle to understand. If your website loads slow, doesn’t work well on a phone and has a font that is hard to read, what do you think the chances are of them returning to your website? Now, it is true that most DIY website builders will steer you away from most of these things. Here are a few things they can’t help you with.
Does the content flow in a way that makes sense to a viewer?
Does the navigation flow in a way they can easily find what they want?
Will the viewer understand what you want them to do on the website?
Personalization With Dynamic Content.
Dynamic content allows the content to change depending on a set of parameters. This could be time, location, date, repeat visitor, and so on. One way to utilize this is to create customized landing pages to increase engagement. This is usually used in conjunction with retargeting ads, where the visitor will see a certain ad based on a previous visit.
You can also have a dynamic featured content section on your homepage. This allows each visitor to have a unique experience on your homepage. The relevant the content is to the viewer, the more they will keep coming back.
Blogging.
Yes, I said blogging. It may seem so 2010, but data from just about every site we design or market here at Hughbanks Design has shown blogging still pulls in viewers and keeps them returning. Why?
It shows you’re an expert.
Tying into the first key, people trust those who sound like they know their business. An updated blog makes you sound as if you are staying on top of your industry.
They get FREE information.
A blog is an impromptu way to give FREE information, so the viewer feels like they got something without that icky sales feeling. If they keep coming back or subscribing to your blog there is a much higher chance of that viewer contacting you at some point in time.
Collect Emails to Send Value and Information.
An email is a great tool for engaging one-on-one with your audience and keeping them engaged. Giving your emails beyond what users can find on the website will make them feel “in the know,” and they’ll become more likely to become brand advocates. A 2014 study showed that email marketing is nearly 40 times more effective at acquiring customers than Facebook and Twitter combined; 91% of US consumers use email daily. Calls to action to sign up for your newsletter, offer or coupon should be prominent on your website.
Videos.
It is a safe bet that viewers digest the information they see and hear faster than the information they read. A video is a great way to bring visitors to your website through improved search engine rankings, get them to focus on your message in multiple ways (visually, audibly, etc.) and get them to spend more time on your website. Video offers a unique advantage over other forms of content because it does not just tell visitors about your company, product, or service – it SHOWS them. This is the difference between passive and active engagement. As a rule, people learn and remember information better if they are actively engaged. Custom video accomplishes the goal of your website actively engaging visitors.
One quick rule about adding video, if you want to be indexed (found) on Google, your video needs its own dedicated landing page on your website, with a description and if possible, a transcript on the page.
You want to become their “go-to” for your niche or field. In order to do that, you have to be able to keep your visitors wanting to return to your website. Following these 5 tips to keeping your website visitors coming back will go a long way in doing just that. Don’t try all 5 at once, pick one, get that one down and then move on to the next. If you are having trouble on where to start or what you need to do, Hughbanks Design offers a free website evaluation and 30 min strategy session where you will have actionable items to improve your retention rate on your website. Book your strategy now.