July 28th, 2015

Three Secrets to Creating a “Sticky” Website

On average, users often linger on websites for only 10-20 seconds before deciding whether to move on or not. In those few seconds, you need to clearly communicate your message and spark your visitors’ interest so they feel compelled to “stick” to the site for a while – the better your site “stickiness” the higher your conversion rate. You may already know the basics of a sticky site – good content, design and user experience – but in order to increase the time spent on your site, you will need to infuse a little creativity.

Encourage user-generated content

Sticky Website Design and BrandingHumans are social creatures and they will invariably want to share useful information and opinions. Use this to your advantage. Don’t simply throw information at your visitors; find a way to actively engage them. This can be as simple as adding social share buttons on every page of your site or allowing customer comments/reviews on your products or services. User-generated content builds a sense of community among your users and improves your credibility if a lot of people share or leave positive reviews. Today, 94 percent of Americans fear that bad things can happen to them while online. Clever placement and use of customer reviews can be a great way to assuage these fears. You can also use social to gain the trust of new visitors, as people are more likely to trust sites their friends recommend. The more you build your credibility, the more repeat visitors you will receive.

Make it an Interactive website

website design and developmentThe most successful sites allow their users to interact with the site whether it’s playing a short game or viewing a product from all angles. Take Buzzfeed, for example. There are numerous personality quizzes you can take that will match you to a certain character or location. They’ve also included a combined slider that allows you to compare two images without scrolling down to another picture. See if there are better ways you can present your information in a fun yet easy to absorb manner. Slideshows are a very simple way to increase visitor interaction as it provides them with short bursts of data coupled with images. Don’t stop there though. Add some clickable areas on the photo that provide even more information when pressed. There are plenty of interactive features you can use to your advantage like surveys, polls, directional infographics and more. See which ones make the most sense in terms of your brand, brand voice and mission. Otherwise you might end up confusing your visitors.

Keep it Simple

As the saying goes “Less is more.” Keep your site as clean and simple as possible. Clearly mark your navigation menu so users know exactly where they are going when they click the link. Browsing through your site should be effortless and fast. The more complicated it appears the more likely users will avoid your site and label it a waste of time. This applies to every aspect of your site. Your content should be easy to digest and avoid unnecessary technical jargon that your average visitor will not understand. Length plays a big part in simplicity as well. If you can use fewer words to say something, do it. The easiest way to do this is to keep your headlines and content focused on their respective themes. When visitors are scanning your site for information, they want to know exactly what to expect before they click on any links.

Make it Sticky

Just like any marketing strategy, creating a sticky website doesn’t happen overnight. You’ll need to do some experimentation to see what works best before committing to a certain strategy. Also, don’t ignore the power of a name. Does your site name properly reflect your business? If not, brainstorm a new one or try a brand name generator for some ideas. Just updating your name could have a huge impact on your business.

Article By Jonathan Meyerhoff – Founder IMM

 

Posted in: Articles, News, Website Design by IMM Team

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