In fact, did you know it takes around 0.5 seconds for someone to form that all important opinion about your website? The one that pretty much says whether they’ll stick around or shoot off?
Yep. It shocked me too.
You know how the saying goes: you only get one chance to make a great first impression. You’d better make the most of it.
Because the longer that user stays on the website, the more likely they are to gain a clear view of what you’re about. The higher a chance you’ve got to impress them.
And once you impress them, you can convert them.
It’s as simple as that.
That’s why I’ve rounded up my top 10 tried and tested ways to keep potential customers on your website for longer. Implement these into your website strategy and reap the rewards.
Your website doesn’t need to be all singing, all dancing. Sometimes it’s a case of the simpler, the better.
But… it does need to be professional looking. If people land on your website and see a poor job, they’re going to think your business is of that same standard.
Keep it clean. Make it slick. And above all, ensure it’s mobile responsive. Mobile traffic now makes up over half of all internet search; it’s a figure that’s only rising year on year. If your website doesn’t transfer well to mobile, you could potentially lose over half of your potential visitors.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth a million.
Combining professional (or at least professional looking!) photography and engaging video is a powerful way to draw user attention. Not only do they give information far more quickly than reams of words, but they are stimulating, emotive and aesthetically pleasing.
It’s the visuals that pique the interest. The words encourage the action.
And speaking of words… here comes the “B” word!
Your blog is your superpower. It makes you an authority in your industry. Provides endless reusable digital content. Boosts your Google ranking. Allows you to connect with your users on a more personal level.
It is, in a word, major. So regularly update it with content that is going to resonate with your users. Use it to scratch their itch, and serve the answers they’ve been seeking (without giving too much away).
By doing this, you’ll attract users that return time and time again, warming them up until the ultimate point when they turn into a customer.
New, interesting content will keep your users coming back for more.
I’m not saying give your entire site an overhaul every two weeks. But consider having a regularly updated testimonials page, or case studies that you add to on a certain day every week.
Not only is this key for SEO, but it will encourage readers to stay around for longer when they’ve got something fresh to explore.
Picture your website as a road map, with tons of your awesome locations scattered along the way. Wouldn’t it be brilliant to draw them all together?
Use every opportunity to highlight an extra layer to your wonderful website pie. Direct them to what else they can taste before they get bored and wander away.
Research suggests we’ve got an online attention span of 8 seconds. Keep things enticing by directing users to new pieces of content or actions to take.
Another way to pull user attention back is by monitoring the point at which they’re going to close off your site and firing out an exit-intent pop up.
The pop up should be something they want. A lead generator with a special offer, or a free download or even a newsletter signup.
Why not experiment with a few and see which ones land the most results?
Too many ads of pop ups are a serious turn off. They can feel intrusive and may even push readers off of your site.
Find the balance between what is “enough” and what is “too much” by providing actual value to your audience through your pop ups and ads.
Give your audience as easy a job as possible by avoiding heavy, lengthy text and replacing it with easy to consume, bite-size chunks.
Wordy websites are difficult to absorb, and more often than not your readers will be skimming through your content (remember that attention span stat?). Short and sweet does the trick.
Don’t hide the core of your message somewhere far down the page. Lead with it. Make it clear what you’re going to show them through your content and deliver on it.
Another tip is to reduce user admin as much as possible. For example, getting them to “sign in” before adding a comment to a blog post can result in a huge flashing red cross.
Once again, give them the easy life.
Every extra second your website page takes to load is another second pulling away your reader’s interest.
There are tons of ways you can speed your website up, including:
The list could go on… and on… but any amendments you can make to reduce loading time will work wonders on retaining those vital visitors.
Phew. That’s a lot to take in. If you fancy finding out any more or running over any of the points, get in touch for a no strings attached coffee and chat. If you’re lucky, I may even throw some cake in.
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