How can you keep a user on your website?
In the 21st century, we have the whole world at our fingertips. We’re watching the evening game show, we don’t know the answers to specific questions, we take out our phone and type a specific keyword into the search engine. Sometimes we don’t even realise that this is the case, how easily we obtain any information.
Given the wide availability of various data sources, website creators and owners face a major challenge in capturing the attention of internet users. You have just 5 seconds to convince visitors to stay on your site. Today, we’ll share some tips on how to keep users on your website.
Website loading time
Every second counts. Don’t let users leave your site because it takes too long to load. Optimise your photos, graphics and videos to the appropriate sizes and file sizes. The average file size for a single piece of multimedia should be around 200 KB.
Content marketing
In order for a user to easily find your website, it must appear at the top of the search results. To this end it is extremely important to prepare content with SEO in mind. What does this mean?
- Use keywords that are characteristic of a given industry.
- Keep your messages clear and concise.
- Make use of the hierarchy of headings (H1, H2, H3 etc.).
- Name images using keywords and add ALT tags (ALT descriptions).
In addition, remember to run a company blog where you can share your specialist knowledge and the latest news. Through content marketing, you’ll establish yourself as an expert in the industry.
Grow your brand using social media. It’s the perfect platform for publishing content on a regular basis. However, don’t just write about your products or services and industry news – publish educational posts and respond to current events (real-time marketing). Don’t forget about social proof either, which will lend credibility to the quality of your products or services.
Clear information architecture
The foundation of any website is a sound structure and information architecture. This is usually where work on a website project begins. If, right at the start, we plan its elements – such as redirects, tabs and subpages – incorrectly, the whole site will be confusing for the user, who will consequently leave our site quickly.
Don’t make the user think and guide them through your website. Place clear messages and CTAs in prominent locations. Keep up with UI trends and keep your finger on the pulse.
Make sure you get your online marketing sorted
Analyse the user journey on your website and carry out marketing activities. Use tools such as Google Analytics, TrendCounter or Webtrends Analytics and check the statistics regularly to see what changes might be worth making.
There are many other platforms and apps that can help you optimise your marketing. Among other things, they allow you to send personalised emails, manage newsletters and web push notifications. With these tools, you’ll be able to set up a live chat window on your website, enabling potential customers to get in touch with you quickly.
Good practice
- Highlight the best features of your business in a prominent place on the page. Don’t go overboard with the self-praise, as this could put visitors off.
- Make the most of the ‘About Us’ page and use it to describe your brand’s vision and team. Include photos of the team there, as this will help build trust with visitors.
- Remember to display your contact details in a prominent place. This will make it easier for your customer to get in touch if they have any problems.
- Include social proof on the page featuring testimonials from satisfied customers.
- Don’t use stock photos. Internet users see them far too often.
To sum up, there are many factors that influence how much time a user will spend on your website. If your visitors have been ‘bouncing’ quickly so far, it’s worth carrying out a website audit. To start with, make use of the analytics data from Google Analytics. If you haven’t installed the tracking code yet, do so as soon as possible and review the collected data in a few weeks’ time. Draw conclusions from the information obtained and optimise your website. This way, you’ll retain users and reach new audiences more quickly.
