I know, I know…I talk a lot about your website. It’s because I truly believe it needs to be the hub of your marketing efforts. More than just a pretty brochure for information, websites are where you can generate leads, create interest, and sell products and services.
While working on your social media presence can be beneficial, those platforms are not owned, nor controlled by you.
Here are some of the easiest ways to gain your audience’s attention and keep visitors on your website…
Remember the 8-second rule
Research shows that 8 seconds is the longest any adult can hold their attention to something. Can you imagine if your website’s content simply doesn’t capture their interest in that amount of time? It’ll be difficult for you to even get them to sign up or check out other relevant pages.
So when creating any element on your website (especially the homepage), remember to consider the following factors:
- What is it? (What is your website for? Which industry does it provide services and products to?)
- Who is it for? (Who is your target market? Are they young or old? What do they all have in common? What is their budget like?)
- What will I get? (From this website, will I get more sign-ups? More sales? More influence?)
Improve and experiment with your content
Creating attractive content that holds attention is never an easy step, but it is crucial. Content is the foundation of your marketing efforts. Your content should incite enough curiosity for visitors to want to stick around.
Good content, both graphics and words, are more effective when they tell the story in one glance. For words, make them easy enough to digest by avoiding blocks of text or wordy subheadings. The fonts for your written content also need to be readable and consistent throughout the website. Fonts also need to be compatible with web and mobile users.
Use images to create visual breaks in between words. The images you’ll be using should match your brand identity. Colors should also be consistent and should follow your branding guide.
Consider a personal intro video, which immediately creates connection and builds trust. But use videos sparingly unless the page needs it as they can slow down your website. A slow page not only impacts user experience but may rank you lower in the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) as well.
Reinvent your CTAs (Call to Action)
Being pressured to do something that they’re not ready for can stress out your potential client. So you can just imagine what your website visitors would feel if the wording on your CTAs (Call to Action) sound forceful. This is especially important for businesses that offer products and services that either require more information to understand fully or those that have a higher price tag.
People will always want more information about anything before making a purchase. They will assess their needs before they even think about providing their private information and adding items to their cart.
When crafting the right CTA for your web page, give your visitor the right amount of time and space before asking them to do something for you. Patiently waiting can help you build the trust that you want to have with them. It will also allow them to see if they want to get in touch with you or if they want to look elsewhere.
Excite with your headlines
Long-winding content isn’t necessary for your website, especially on the main pages. Write headlines that are eye-catching, concise, and connect with the pain points you know your client will have.
The main points of every individual page should correspond to keywords that people are actually searching for to ensure you’ll catch their attention and urge them to dig a little deeper.
Keep your site updated
When your website’s content has been stagnant for a while, people begin to wonder if your company is still getting business. People will always want to do business with brands that are in demand. Favorable companies will also have a positive track record and are up-to-date with the latest trends in the industry. Here are some signs that might turn people off:
- Outdated design (sites should be refreshed every few years)
- Old dates on articles and blogs (if you can’t provide fresh content, remove the dates)
- Overuse of stock images (feels impersonal. and inauthentic)
- Blog comments that are clearly spam (moderate comments or turn them off)
The content on your website doesn’t even have to be anything that has to do with the partnerships, your products, and services or your plans. Content can be something you’ve curated, such as blogs that talk about trends in the industry, a new discovery, or anything that your client may like to know about. Give them a reason to stay on your website and they’ll become frequent visitors.
Read about why your website isn’t working
Invest in good User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI)
Websites that look good often attract visitors. But do people stick around for the aesthetics? Not necessarily. It doesn’t matter how great a site looks if it is broken, confusing, or the visitor can’t do what they need to, people will just leave. Here are some things that will cause visitors to leave immediately:
- Confusing navigation
- Unclear page titles and menu headings
- Lack of instructions
- Broken links
- Broken contact forms
- Too many call-to-actions per page
Use an exit-intent pop-up
When your website visitor has been engaged in browsing through your website for a significant amount of time, you will want to keep them there. For that reason, exit intent pop-ups were created. This type of pop-up will appear on your visitor’s screen whenever they’re attempting to close the tab or leave your website. Having pop-ups can increase interest and promote a healthy amount of conversions from visitor to client. Among the things you can offer on your exit intent pop-up would be free access to an eBook, a last-minute offer, or a newsletter subscription.
A caution about pop-ups: use them sparingly and carefully. Pop-ups can annoy and run people off if they show up too soon, or if they interfere with your visitor finishing the content they started. This is especially problematic with mobile, so make sure your settings provide a subtle experience and an easy way to close the pop-up.
Keeping your website visitors engaged is not something you can accomplish in one day. This task requires constant observation, the use of digital marketing and graphic design tools, and the help of a professional. A professional can give you assistance when you need a helping hand. It’s also not a task that you’ll only do once. Optimizing your website will take several times per month in order to help keep it updated, fresh, and overall user-friendly.
Read about how to upgrade your technology and grow your practice
Need Some Help Keeping Your Website Visitors Engaged?
Your website is super important when it comes to your marketing efforts, but, if people aren’t staying on your site, then it serves no real purpose! If you’re seeing that people are visiting your site, but are leaving quickly or not making any transactions, we can help. Our team can help you to uncover the problem and set your website – and your business – up for success.
