Great news, someone has clicked to visit your website! Now what?
Well, you can’t just sit back and expect them to make their way to check out; you have to retain their interest. The longer traffic stays on a website, the more likely they will buy a product or service and even subscribe to a mailing list.
But keeping someone on your page may be harder than anticipated, right? The last thing you want is for users to leave as quickly as they arrive. And the higher your bounce rate, the lower you rank on Google.
Let’s avoid that. Here are eight ways to keep people on your website longer and lower that bounce rate.
1. Website Speed
The likelihood of someone abandoning your website is far greater when it won’t load. It does not take long for a user to become impatient and give up on a website. And once they leave your site, they won’t be coming back. So your first impression is ruined before if you even had a chance!
The simple and effective solution to this is WordPress Speed Optimisation, which is an upfront investment that will save your customers’ time and your money in the long run.
2. Aesthetics
Customers judge a website by its design. As soon as users see a site, they will develop an instant impression of it. It only takes seconds for them to decide if they like or dislike how it looks and how it makes them feel.
The aesthetics of a website should not only complement the theme and tone of your website but should be designed with the target market’s preferences in mind. When in doubt,keep it simple!
3. Hook the Reader
The first couple of sentences should hook readers in, like a trailer for a movie or a back cover of a novel. The hook should let the reader know what to expect in the rest of the content and get them excited to learn more.
If you’re not sure how to create a great hook, try using a statistic, cracking a joke, or relating to the reader. By making them laugh or sharing an interesting piece of information, they will be more intrigued to continue reading the rest of the content.
4. Scannable Content
The reader should understand what the entire text is about just by scanning the page. So how do you increase their understanding? It’s easy; break the text up into easy-to-digest, small sections. This is more inviting to a reader than committing to reading a large paragraph. It also makes specific details easier for the reader to find.
5. Large Display Ads at Introduction
You can’t always avoid placing ads on your site, but you can control placement and therefore the impressions of your customers.
If the first thing potential customers see is a huge banner ad instead of the content they expected, the user will likely feel annoyed and impatient. The ad could slow them down or distract them from your content.
6. Answer Questions
Add value! Users are there for a reason, and if they don’t get what they came for, they’ll leave.
Providing answers to questions and solutions to problems will tell users that you have something to offer, building trust for your site along the way.
7. Call to Action
Users usually leave your site after visiting just one page. But with a call-to-action, you can guide the user to engage further.
A call-to-action can invite website traffic to do something, like:
- “Read more”
- “Check out”
- “Buy now”
- “Subscribe to the newsletter”
All of these actions lead to more time on your site, so encourage users to follow through with CTA’s on all pages.
8. Easy to Read Text
Strange fonts and small lettering are sure to scare away users. Show creatively elsewhere! If you have some illegible, zany, or outdated fonts on your site, try increasing line height and switching to a more standard font.
Bottom Lime
Keeping traffic on your site longer and reducing bounce rate is the key to SEO success, but it’s impossible if you don’t follow these strategies. Start out with one easy-to-implement tip like including CTA’s in your content. Then move on to improving aesthetics and making your text easier to read.
Soon, you’ll have a site that’s ready to convert readers into buyers.
