Ensuring Your Visitors Click and Stay

The average person does more than 30 searches per day in Google. They also clock over seven hours per month interacting with branded content on Twitter and Facebook. And its not just reading — the Average Joe also watches more than 180 videos per month on sites like YouTube and Vimeo. These statistics all add up to one very educated consumer.

Knowledge is everywhere online, in every form, and your typical internet user has a voracious appetite for learning. But from the perspective of an online marketer, this consumer is also a click-happy and easily distractible one. Employ the below tactics to make sure they click on — and stick to — your website with a purpose.

Own Their Next Click

Your visitors are going to click, but it’s up to you to make sure the link is productive for your business. In addition to your main navigation links, make sure links to other web properties you own are prominently displayed on your homepage. Have call-to-action buttons and other offers above the fold so they’re as front and center as possible. And wherever you can, prove that your clicks are worth it. Visitors will never know your blog is informative and bleeding edge unless they get there, so if its normal position is in your main navigation, experiment with placing a bigger, more-blown out linking image in the margin, or even a module that shows titles of recent posts. Also, make sure your company’s social media accounts are front and center. A click to your Facebook Page or recent Tweets isn’t a loss, but a click on the back button is.

Be Smart About Flash and Graphics

Image sliders look great on home pages and give businesses the opportunity to convey multiple messages on their website’s most prime piece of real estate. But if you have a scrolling mechanism that shows six images for five seconds each, what happens if your visitor only hangs around for 20 seconds? They won’t see the fifth and sixth image in your sequence. What if those links direct visitors to your biggest money-makers, like your demo request page or free consultation landing pages? Low visibility will dictate a poor return. Lots of companies like to lead with brand messaging in these spaces, but avoid this. Prioritize your best offers, and show them first.

Position Yourself With Simple Language

People are spending seconds — not minutes — on your site, so be as clear and concise as you can be with the language you use. Avoid populating your “Products” or “Services” drop-down lists with brand names, because people don’t know the names of what they’re looking for yet. Instead, use adjective-rich phrasing to explain what those products are, and introduce them to your registered trademark on the product page. And when folks click through to those pages, don’t bury critical facts about your products and services under a mountain of text. Think like your customer. Ask yourself what you would want to know, and use that answer to craft a strong thesis statement for the first paragraph of each page.

Source: HubSpot Blog

More Information on How to Ensure Your Website Visitors Click and Stick

You can read more about how to ensure your customers click inside our starting a business blog.