It can’t be emphasized enough how important it is to have a website for your business in 2020.
The numbers speak for themselves: Almost 4.57 billion people are active Internet users, which is roughly 59% of the global population. A 2019 report stated that people spend an average of 6 hours and 42 minutes a day online. Those statistics could have increased significantly in 2020, especially with the current global pandemic limiting our ability to go outside. If you’re not taking steps to create an online presence for your business, you’re missing out on a great opportunity to reel in customers not just from your state, but potentially from other countries.
Now, let’s say you already set up a website. You spent a lot of resources on digital marketing and SEO strategies to boost your rank on search engines and increase traffic. People are clicking on your site, and you’re making sales. The next question is, how do you get these people to come back?
This is easier said than done. After all, there are about 200 million active websites online, which include your competitors. How do you build enough brand loyalty to ensure your customers will buy from you exclusively and not wander off to your competitions’ websites?
Different website design agencies have strategies on how they keep websites engaging enough to encourage return users. Read on if you want to find out what website features you should focus on and improve on.
Don’t underestimate the importance of first impressions
75% of users judge a company’s credibility based on its website. 94% of first impressions are design-driven, and it takes 0.05 seconds for people to form impressions about a given brand. The first step to gaining a loyal consumer base is to ensure that your website is a good representation of your business. Having a website that’s clunky, slow, and poorly designed will not only discourage users from returning, but it will also negatively impact your business’ reputation.
75% of a brand’s credibility comes from the appearance of its website. Invest in building a site that combines both style and functionality. Consider hiring a website design agency to create the perfect website for your business. A good website builds trust with your target audience and could boost conversion.
Prioritize user experience: Security, convenience, etc.
Over 85% of online shoppers avoid sites that aren’t secure. This makes sense, especially since eCommerce sites require users to input sensitive information like credit card details and addresses. The risk of identity and credit card theft is at an all-time high, so prioritize security features that protect your customers’ information.
Another aspect you should focus on is website loading speed. If a website lags too much, users are less likely to continue exploring your site, let alone come back. Ideally, a site should take less than 3 seconds to load. Conduct a site audit to figure out which sites take too long to load and what the root causes are. Try to compress images and minimize stuffing each page with features like animations and pop-ups.
For eCommerce websites, make sure every step of the purchasing process is smooth: from searching or filtering items until checkout. A seamless purchase will make users more likely to buy again. For blog sites, establish an organized classification system for your articles. Sort and arrange each article under relevant umbrella categories such as business, finance, health, and so on.
Highlight any new, popular, and relevant content
To guarantee a steady stream of visitors, you need to keep your content fresh and up-to-date. When writing blogs, make sure that the topics are timely and relevant. No one will read about summer trends when it’s already winter.
When the user clicks on your site for the first time, emphasize any trending content or best-selling products. This will entice them to look further into your website, and if they observe that you’re continuously updating your content, it increases the likelihood that they’ll come back in the future to see what else you have to offer.
For return users, personalize their experience by highlighting their preferences on the landing page. If they bought a specific item, recommend products that complement their previous purchase. This personalized experience will make the user feel valued as a customer and builds loyalty to your brand.
Stay in touch
When used right, email marketing is a great tool to engage with your audience one-on-one, since you’re able to contact them directly. You need to establish an email frequency that keeps customers from forgetting you while not flooding their inbox. Try to personalize the messages as well (i.e. if you have their birthdate, send them greetings or special birthday discounts. If they recently read your article about a certain on-going topic, send them an email if you’ve written a follow-up article on that topic). Encourage users to leave you their email by offering discounts or limited free subscriptions. Keep this process as easy and as unobtrusive as possible by using small pop-ups somewhere on the page that allows users to input their email without needing to load a separate page.
The work never ends
There is a myriad of other ways you can engage visitors to return to your website, but the bottom line is to ensure that they have a pleasant experience from the get-go, then continuously engage them through personalized content and email marketing. Another thing you need to remember is that you don’t just build your website and keep it that way forever. You have to work towards continuously updating and upgrading your website so it doesn’t look outdated. Most websites even have special layouts for certain holidays like Christmas or Halloween. Do not hesitate to outsource if you don’t have the manpower for the constant upkeep a website requires. The professional touch of a website design agency is an investment well worth it if it builds trust with your site visitors and boosts your business’ credibility.
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