A house guest who overstays is among the major domestic irritants. Not so with the well-planted website visitor. In fact, digital marketers should go the distance to encourage extended stays. The longer, the better.
The advantage of the long stay is universally known in the marketing community. Generally, the more minutes spent on the grounds, the more solid the engagement -- and the more likely a juicy conversion. Clearly, keeping ‘em there should be a major goal of the digital crew.
Visitor retention largely is a matter of finessing some key details, such as visual enhancement. To that end, digital videos are surefire engagement booster. Drop a video or two into your desired web page, and watch visitor interest leap.
You’ll get the same effect by sprinkling a batch of choice images into the content arena. These graphics work best when interspersed with text so that the verbal gems are broken up into distinct, readable blocks. Ultimately, this makes for a snappier reading experience, as well as an easier path for the eyes.
Additionally, digital marketers can make reading easier and more rewarding by keeping content properly formatted -- and design elements suitably uncomplicated. Again, the emphasis is on simplicity – avoid at all costs anything intricate, cluttered, or tangled. Nothing will drive users away faster.
Engagement levels also will get a boost by the inclusion of select links to other pages within the site. Irresistibly intrigued, users will click their way to these alternate destinations, thereby keeping themselves glued within the confines of your site. Always a welcome result.
These and other fundamental measures will go a long way to enhancing overall engagement and thereby promoting extended stays. Of course, nobody really knows the optimum visit duration. Digital marketers, however, can use a benchmark number to measure performance. This benchmark ranges from two to three minutes -- the time of the average website session. Content that promotes longer stays deserves a prize and a paid vacation for everyone responsible.
If you have questions or comments about increasing the duration of website visits, or about any other brand-related topic, feel free to send them our way. You can connect with the Young Company team at 949-376-8404 or bart@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest brand marketing news and tips.