How to Keep People on Your Website Longer

7 Easy eCommerce & Business Site Marketing Strategies

It’s a simple equation: the more time people spend on your website, the more likely they are to convert into a lead or sale.

So…do your website visitors like what they see when they land on your site, or are they leaving after a few seconds?

Are they choosing to buy something from you, or abandoning their cart before making a purchase?

Stats show that an average web user spends only a few seconds on a website before they decide whether to stay or go. That means you don’t have much time to make a great first impression.

I know it can be a big challenge to figure out ways to increase online conversions and time spent on your site.

That’s why I’m sharing seven eCommerce and business website marketing strategies to help you keep people on your website longer.

1. Keep your promises.

This may sound like a no-brainer, but many small business owners are so eager to gain leads and sales that they overpromise.

Whether you’re guaranteeing life-changing results or telling your customers returns are a cinch when they’re not, you’re risking your reputation and your profits.

I know it is often taught to sensationalize your headlines and make big promises, but I argue this will backfire on you if you aren’t living up to the hype you’ve created.

Instead, stick to the truth. Share the benefits of your product or service openly and honestly.

Tell your customers how you can assist in solving their problems, but don’t make promises you can’t keep.

2. Utilize exit popups.

An exit popup is a website overlay that appears when someone tries to navigate away from a page.

You can customize the messaging of the popup depending on what you want the person to do, including:

• Offer a discount on their next purchase if they provide their email address
• Download an eBook or some other freebie to help build your newsletter list
• Direct users to read a blog that’s relevant to their needs (hint: at the bottom of that blog post, have a strong CTA towards what you want to do next.)
• Chat with a support agent or sales rep

While some online popups can be majorly annoying, exit-intent popups are different.

Because they don’t spring up all over your site while people are trying to shop or read content, they’re attention-grabbing without being annoying or invasive.

This makes them one of the most effective eCommerce and business marketing strategies you have to keep people on your website longer.

This is the exit pop-up we currently have on our site:

3. Give people a discount.

Who doesn’t love a good discount! Give your customers an extra incentive to buy from you or give you their information.

You could very well increase online conversions and keep people on your website longer if you give visitors something like:

• A percentage-based or dollar value discount
• A dollar-value discount
• Free shipping
• A freebie (for example, a free eBook or a 30-minute consultation with you)

Our client Malary’s Fashion in Cloverdale BC promotes 15% off their next store purchase on their website. Visible on each page of their site as well as a popup form. Those signing up are also added to Malary’s newsletter, letting them know of upcoming events and specials:

4. Send abandoned cart emails.

According to statistics, the average documented online shopping cart abandonment rate is about 70%. There are a variety of reasons that people decide not to buy at the last minute.

Maybe they’re just browsing or think your shipping costs are too high once their total amount is updated. Or, maybe they notice there’s no SSL certificate (the “s” in the “https” before your URL that shows people your site is secure) and decide to go to a more trusted brand.

Sending an abandoned cart email can be a great way to increase online conversions. How it works: if you have someone’s email address, you follow up with them after a shopping cart abandonment.

Many experts suggest sending the first follow-up email within an hour, reminding your visitor that they still have items in their cart.

If they don’t respond to the first email, you can send one or two more emails reminding them of the item and/or offering a discount or free shipping if they do buy your product or service.

5. Use copy and images wisely.

If you want to keep people on your website longer, you need to capture their attention.

Creating interesting, relevant content that shares the page with high-quality images will engage your visitors and help to tell your brand story.

Each page should have at least one good quality, relevant image to break up text. Keep in mind not to upload high resolution images that are very large in file size. Optimized images load faster on your page, which is better for your customers and your SEO.

Don’t be afraid to use multiple images in a blog post. In an analysis of over one million articles, BuzzSumo found that articles with an image once every 75-100 words received double the social media shares as articles with fewer images.

Notice how we do this in our blog posts. Or this example:

We love how one of our clients, Magic Home Staging, uses imagery in a blog on home decor tips.

6. Use clear CTAs.

What do you want your visitors to do on a particular page? Each page on your site should have a call to action that encourages your potential customers to do something.

And you don’t just have to ask people to sign up for something or buy an item.

Your eCommerce and business marketing strategies around CTAs could include encouraging people to learn more about a service, contacting you for more info or reaching out to customer support.

This is where A/B testing can be a really valuable tool to increase online conversions. You can try out different button colours, different CTA text, and CTAs in various areas of the page to see what performs better.

7. Get to know video marketing.

Ninety-two percent of marketers say video is an important part of their marketing strategy today. This has grown from 78% in 2015.

Video can be one of the most powerful eCommerce and business marketing strategies, helping you keep people on your website longer and increase online conversions.

By creating a video marketing strategy, you can build awareness around your brand, clearly explain what you’re selling, and give people an audio/visual CTA.

Although some small business owners find it daunting, it’s really not that hard to plan compelling video content, shoot it with a smartphone or laptop camera and tell the world all about your product or service!

One of our clients uses video to show the big stars who will be teaching their Young Actors’ Theatre Camp Online.

I know it’s not always easy to increase online conversions and keep people on your website longer. I hope these eCommerce and business marketing strategies have cleared up some of the confusion!

Originally published here.

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