There are many factors to keeping someones interest on your web page or site. It is not an easy task. Your ultimate goal is to get them to come back repeatedly. There is one precious commodity that most of us do not have much of - time. Face it even you do not have the time when surfing to read in depth every site you want to. Naturally, you bookmark it because it was impressionable enough for you to want to put it in your favorites. Now read about what will keep the customers coming back for more!
Before you consider setting up a web site, you will need to have your goals in mind. Answering a few targeted questions will help you decide how to best approach setting up the site. Targeting your customer is very important. Their age, economic status and gender will play a part in deciding how you will need to have your site designed. For example, you would not sell jeans in larger sizes and higher waist styles to a junior teen sized woman. Good market research is the foundation for setting the goals of your site, and marketing and designing your site with your customer in mind. This is only the beginning and a mere part of the story of getting customers and keeping them
You will need to look at how your customer interacts with the graphics and total site layout. Ask yourself is there any design flaws that stop them from going to the next page? Is there too many banners, buttons and graphics that confuse them? Is the text on the site clear and easy to understand? Is it confusing on directions about information on ordering? Consider having others evaluate the site to give an honest opinion on site layout.
Next, consider if your site leaves the customer with a feeling of confidence in your product and service. If the writing is timid, sparse or overtly braggadocio, it is more than likely, your customer will click away without so much as a thought of returning. Take some stock of others review of your site, and work to improve on the writing. Remember though you will not be able to please everyone. Keep tweaking it until it is in line with the image you want to portray and the product it represents.
The third step is looking at the content of information on the site. Is the information relative to what you are selling? Is it up-to-date and does it helps the customer decide what they want to buy? Do you offer other content that will give your customer a sense that you care more about them than your wallet, such as information on a subject they might be interested in? This is where your market research will come in handy. A person that is in the age bracket of 30 35 will be much more interested in a retirement fund than a 20 25 year old. It is, of course, not a standard to cling to, but it is a market idea theory that you will need to tweak and refine for your site.
Does your site generate interaction with your customers? Do you provide easy ways for them to tell you about themselves like providing surveys about other interests and hobbies? Are there fun things to do on your site? Kids are not the only ones that will enjoy entertainment. Do you have jokes of the day, puzzles or a pleasant inspiring story to read? Communicating with your customer is a nice way to get them to come back and visit too. That is a real shot of personalization that will set your site apart from the others.
Finally, consider the whole package. Does the whole website design entice them, make them want to come back and visit because it was a very user-friendly experience? Without trust and pleasant user experience, most customers will not return. Trust is a key value to happy customers and returning customers too.
It does seem like a lot of work to get your website up and running. The Internet is an impersonal arena with many busy people with limited time. To break through that barrier and capture their attention takes a lot of hard work and dedication on your part. As time goes by though you will be able to capture a loyal customer base that will want to return and buy again. It will not be because of tricks or just slick words. It will be because you care about your customer, and are determined to give them the very best website you can. You will love it when it happens. |
