How to keep people on your website longer
7 Easy Ecommerce & Business Website Marketing Strategies
It’s a simple equation: the more time people spend on your website, the more likely they are to convert into leads or sales.
So…do your website visitors like what they see when they arrive at your site or do they leave after a few seconds?
Do they choose to buy something from you or abandon their cart before making a purchase?
Statistics show that an average web user spends only a few seconds on a website before deciding whether to stay or go. That means you don’t have much time to make a good first impression.
I know it can be a big challenge to find 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 seem like a no-brainer, but many small business owners are so eager for leads and sales that they promise too much.
Whether you’re guaranteeing life-changing results or telling your customers that returns are a piece of cake when they’re not, you’re risking your reputation and your bottom line.
I know it’s often taught to sensationalize headlines and make big promises, but I’d say this will backfire on you if you don’t live up to the expectations 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 help them solve their problems, but don’t make promises you can’t keep.
2. Use exit popups.
An exit popup is a website overlay that appears when someone tries to leave a page.
You can customize the popup messages based on what you want the person to do, including:
- Offer a discount on your next purchase if you provide your email address
- Download an eBook or some other freebie to help you build your newsletter list
- Direct users to read a blog that is relevant to their needs (hint: at the bottom of that blog post, have a strong CTA to what you want to do next).
- Chat with a support agent or sales representative
While some online popups can be very annoying, exit intent popups are different.
Because they don’t appear all over your site while people are trying to buy or read content, they grab attention without being obtrusive or intrusive.
This makes them one of the most effective eCommerce and business marketing strategies you have for keeping people on your website longer.
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 offer visitors something like:
- A discount based on percentages or dollar value
- A dollar value discount
- free shipping
- A gift (for example, a free e-book or a 30-minute consultation with you)
Our client Malary’s Fashion in Cloverdale BC advertises 15% off their next purchase in store on their website. Visible on every page of your site, as well as in a popup form. Those who sign up will also be added to Malary’s newsletter, letting them know about upcoming events and special offers.
4. Send abandoned cart emails.
According to statistics, the average documented online shopping cart abandonment rate is around 70%. There are a variety of reasons why people decide not to buy at the last minute.
Maybe they are just browsing or think the shipping costs are too high once the total amount is updated. Or maybe they notice that there is no SSL certificate (the “s” in “https” before your URL shows people that your site is secure) and decide to go with a more trusted brand.
Sending an abandoned cart email can be a great way to increase conversions online. How it works: If you have someone’s email address, you follow up with them after a cart abandonment.
Many experts suggest sending the first follow-up email within an hour, to remind 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 to remind them of the item and/or offer them a discount or free shipping if they buy your product or service.
5. Use copy and images wisely.
If you want to keep people on your website longer, you need to grab their attention.
Creating interesting and relevant content that shares the page with high-quality images will engage your visitors and help tell your brand story.
Each page should have at least one good quality, relevant image to break up the text. Please note that do not upload high resolution images that have a very large 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 a million articles, BuzzSumo found that articles with an image once every 75-100 words received twice as many social media shares as articles with fewer images.
6. Use clear calls to action.
What do you want your visitors to do on a particular page? Every 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 information, or contacting customer support.
This is where A/B testing can be a really valuable tool for increasing online conversions. You can try different button colors, different CTA texts, and CTAs in various areas of the page to see what works best.
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READ: How to engage and inspire with interactive content marketing
According to a Microsoft study, the average human being has an attention span of eight seconds. Eight seconds! You need to grab the attention of your readers or followers and require their active participation quickly.
That can be easily done with something called interactive content marketing. While pieces like blog articles and e-books are considered passive content, interactive content requires the person to actively engage with the content, be it swiping, tapping, answering a question…
In this article, I provide 3 ideas you can use to grab the attention of your audience and stand out from your competitors.
Read more on our website.
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7. Know the video marketing.
Ninety-two percent of marketers say that video is an important part of their current marketing strategy. This has grown from 78% in 2015.
Video can be one of the most powerful business marketing and e-commerce strategies, helping you keep people on your website longer and increase conversions online.
By creating a video marketing strategy, you can build awareness for your brand, clearly explain what you’re selling, and give people an audiovisual CTA.
Although some small business owners find it overwhelming, it’s actually 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.
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!
For the success of your business,
Suzanne
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