Make People Come Back

All of us are working on getting more traffic. Unfortunately, it isn't enough. You also need to make people come back for more.

Stickiness
Isn't that nice when people come back and spend lots of time at your site again and again? This is called "stickiness." Good examples of sticky Web sites are free e-mail providers like Yahoo and Hotmail. Most likely, you visit those free e-mail Web sites more often than any other sites and spend lots of time there to read e-mail messages. You do this because there are new messages, "new content." If there isn't any new mail, you will log off as soon as you can. Or, if you are sure there won't be any new mail because you have not told anyone the address, you won't even go back. So, new content is the key to making your site stickier.

Ways to Add New Content
A simple way to add new content is archiving your newsletter. As you send subscribers a new issue, add it to your Web site. Your newsletter is great content for your Web site. (Don't publish a newsletter? Start publishing one, today!) Also, label new content "NEW" so visitors will know what they should pay attention to, just as new e-mail messages are bolded in your mail box. In addition, according to Jakob Nielsen of www.useit.com, just by archiving past content, you can increase your Web site usability by 50%.

Also, don't forget about your products. You can pick products for specials (i.e., "this month's special"). If you want to go farther, you can make a special catalog for holidays, such as Easter or Christmas. These are also new content and increase stickiness. Specials can be completely new products, or they can be selected from your existing products.

Take It Down
Please note that you should take these "NEW" labels and specials down on time. When new content becomes old, the "NEW" label has to come down. You should take a Christmas special catalog down when you can no longer guarantee before-Christmas delivery. Otherwise, you will lose credibility and customers.

Even though thousands of people visit your Web site every day, if your site isn't sticky, your profits will be limited. Make your site stickier than chewing gum.