For most businesses, a website aims to convert leads into sales. That’s why marketers place a huge emphasis on keeping visitors on a website for longer. In fact, it’s one of their main drivers and key performance indicators.

There’s a simple explanation of why this is an important factor to consider:

The longer your users stay on your website, the more engaged they’ll be, therefore, increasing the chance they’ll convert. That conversion leads to more conversions, turning that user into a loyal customer.

Users that do stay on your site longer also reduce your ‘bounce rate’. The lower the rate, the better your website is to Google’s eyes. Your site can then experience a boost in SEO rankings, leading to more traffic, and therefore more conversions.

Unfortunately, just hoping that your users stay on your site isn’t enough. You have to nudge them in the right direction, so they unwillingly remain on your site for longer.

Let’s take a look at five simple web design tips that can help you keep people on your website for longer.

Intuitive Web Design

It’s 2020, which means basic website design isn’t going to cut it anymore. You need to have a fluid and smooth website structure and design that flows from section to section without missing a beat. This is important because users want to enjoy their experience on your website.

If they find an outdated site that is slow, dull and lifeless, they’ll look for something better. Investing in website design might be costly, but it can truly enhance your overall user experience.

 

Deliver on Your Headlines

Too often, headlines on web pages and blogs are misleading. You get the click-bait reaction from your audience, but it won’t keep them on the page. That’s because they’ll find out that the headline was exactly that – clickbait.

You have to eliminate that issue by making sure your content delivers on the promise of the headline. It will enhance your business’ online reputation and pioneer you as a leading source of information. You’ll also keep your audience on for longer, lowering your bounce rate.

 

Maximize Videos & infographics

Many users would rather watch a short video than reading text. They’ll get their information quicker, faster and in an easier avenue. So it makes perfect sense to upload a four to five-minute video that will engage your audience.

Videos will keep your users engaged on your site longer and entice them to explore other parts of your website. That’s a considerable bounce in user experience and retention.

If videos are not your thing or don’t have the funds to make it work, try infographics, and there is a big variety of different infographic tools which can help you easily to create infographics. They can be just as powerful and engaging, and more importantly, easily digestible. Maximizing either one of these two methods can really reduce your website’s bounce rate.

 

Reduce Your Loading Page Time

Speak to GrowME Marketing, a web design agency, and they’ll tell you straight: slow-loading pages are killers for your website and business. The quicker your page loads, the happier your customers will be. Why’s this the case?

We live in a fast-paced world where people want things here and now. The same goes for your site speed. Too slow, and your users will go somewhere else. And they won’t return to see if it’s working or not.

Even a 1-second delay in page response is enough to turn your audience off. How do you reduce the load time? Consider these options:

• Compress and reduce images and videos on your site
• Choose a performance-optimized hosting provider
• Cache your web pages
• Optimize CSS, JavaScript, and HTML
• Eliminate unnecessary plugins and redirects

 

Ignore Pop-Ups at All Costs

Nothing annoys a user more than being bombarded with pop-ups when they jump on a website. Whether there for information or a purchase, they don’t want to be harassed, which will happen with a pop-up.

It’s cheap advertising, and your audience can see right through that. That’s why you should ignore pop-ups at all costs, even the “exit” pop-ups when a visitor leaves your site. It’s like forcing someone to stay and not letting them leave. It’s going to do more damage to your brand than you think.