10 Tips for Making Websites Stickier

iPerceptions Inc., a leading provider of Web-focused Voice of Customer (VoC) analytics based on actual visitor feedback and Peppers & Rogers Group, recently announced ten tips for making websites sticker. These recommendations are based on data from thousands of iPerceptions' surveys and analysis from Peppers & Rogers Group. The data and analysis reveals that while it's fairly easy for most companies to identify at which point during an online interaction a customer has abandoned, it's historically been more challenging to determine why they abandoned.

"Determining how to make a website more engaging and satisfactory for customers begins with understanding their motivations for visiting in the first place," said Duff Anderson, co-founder and vice president of research at iPerceptions. "This type of information can be gathered by conducting online surveys with customers and through other feedback mechanisms, such as Voice of Customer programs and focus groups. Behavioral information, like high percentage of visitor drop-offs at the same point in a particular task, can also help decision-makers determine what functions or processes need to be examined."

This slideshow is a compilation of recommendations from iPerceptions and Peppers & Rogers Group on the most effective ways to make websites stickier.

Click through for 10 tips to make your website stickier from iPerceptions, Inc. and Peppers & Rogers Group.

Identify and respond to online visitor needs when developing websites and online functionality. Find out what customers expect from their online experiences.

Make website navigation as simple as possible for all types of uses. If your grandmother can surf it, anyone can.

Create an engaging experience. Consider the top websites you visit and how the mix of photos, graphics, and other content helps you feel connected with that brand through your online experience. Consider adding a “Comments” feature that allows users to post their feedback and read what other customers are saying.

Evaluate human behavioral patterns, including ways that people surf websites, how they tend to read from left to right, how their eyes gravitate to graphics positioned in the top left-hand corner of the page, etc. Examine the characteristics and tendencies of your target audience.

Solicit and act on visitor feedback. Give people an opportunity to rate your website and Web services. If your company hosts an informational site, use surveys, social media feedback, referrals and other means to determine what information matters most to customers and how they want it presented.

Create a personalized and responsive online experience. Like any other channel, websites should treat each customer differently. This includes the ability for sites to identify visitors from previous transactions and provide the type of information and service they’ve sought from previous interactions.

Radical changes made to a site will often confuse visitors and make them reluctant to return.

Infuse ongoing testing and continuous improvement. Customer behaviors continually change; so does the competitive landscape. Make sure all types of users feel confident using your site and Web services, and ensure your organization has rigorous processes in place to foster and apply continuous learning.

Promote social media connection points. Create a continuous loop for visitors to come to your site through Facebook, Twitter, and other social media associations.

If your site appears stale, users won’t be motivated to return frequently. Make your home page is current and edgy, but strike the right balance between updating content often and giving visitors a chance to absorb current materials.