V

isitor retention – a common issue facing almost all firms today. What exactly is visitor retention and why is it important for your business? These are some pertinent questions that need careful scrutiny.  

What is visitor retention?

The term visitor retention refers to the statistical count of the number of visitors that visit and return to your website. It also reflects the time spent by the visitors on your website. Essentially, it provides an indication of visitor loyalty. 

Why is visitor retention important?

A high Google rank will ensure steady flow of visitors to your website. However, it does not guarantee that these visitors will stay for long on your website or revisit. It is the number of visitors that actually get converted into customers that matters most. The frequency of visits and the duration of the visit are two crucial parameters measuring visitor retention rate. So, the longer the visitor spends browsing your website, the greater the chance of getting converted into customers.  Visitor retention, therefore, assumes vital importance to business success.

Similarly, visitors who come back to your site are important sales leads. Primarily because the probability of these visitors converting to actual customers is quite high. Hence, the retention goals of firms focus on improving the overall visitor experience. The idea is to make the visitors stay longer and ensure they return back to your website again.

How to improve retention?

Retention is a complex affair considering user behavior online is unpredictable. The entire customer journey is exposed to multiple forces that influence the decision making process for the customers. The conventional approach to sales and purchase does not apply anymore. Remember, there is a marked shift in the way you can retain the interest of your prospective customers in the long run.

Here are a few practices that will simplify your retention goals.

Visual appeal is important

Yes, visual appeal of the website plays an important role in visitor retention. Visual clutter can confuse people and prompt them to leave the website sooner. Consequently, jarring colors used on your websites can drive visitors away. Soothing website design makes it easier for users to browse and find the information they seek. 

Content drives traffic

Visitors to your website seek information that is both relevant and accurate. Content serves to engage your visitors while at the same time it also lends credibility to your product or service. Make sure your website offers relevant, precise, and accurate content to your visitors. Use infographics, articles, blogs, videos, and animations to draw and engage your users. You can also use the links to redirect visitors to specific sections of the website.

A good product beats everything

At the end of the day, it’s the product quality and its attributes that matter to the customers. Hence, product development initiatives take precedence over marketing and sales activities. If your customers are convinced they have a good product in hand, nothing can beat it. Therefore, make sure you showcase your product attributes in ways that instantly connect to your user requirements. 

Establish an emotional connect with your users

Emotions and empathy-based marketing campaigns help in building an instant connect with your users. Why? Because visitors will visualize their core requirement translated in explicit terms on your website. For instance, a visitor searching for affordable kitchen appliances will stop to browse the website offering big discounts on kitchen appliances.  

Differentiate your brand from competitors

People are not content with just getting what they need from the nearest store. They have ample choices and alternatives available to select from today. Hence, customers believe in researching the products well before taking the plunge. So, make sure your content highlights the unique focus of your brand and how it can provide the customers with added business value. 

Deploy latest technology tools to engage visitors

Chatbots provide effective means of engaging visitors. At the same time, they also collect vital data about the visitors and their precise requirements. Similarly, mobile apps add to user convenience as they can be used anytime anyplace. So, make sure you deploy the latest technology tools to engage your visitors.

Call-to-Action buttons initiate visitor response

Make sure you add several Call-to-Action buttons on your website. Buttons like Sign Up, Share, or Post Comment prompt users to engage proactively with your brand. What’s more, it also provides reasons for them to return back to your website again. 

Want to improve your visitor retention rates? Deploy ngDesk Chatbots on your website today. It’s free, it’s simple, and it’s easy to build your own custom bot. Sign Up for ngDesk today!!