Site Stickiness: Holding Onto Traffic

By Staff Writer

Brick-and-mortar stores have it easy! Most customers travel to the stores and look hard for what they came for. If they don't find what they want, they may even compromise in favor of what's on the shelf in front of them, because after all, they took the time to make the trip. Web stores, on the other hand, have a much trickier situation: If a customer clicks to a site and doesn't find what they're looking for quickly and easily, they just click away and go elsewhere. It's the beauty of Internet surfing and shopping, but it's also a headache for small business owners, making them desperately ask: What makes a site sticky?

The short answer is: Make people want to stay. Once you understand what elements can turn your “click-throughs” to “click-and-lingers,” you'll find an increasingly large base of returning, loyal customers.

Don't Leave Them Waiting

If a first-time visitor arrives at your site and your pages take more than a few seconds to load, they'll simply click the “back” button on their browser.

Holding traffic on your site doesn't mean creating a jam. If a first-time visitor arrives at your site and your pages take more than a few seconds to load, they'll simply click the “back” button on their browser. Reduce customers' wait—and frustration—by reducing download times. The quick fix: Eliminate any needless graphics and shrink the file size on the big ones.

First Impressions Matter
As computer users grow increasingly Web-savvy, they're also becoming quicker to judge. After all, they've seen the good and the bad, and there's plenty more out there for their time if they run into the latter. This means that you only have a few seconds after they come to your site to make a lasting first impression. Wow them by keeping in mind the following:

• Appearance – Make your site design consistent and attractive. Set the tone for your audience and give them a sense of your business. And never miss the opportunity to get your brand out there front and center.
• State your business – Whether it's a tagline or a graphic, let people know right away what you do and how you can benefit them.
• Compelling offers – Pique curiosity and encourage visitors to stick around with appealing offers on your home page.

Visitors Shouldn't Need a Map

Draw a diagram, making sure that every page connects and that you maintain a logical and simple site flow.

You can't expect customers to look around if your site layout is complex, frustrating or unintuitive. They won't bother to stop for directions; they'll just click to your competitor. Make sure every page has a navigation menu and includes a link back to the main page. Also, be careful not to orphan any pages, or create pages that don't link back to anything. If a visitor ends up on a page like this and mistakenly hits a wrong button, they won't be able to easily find their way back. Draw a diagram, making sure that every page connects and that you maintain a logical and simple site flow.

Connect with Interactivity

Customers will stay around—and come back to—sites where they are active participants.

Customers will stay around—and come back to—sites where they are active participants. By including interactivity, you make their visit more personal and meaningful, creating a lasting impression. As an added perk, you'll also get to know more about your audience, which can help your marketing endeavors down the line. Two easy ways to make your site more interactive include:

• Polls – From the mundane to the thought provoking, who doesn't love giving their two cents' worth? Give people the chance to make their voice heard—and tell them to come back later to check the results.
• Discussion boards – Get people talking. You'll create a community environment that will keep customers coming back for more.

Fresher Content

Fresh information and products keeps people interested—and checking back often.

When visitors come back to your site, only to find the same stale content, they're unlikely to try coming back again. Fresh information and products keeps people interested—and checking back often. Try offering something simple to update regularly, like a tip. Or get involved in the hot, new phenomenon of blogging. Or consider adding a news feed to your site with stock quotes, weather and headlines. Think about what types of content best apply to your business and start adding—often. Whether it's swapping articles informally with other sites or joining an affiliate network, your fresh content can turn sometimes-surfers into regular customers.


Site stickiness is an ongoing process for even the biggest businesses, but its importance cannot be underestimated. Consider the above key points for your site and, if you're not already, start tracking your visitors' progress through your site. See where they fall off, and try to identify the possible causes. Over time, you'll refine your components for a super-glue stick, with incoming revenue just as strong.