As busy entrepreneurs, getting traffic to your website is only half the battle – you have to actually be able to get people to stay there – and hopefully cross your fingers that they sign up to your newsletter, book a discovery call, purchase a program or product, etc. What really matters is how engaged your visitors are with your website. Are they sticking around long enough to take your desired action? And even better, remember your website and come back for more!

So, what can you do to get people to stay past those first few seconds of a first impression?

1. Make What You Do & Who You Help SUPER Clear

When a visitor comes to your site, is it immediately clear what your website is about? Your visitors need to know whether your website is relevant to them. If they can’t figure out what you do, they’ll quickly move on to the next site.

Don’t forget, your visitors are looking at your site for a reason. They are looking for something to fulfill a need. Your job is to help them find the information they need, quickly and clearly.

2. Know Your Target Audience.

Everything about your website, from its colour scheme, font sizes to its contents and tone of voice, needs to speak to your target market.

If your website tries to speak to everyone on the planet, you will end up not engaging anyone in particular. Don’t be afraid to really zoom in and be specific about the ideal client you want to serve. In fact, the more specific you can be the better.

3. Look Professional.

Make sure your site looks reputable, trustworthy and not spammy. There’s nothing wrong with a DIY site if you have some basic design skills and an eye for what looks good. Whatever you do, don’t DIY your photography, don’t just get a friend (unless they’re a professional photographer like this talented Momma) to take a few photos in a random location that aren’t on brand and because the photos aren’t high resolution – they end up being grainy. There’s a whole world of difference between not wanting to invest in a good website and knowing that you can do a pretty good job yourself.

The problem is you can often tell a DIY site from a mile away. The bottom line is, why should your visitors invest in your products and services if your website screams “I don’t want to invest in my own company?”

Understandably, solo entrepreneurs often have a tight budget when starting up. However, a professional website, good photography and copywriting are some of the essential investments you should not skimp on.

4. Create a Good User Experience

Your website design and usability are two of the most important factors that influence how much time visitors spend on your site, and whether they’ll return. A clean, attractive design and easy navigation will go a loooong way in turning first-time visitors into clients or people who come back regularly.

When it comes to design, keep it simple. Forget bells and whistles, and focus on the essentials. Use eye-catching colours, readable fonts, and rich images and video. Don’t be afraid of whitespace! As well as make sure it works on people’s phones! They most likely ended up there via social media and if it is hard to navigate I can guarantee they will leave.

5. Blog!

This is actually why I am such a fan of blogging because I think it provides so much extra value and can really help place you as the expert compared to the next person who may only have a basic website with no way of showing them as an authority in their niche. Plus you can link different posts or articles you’ve written and the more posts you have related to what your potential client is looking for – the longer they will stay and the more likely they will convert into a paying client.

6. Video or Audio!

If you do any YouTube, Facebook Lives, Instagram Lives, IGTV, or Podcasts, put them on your website! You’ll definitely have them stay longer and you may even get a new subscriber at the very least. Video and audio can just build that connection and that like, know and trust factor SO much quicker.

7. Clear Call to Action.

Last but not least, don’t assume your visitors will know automatically what to do. You need to tell them. Want them to sign up to your newsletter? Say so with a clear call-to-action button. Give them an incentive to do so. Want them to ask for a quote? Tell them where to go to fill in the form, or display your telephone number clearly. Want them to schedule a free consultation call? Provide the link to book a call with you.

So remember –> engaged visitors = Buyers

Keeping your website visitors engaged is one of the most important things for website owners. Engaged visitors are more likely to buy your products, purchase your services and sign up to your mailing lists. They will also remember you and come back for more in the future.

What specific engagement techniques do you use on your website? Are there any that you find work better than others? If so please share in the comments below!

Cheers!

Jess