Maintaining visitor interest On average, website visitors spend just 3 to 4 seconds browsing a web page before moving on. That means you must create pages that grab visitors very quickly or they will be lost forever. For those wondering why CRO (conversion rate optimization) methods are so popular these days, the ever shortening consumer attention span may be one reason.
Content Presentation
To get visitors to browse your website for more than a few seconds, you must provide great content – BUT you must present this content in a way that grabs their attention. Components of easy-to-browse web pages include:
- Eye-catching headlines
- Short chunks of information
- Bullet points
- Multiple images/graphics
- Color
Headlines should include keywords and provide a clear description of what visitors are about to read.
Breaking up content into 2-3 sentence paragraphs and using bullet points to highlight specific information help visitors scan pages quickly. If visitors find the information useful, they will slow down to read the content in-depth and continue to browse your site (which will hopefully increase website conversions).
Using images and graphics to emphasize important points or show off a product help visitors visualize what you’re writing about. Adding color to your site (from images, font colors, borders, headers, etc.) help increase visual interest as well.
Emphasize Call to Action
Make it clear what you would like visitors to do while browsing your site. Create call out boxes for newsletter sign ups. Highlight sales by creating a separate sales page or by featuring sale items on your homepage. Increase online sales by highlighting promotion/special offer expiration dates.
Any call to action you make should be instantly recognizable to your visitors. Whether you choose call out boxes, banners, pop-ups, links, or other forms of online advertising, make sure visitors see your call to action as soon as possible.
Keep It Fresh
Update content often to include the latest information, news, product/service descriptions, and promotions. This is especially important if you send out a newsletter or regular promotional materials to increase web traffic. Visitors don’t appreciate having their time wasted, so don’t send promotional materials until you update your website. Upload content that is valuable to visitors and regular customers alike. New and interesting content will lead to increased conversion and help you build a loyal customer base.