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Every business owner, entrepreneur or thought leader has likely spent plenty of time creating a beautiful website they’re proud of. Soon though, they learn that, on average, over 70% of the people who leave their website will never return.

This doesn’t have to be the case, though. There are several tried-and-true ways to increase the chances your website visitors stick around and increase their interaction with your content – which makes them far more likely to become paying customers and clients.

Here are 5 ways to keep your visitors engaged and keep your bounce rate to a minimum.

  1. It all begins with beautiful design.

Powerful website design is part art, part science. Some of it is even hard to define. But the most effective websites have a combination of images, colors, fonts, and other visual elements that make your website visitors want to learn more. The aesthetics of your website should instantly communicate who you are and what your business is all about.

There are a range of themes and templates to choose from these days. Many of them are mobile friendly, pleasing to the eye, and are certainly a huge step up from noodling around with fonts and graphics all on your own.

However, even a great template is just a start. If often takes a professional eye to make the image and colour choices that result in a beautiful design that’s 100% customized for you and your business.

  1. Pay attention to what you’ve placed “above the fold.”

When a newspaper is displayed in a case or lands on your front doorstep, the most compelling story is always placed above the fold – meaning, you don’t even have to flip the newspaper over to be drawn in by the biggest news of the day.

The same should be true of your website. Don’t wait until you’re 70% down the page to let everyone know what your business does. From the moment visitors land on your site, you have just a few seconds to let them know they’ve come to the right place. For instance, you might place your biggest-selling item right at the top of your homepage along with your headline.

Give some thought to what’s most likely to make your website visitors say to themselves, “I want to learn more about this!” Place it above the fold.

  1. Make it simple to interact with you.

It seems as though everywhere we go online, it’s time to fill out another form. Register with another username. Re-enter a password yet again. As a result, most people are not in the mood to fill out extended forms.

If you’d like people to comment on a blog post, for instance, don’t require them to sign up and register with a username – just let them comment! Your engagement rates will soar.

You’ll also want to make sure your contact form isn’t too cumbersome to fill out. Simply providing your email address in lieu of a contact form can work well for this, too.

  1. Keep your content fresh.

Add new content to your site as regularly as you can.

If you’ve got a portfolio site, post new pieces of work. If you have a blog, write new posts on a set schedule. You can talk about client work, side projects, industry trends, give a glimpse behind the scenes of your business, and more. This gives people a great reason to linger on your site and visit on a regular basis.

And there’s a huge bonus: updating your content is great for SEO.

  1. Give your audience what they want most.

Pack your website with value! People will come to regard you as an authority, stay longer, and keep coming back. No one knows your audience like you do, so consider what content they might value the most, then give it to them.

Resources such as free design assets, photo wallpapers, UX kits, blog posts that teach them something new, videos, infographics, and checklists are all classic freebies you might provide to your audience.

Creating websites that are tailored to your dreams client, customized to showcase who you are, and make visitors want to stick around is our speciality. Let’s chat about your business, goals, and brand!