Do you know that approximately 70 to 96 percent of users leave your site and never return?

Your main goal is to turn those one-time visitors into loyal customers. However, you can’t reach those goals if users aren’t staying and noticing your content.

Here’s the thing: the longer visitors stay on your site, the higher the chance that you can convert them.

The more engaged they will be, it will keep your site’s bounce rates at a minimum.

Let’s look at some of the ways on how to engage visitors and make them stay on your site longer.

1. Know Your Target Audience

What are the types of users who access your site? If you can’t come up with a definite answer, then you have to address the problem with your target audience first.

Websites do stand out if they’re written and tailored for a specific type of user. Don’t let your audience be too broad that you have a vague demographic of “everyone.”

It’s better to appeal to a particular demographic. That way, you’ll keep users interested and you’ll be able to present your site for an extended period.

2. Make Your Website Clear

Most users won’t pay attention if you have a cluttered site. In a study from Microsoft Corp., the average attention span of users is now down to eight seconds as compared to 12 seconds in 2000.

Don’t let your web design look cluttered, with several visual elements all crammed together. Chances are, you’ll be struggling to keep your viewer’s attention. As a result, you’ll have a shorter session duration.

If you want to keep visitors in your site for extended periods, then focus on creating a clean, modern design that effectively sends your brand message across.

3. Make it Easy to Navigate

How your website’s design is structured significantly affects how long users will stay. Sometimes, putting a link to every single page on the sidebar or header menu isn’t an effective strategy.

As your site grows with more pages, you may have several unsorted links on the menu. Thus, making it challenging for users to find your content on particular topics.

Instead, you can utilize a breadcrumb-style navigation structure that involves category pages that are hierarchically organized.

Also Read: 15 Amazingly Free Instagram Reels Video Download Websites That Will Delight You!

You can put links on the top-level category pages on your header menu or website’s sidebar, which users can click to look for pages with related content.

4. Improve Page Load Speed

Most web users bounce from a site if it takes longer than average to load. Always remember that when visiting a website from organic search, a user is given with nine other options (not including ads.)

So, if your site isn’t loading quickly, most users will click the back button and try out other websites instead.

To avoid this from happening, make sure your site is hosted in a modern CMS.

Moreover, if you have plug-ins that take longer than usual to load, it’s better to replace or remove them. If they’re slowing down your site, then it’s better to replace them with more lightweight tools.

5. Provide High-quality, Long-Form Content

Long form content is the very core of having a highly efficient SEO strategy. Aside from driving in higher search rankings, it lets visitors stay on your site much longer.

According to research, on average, an adult can read about 250 words per minute.

So, if you’re publishing a 250-word article on your site, then most probably users are going to stay there for only a minute.

However, if you stretch out your site’s content to up to 1,000 words, then most probably users are going to stay about four minutes in your site.

6. Add Videos and Images

If you want to spice up your site, then go for less text.

Of course, if you’re running a blog, the written word is your primary means of communication. But if you want to have a more minimalist touch, then you’ll do well with placing visual media in your posts like:

• Images
• Videos
• Infographics
• Slideshows

Believe us, your readers are going to thank you in the end!

7. Implement of Proper CTAs

Do you want to know the best time for visitors to take action? Well, it’s right after they’ve finished reading your blog post.

Most users tend to leave a site after they found the information they’ve been searching for. However, with the right call-to-action (CTA) you giving them a better reason to stay on your site.

But the bigger question is this: Are users noticing your call-to-action?

Placing a static CTA on the content area of your post isn’t going to cut it anymore. Visitors tend to ignore it.

One of the best ways to avoid this is to utilize a slide-in opt-in. Placing an animated slide-in grabs your audience’s attention without disturbing them.

8. Updating Your Website Regularly

There is something else that is guaranteed to make users stay on your site longer. You need to add new content to your site regularly.

Although, that might be daunting especially if you own a portfolio site. Your previous client might not agree to let you post your latest work for them. So if that’s the case, why not consider adding a blog and write there as often as you can?

It doesn’t have to include client work directly. Side projects, thoughts about the latest industry trends, and anything that might be of interest to your audience can work.

Aside from giving people a great reason to stay on your site and visit it more often, you’re also regularly updating your content, which is excellent for your SEO.

9. Practice Internal Linking

You can make users stay on your site longer by guiding them to other relevant pages on your website. Think of it this way: The more pages users will access, the more likely they will stay.

Users can always access your site’s main navigation menu to look for other pages. But you can also utilize internal contextual links to guide them to your website a little bit further.

Also Read: 5 High Ranking Websites Your Business Needs to Appear On

If a user comes through the linked word or phrase when reading a post, then they can learn more about the linked topic through another page.

Internal linking is excellent for your SEO, too. The great thing about it is that you don’t have to buy an external tool or plug-in. Just see to it that you’re linking to relevant pages and articles to your site in context.

10. Show How Credible Your Website Is

People want to know whether they can trust your site or not. Therefore, adding photos of real people on your website will make it appear credible and trustworthy.

Also, put testimonials and bios on your web pages. Aside from that, linking to your social profiles helps you build your influence.

Moreover, place trust marks like BBB ratings, secure site signs, awards, and certifications. These will make people more confident in sharing their personal information and do business with your site.

11. Get Smart With Mobile

It’s no secret that the growing popularity of smartphones and other mobile devices led to an increase in online traffic of smartphones, tablets, and everything in between.

Because of this, Google has introduced the “mobile-friendly tag” on its search results. Aside from that, it stated that mobile friendliness is also part of its ranking algorithm.

So if you want to keep people around that use their iPads and Android smartphones to surf the net, then it’s essential for your site to look good on those mobile devices.

There are different ways to achieve this goal. Either you use a responsive theme or utilize a plugin that will make your site more mobile-friendly.

12. Add Value

By adding value to your content, the more likely people will stay longer and come back. You’re the one who knows your audience the most. So think of what kind of content they value the most, then give it to them.

It might be in terms of resources, (UX kits, photo wallpapers, free design assets) or advice and education (infographics, checklists, and how-to blog posts.)

In other words, if they found one thing that they like about your site, then they’re more likely to stick around and want to find out more.

Over to You

According to Sytian Productions, a web design outsourcing company, “Keeping visitors in your site and decreasing the bounce rate is crucial. Visitors that are more engaged with what you have to offer are more likely going to sign-up on your newsletter, buy your product, or tell their personal network that you have kick-ass content. However, attracting users to your site is only beneficial to your business if they stay there for a significant period.”

Luckily, there are plenty of things that you can do to make this possible. While users leaving your side is unavoidable, you can encourage them to stay longer by following these tips. So put those strategies into good use and keep the traffic coming.

For many young startups and hopeful entrepreneurs, the single largest hurdle that they face when establishing their business and their presence in the market is the building, ranking, and maintenance of their company website.

Websites are also known as “virtual brands” and “online store fronts”, which should already give you an inkling of just how important they are. This is the fact that you will display to every single human on the planet who has access to the internet. No pressure, yeah?

A good first impression can make or break a business deal, which you can read more about in this article. Well, to make sure you leave the absolute best impression on the entire customer cosmos, you need to hire some professional help. Here are all the essential things you need to tackle before you decide on your future go-to web designer.

Know the priorities and primary goals of your website

Before you actually hire someone to do the design work, know what it is that you aim to design. Sit down with yourself and address a few key questions first.

Will you be selling a product or a service? Or will your website simply be a hub of information about a topic or a niche? What would you like to stand out the most?

A professional web designer can certainly help you answer these questions, and many others, but they will almost certainly charge you a fee for having that conversation. If you can handle this step yourself, you really ought to go for that option first.

Make yourself a vision board

These things are useful for way more than figuring out your life’s further direction when you get confused. They can also help you give form to what impact you want to achieve and help you decide on the ideal new look for your business.

Your vision board can be a stretch of cork hanging on your office wall, or a Pinterest board, or whatever else works for you. For a convenient step by step guide on how to actually make one, check out this web page: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Vision-Board

Put up things like logo idea, color schemes that you want your brand to feature, your own curated fonts gallery, and quotes, slogans, or phrases that relate to your business or that you simply find inspiring.

Also, no need to shy away from other people’s ideas! Obviously, never plagiarize, but feel free to scour the web for inspiration, look up other people’s websites and see how they handle their aesthetics: the layouts, the visuals. Who knows what awesome ideas you might get!

Make a wish list for your design

This step is important because it will save both yourself and your chosen web designer heaps of work and annoyance further down the road. It always pays to have at least some framework of what exactly you want and how you might be able to get it. Consider the following:

Does your website need to be built from the ground up? Or do you already have one, but it seriously needs some updating? If that is your case, what exactly is wrong with your current site? What do you want to change and how?

If you will be needing a site from scratch, come up with a list of technical and aesthetical features. How many pages would it have? What would the headers be like? What functions will the buttons have? Will they lead to social platforms or affiliates? How do you plan to integrate the menu? Will you have drop-down lists? How will you display your contact information, your pricing plans, where will the testimonials go?

Also, here is a neat little trick for you: check out the websites of the designers themselves! They tend to have awesome templates that you can re-adapt, especially if your business is local or targets a very specific niche. Try searching for things like “creative website designer near me”, “website design [theme] templates”, or such, and see what you come up with!

Creating a wish list like this will help a designer to more accurately understand your needs. This, in turn, will enable them to give you a realistic estimate of how much time and money it will take to make your idea a functioning reality.

Make sure each of your planned pages has a purpose

This is something to take care of, as precisely as possible, before any work is started on actually building your website. We already mentioned that you should come up with a tentative number of pages to have; now figure out what purpose they will serve and how much copy (word content) each of the pages will contain.

Again, you would be better off if you figured it out for yourself. A professional web designer can also do it for you – if you are willing to pay them by the hour. Your best bet is to find inspiring websites in your industry and take a few pages from their books.

If you really have no idea where to start, just fall back on the Big Five: the standard page types that your customers will definitely expect you to have. These Big Five are the home page, the “about us” or “our story” page, the repository of frequently asked questions, the details about your product or your service (including pricing packages and such), and the contact page, which would feature either just your contact info or a direct contact form that people can use to get in touch with you.

Essentially, build a “skeleton” of a solid basic structure which will be there to support any additions and changes later on. This will allow you to keep your site fluid in the face of changing business trends. Create a “baseline website” which you would update with information, without changing its structure. Remember, the more changes you make after the initial building, the more it will cost you.

Each year, there are numerous new entrepreneurs striving towards building their own business and developing their own careers. The business world is known to be a dynamic and competitive landscape. However, there’s no reason to be intimidated by the state of the market. It’s no secret that some businesses perform better than others, but the supply and demand can easily shift either way.

When considering a business opportunity, entrepreneurs are on a lookout for something that doesn’t require huge investment capital, doesn’t require a college diploma or a Ph.D. with years of experience alongside it, and of course, something that won’t take decades to become profitable. It may seem a bit farfetched to seek out such opportunities, but in today’s market, anything is possible if you’re willing to make an effort to create it. With that in mind, here are a few of the best small business opportunities for 2019.

Copywriting

Copywriting is growing and becoming more popular with each passing year. Today, copywriters can build an entire business around their profession and not just leave it as a freelancing gig. As connectivity becomes more sophisticated and present in everyday lives, the need for unique and original content increases.

Numerous digital agencies are in need of reliable copywriters due to the increased demand for content. Outsourcing copywriting has become quite common, especially since it’s a more affordable solution than having a copywriting team full-time. For entrepreneurs who are familiar with this trend, a small business focused on copywriting services can be a profitable opportunity that won’t go out of fashion any time soon.

A small construction company

Skill trade businesses are always a good opportunity for a small company. People will always need someone reliable enough that will help them with home repairs, remodeling or even construction. If you have the right skills, you can always start a small construction company that provides various services based on what your customers need the most. The fact of the matter is that you won’t require hefty investment capital to launch such a small business.

Today, you don’t have to purchase heavy machinery. Instead, you can simply rent it out if you need to. As an example, if you operate in Australia and come across a particularly demanding job that requires heavy lifting, you can simply seek out a reliable crane hire in Brisbane, for instance, and get the job done efficiently. You can capitalize on your skills alone without having to spend too much on the equipment you won’t use every day.

Virtual assistant job

In today’s digital age, outsourcing has become quite a common practice for various companies. New entrepreneurs can easily develop a profitable small business on that demand alone. The most common outsourcing requirement for companies is virtual assistance. Starting a business that provides such a service will not only be affordable, but you’ll also have an abundance of clients to choose from.

A virtual assistant’s responsibilities include answering the phone, scheduling meetings, sorting through emails and so on. Such services are in high demand and it presents a great small business opportunity for those willing to explore these waters. It’s also a great opportunity for self-employment, especially for entrepreneurs who wish to start a home-based business.

Skill trade businesses

As mentioned before, skill trade businesses are not only in high demand, but they’re also a profitable small business opportunity for aspiring new entrepreneurs. Aside from home renovations and construction services, other skilled trades can prove to be an excellent choice for a business. The main reason such services are sought after is that everyone needs them eventually and there aren’t many people who are proficient.

People used to shun skilled trades in the belief that they don’t pay well and there’s too much work involved. However, skilled traders can have quite a profitable career. Skills that are most required are electrical work, plumbing, stone masonry, welding services, air conditioning, heating and ventilation maintenance and installations, metalworking and carpentry, among others. If you have the right skills and you’re proficient enough in any of these professions, you can easily start a small business and enjoy living off your expertise.

It’s no secret that in today’s world there are countless business opportunities to explore. Entrepreneurs who wish to test their ability and skills in the business world must only find what they want to do and ensure they do it well.

According to one study by AT&T, more than 72% of users have broken a phone once in their lies with up to 57% saying they’ve broken more than two phones.

These are worrying stats considering that buying a good phone can set you back a significant amount. Some of the top models now cost upwards of $1,000, money that could be put to other uses if you can take better care of your phone.

Fortunately, you don’t have to be a genius to take good care of your phone. The following are four proven tips to get you started.

1. Practice self–protection habits

The most common cause of broken phones isn’t accidents but rather carelessness. For instance, a good number of people have dropped their phones over the balcony and some even confess to dropping their phones as they tried to wave to a friend. There are mistakes that we shouldn’t be making; not if you truly value your phone.

Another common scenario is sitting on the phone because you put it in the back pocket and forgot about that. This is another habit you can get rid of. Finally, always confirm that you’re not placing the phone in a pocket that already contains pointed items and coins. This can result in scratches.

1. Use a screen protector

Yes, a screen protector adds another layer to the screen that some people may not like. However, it also adds a very important layer of protection. The phone might not look as cute as it would without the additional screen. However, it will be multiple times stronger.

If you accidentally drop the phone from a reasonable height, such as when walking, the additional protector screen will most likely prevent cracking. Protector screens also protect phone screens from scratches. The best part is – screen protectors aren’t even expensive. Most of them cost under $20.

1. Invest in a good quality phone case

Similar to screen protectors, phone cases are also not everyone’s favorite. They not only make your phone look clunky but also add unnecessary weight. Moreover, they tend to take the shine off any phone. For these reasons, not many people are excited by them.

If you want to protect your phone from damage, you must throw these concerns out of the window. Yes, your phone won’t look as beautiful with the case on. But would you rather trade that for the risk of breakage every time you drop the phone? That’s the question you should be asking.

1. Waterproof the device

Finally, accidental spills are another common cause of phone damage. A good example is when you find yourself out in the rain. This can happen to anyone and the result is usually a dead phone or a lot of issues with the phone that may cost a fortune to correct.

It’s wise to take proactive steps to protect your phone in case of such situations. The first option is to invest in a waterproof phone. However, if you already have a non-waterproof one, buy a waterproof phone casing. They are easily available both offline and online, such as here, and don’t cost much.

Other Tips

Aside from the above tips, make sure that you always hold your device with a firm grip and remember to keep it in a secure place at all times.

Much of the work we do these days rely on technology. That would mean maximizing the use of electronic gadgets for communication purposes, creation of work output and more. Now that everything’s done virtually, we see a surge in the number of people who work from home. That includes you, of course. To those who aren’t there yet, read this.

As you’ve known already, it’s important to put a boundary between your work life and personal life even if both worlds coexist in one place, that is, your home. It’s easy to do that by creating your own workspace, a dedicated spot in your home you can call your own office. And when you’re there, it’s a subtle way of saying: “I’m not allowing any distractions at the moment.”

To always summon that inner feeling of energy and productivity, it is important to keep your desk as inspiring and clutter-free as possible. But the workload, knick-knacks and the number of electronic gadgets on your desk all combined can spell chaos. Well, just think about the unsightly spaghetti cables going knots. It will drive you nuts for sure!

Give Everything a Home Including those Wires and Cables

One of the practical ways to keep your workspace looking neat and clean is to make sure everything you put there has a home—from files to books and magazines to pens and other office supplies to electronic gadgets and even their cables. Yup, right on the littlest details like that, you can be as organized as possible.

One of the office accessories you can invest in is the cable management organizer. These days, you’ll see various kinds of it. You can choose one depending on what can really serve your needs. But to help you select the right one, what are the points you should look for?

• Something that can really get rid of the mess wires make.

Of course, the first thing you should ask yourself: Can this item really keep those wires as neat-looking as possible? Because if it looks as if nothing changed, never mind. You’ll just waste your money on something that isn’t useful.

• Lets you have easy access to cables whenever you need them.

Does the organizer make it easy for you to reach for the charger and plug in your electronic device to electricity socket? Convenience is the key term. As a work-from-home professional, we rely on our laptops, smartphones, and tablets for most of our tasks. It should be easy for us to keep those devices fully-charged so we can be as productive as possible. Really, how many times have you hated yourself for misplacing the right kind of charger for something?

• Get something that’s durable and sustainable.

Perhaps, you’re one of the individuals who has become more aware of how his purchases could impact the environment in the future. And that’s a good thing. In fact, many people have been switching to eco-friendly choices, hoping that one small act could contribute to the betterment of the environment.

Find a holder that’s durable so that you can use it for many years. That way, it could take a really long time before it becomes trash and you won’t have to buy a new item again. So, for sustainable and economic reasons, it’s a win-win.

• Find one that’s versatile.

When we say versatile, that means it is suitable for any surface whether it’s metal, wood, glass, rubber or literally anything. Clips should stick on any surface hassle-free and be able to serve its purpose right away. You should also be able to peel it off easily when you don’t need it or when you have to transfer it to another location.

You can even find one that looks close to non-existent. Simply put, something that’s not too noticeable on your desk so that it won’t look as if an addition to the clutter. Check out some more tips here: https://www.bustle.com/articles/157245-13-tips-for-organizing-your-desk-getting-more-done

After all, the reason why you bought it is to minimize the mess and make your desk as organized and tidy as possible.

How about you? What are some other hacks you can share on how to tackle those messy wires and cables? We’d love to know especially the easy ones we haven’t thought about before! If not, go get yourself clips and organizers so that those knots will never irk you again.