How to retain users and increase sales: 7 strategies

It's no secret that time is the most valuable asset in our modern life. But what if I told you that you can get your hands on a piece of this valuable resource? Find fun, easy-to-use ways to capture the attention of your site visitors and increase their stay. Ready to learn how? I'll walk you through practical strategies and powerful techniques that will help you create a website that not only attracts, but also retains visitors. I will be happy to share my projects, my own success stories and practical tips that helped me achieve high results in my online business. Together we will look at each of the seven ways that will lead you to increase the time your customers spend on your website and increase sales. Ready to get down to business? Let's begin the journey together and take your business to new heights!

Glossary

• User Time on Site: This is a metric that evaluates the average length of time users spend on a website. The higher the value of this metric, the more time users spend on the site, studying its content.

• Sales: This is the process by which website visitors make purchases of goods or services. Increased sales are associated with an increase in the number of visitors, as well as an increase in the time they spend on the site.

• Conversion: this is a metric that shows what percentage of visitors were converted into clients or completed another targeted action on the website, for example, filling out a form or subscribing to a newsletter.

• Content: This is the information presented on the website such as articles, blogs, videos, graphics and other materials. High-quality content attracts visitors and keeps them on the site for a long time.

• Keywords: These are words or phrases that most accurately describe the topic of the content on the site. Using the right keywords helps improve your website's ranking in search engines and attract a more targeted audience.

• Internal linking: This is the process of creating links to other pages within a website. Such linking helps improve site navigation and increase user stay time.

• Website Design: This is the visual design and layout of elements on a website. Simplifying your design helps improve the user experience and speed up page loading times.

• Page Load Time: This is the time it takes for a web page to load completely. Slow loading pages can discourage visitors and reduce time on site.

• Pop-up Ads: This is a type of advertisement that appears in a separate window on top of the content of the site. Pop-up ads can irritate visitors and drive them away from your site.

• Related services/products: These are additional offers presented on the site in connection with the main products or services. Offering related products or services can interest and keep visitors on the site.

• Dynamic and Rich Content: These are interactive content elements such as videos, animations, slideshows and other interactive features. Using dynamic and rich content can make a website more attractive and engaging for visitors.

• Tests or calculators: these are interactive tools that help site visitors test their knowledge, evaluate their capabilities or calculate any parameters. Offering tests or calculators can captivate and interest visitors.

• Mobile version of the site: This is a responsive design and easy navigation provided by the site on mobile devices. The lack of a mobile version of the site can lead to an unsatisfactory user experience and reduced time spent on the site.

• Reasons for decreasing time on site: These are factors that can lead to a decrease in the time spent by users on the site website. For example, slow page loading, poor navigation, uninteresting content and other factors can discourage visitors.

Why pay attention to the time a user spends on a site?

Conversion rate is a measure of the performance of your online business. It tells you what percentage of your website visitors can be converted into buyers. And of course, every business owner strives to increase this figure.

One important aspect that can significantly affect your conversion rate is the time a user spends on your site. More time spent on your site means more opportunities to convey the benefits of your products or services and convince visitors to make a purchase.

In addition, time on site is also an important ranking factor for search engines, including Google. Search engines strive to offer users the most relevant and interesting content. If visitors quickly leave your site, this indicates that the resource is not interesting to them, and its ranking in search results may decrease.

In this chapter, I will tell you 7 effective ways to increase the time users spend on your site to increase conversions and sales.

1. Provide unique and useful content

One of the most important factors that keeps users on a site is high-quality and unique content. Initially, a visitor comes to your site to get information, solve a problem, or learn something new.

Offer your visitors only fresh and useful information that they cannot find on other sites. Use a variety of content formats: articles, videos, graphics, infographics, etc. The more interesting and useful content you provide, the higher the chance that your visitor will spend more time on your site.

2. Improve UI and Navigation

Nothing turns users off more than complex and confusing website navigation. Endless menus, confusing links, and complex order forms can all cause irritation and cause visitors to quickly leave your site.

Optimize your website's user interface to make it as intuitive and easy to use as possible. Build a simple and clear navigation, use clear and memorable links, remove all unnecessary elements that can distract visitors from the main goal.

3. Create interactive elements on your site

Allow users to interact with your site. Interactive elements such as polls, polls, calculators, tests will help visitors not only spend more time on your site, but also learn more about your products or services.

4. Optimizing website loading speed

Website loading speed is one of the factors that has a strong impact on conversion rates. Nobody likes to wait, especially in the era of high-speed Internet. Fast page loading will ensure a positive user experience and improve the time they spend on your site.

Optimize image sizes, use caching, minify code, move scripts to the bottom of the page and do other things to make your site load faster.

5. Offer personalized content

Every visitor to your site is unique and looking for something special. Offer personalized content that responds to your visitors' interests and needs. Pay attention to their preferences, behavior on the site, purchase history to offer them exactly what they are looking for.

This may be a variation of content depending on the region, age, gender, interests, preferences and other parameters of users. The more personalized your content is, the more likely it is that your visitor will spend more time on your site.

6. Add social elements

Social elements are not only built-in buttons for sharing content on social networks, but also various forms and opportunities for user engagement. Allow users to add comments, ask questions, share their opinions and feedback.

However, remember to monitor all social elements to avoid spam and negative comments.

7. Optimizing the mobile version of the site

Today, most users access websites from mobile devices. Therefore, it is extremely important to have an optimized mobile version of your website. Make sure your site looks and functions great on a variety of mobile devices.

Optimize loading speed, simplify navigation, and make text and site elements readable on small screens. Don’t forget also about the location of buttons and order forms – they should be easily accessible to users.

Bottom Line

Increasing the time users spend on your site is key to increasing conversions and sales. By following the seven effective ways I've outlined, you can make your website more attractive and interesting to visitors. Remember that every visitor is a potential client, so your job is to do everything possible to get them to spend as much time as possible on your site.

Table: What to do and what not to do

How is time spent on the site calculated?

When you want to increase conversions and sales on your website, it is important to understand how long users spend on it. Search engines like Google and Bing use Dwell Time to determine how long users spend on a site. Let's figure out how it is calculated and how it can be improved.

Dwell Time is the period of time from the moment the user clicks on a link in the search results until the moment they return to the search results. Search engines use cookies as a tool to track this time.

In fact, it is quite difficult to determine exactly what the user was doing while on the page. He could read text, view images, or perhaps step away from the computer altogether. But it is important to know that to calculate the user’s time on the site, the moment of the last active interaction with the website is taken into account.

Interestingly, Google and Bing have some differences in the methods for calculating Dwell Time, but for behavioral analysis they are not fundamentally important.

How to improve the time users spend on the site?

Imagine visiting a website and discovering interesting and informative content. What makes you stay on this site and spend more time there? It is this factor that influences Dwell Time and increases conversion and sales.

Here are 7 strategies I've personally used to increase users' time spent on my site:

1. Provide valuable content: The final sentence from CM explains that when the company decided to increase its conversions, it created a blog with articles talking about best practices and tips for using their products. I did the same by providing helpful tips, guides, and product reviews on my site that attracted more users and kept them on the page.

2. Page Load Optimization: A slow site can turn off users, making them impatient and prone to abandoning the page. I confirm that after optimizing the loading speed of my website, the time users spend on it has increased significantly.

3. Creating Interactive Content: Research shows that users stay on a site longer when they are presented with interactive content. such as surveys, tests or videos. I used this strategy by adding interactive elements to my site that attracted attention and generated user interaction.

4. Improved navigation and user experience: When a user easily finds what they are looking for, they are more likely to navigate through the site more time. I analyzed user behavior to identify weaknesses in navigation and improved it to provide a clearer and more convenient user experience.

5. Internal linking: I used internal linking extensively to direct users to other pages on my site. This allowed them to find additional information of interest and stay on the site much longer.

6. Contextual Ads: Placing ads that are relevant to the context of the page can attract more attention and increase dwell time. website. I set up contextual advertising using keywords related to the theme of my site.

7. Analysis and optimization of metrics: Constant analysis of data and metrics helps to identify weaknesses and problems that affect for the duration of the users' stay. I used analytics tools to track and improve Dwell Time metrics on my site.

These are the strategies and best practices that will help you increase the time users spend on your site and increase conversions and sales. I say this from my own experience and I am confident that they really work. Use them and you will soon see positive results!

If you want users to stay longer on your site, provide them with valuable content and improve their user experience experience.

Good luck in achieving your goals and increasing sales on your website!

Review: How is time spent on the site calculated?

You may also be interested in here to find social media content ideas that will help you attract even more users to your site.

I'd love to help you succeed with your online business!

How do I increase the time users spend on my site?

The entire process of developing my website led me to constantly search and experiment to find effective strategies on how to increase the time spent by users on a web resource. I knew this was necessary to increase conversions and sales for my online business. In this section, I would like to share with you 7 ways that helped me achieve the desired results and increase the time visitors spend on my site.

1. Use only quality content

Relevance and quality of content are key factors that attract users' attention to your site. I devoted myself entirely to filling the site with smart, useful and informative articles that helped significantly increase page viewing time. In addition, a site with interesting and useful content has a greater chance of being bookmarked.

When creating content, you must consider the following criteria:

• Content should be useful and responsive to user queries.
• Avoid deceiving your audience with empty promises or irrelevant information.
• It is important to remember that the main goal of content in an online store is to help the visitor move to the next stage of the sales funnel.
• Use simple, clear language that will be accessible to your target audience.
• In addition, try to create content that can evoke positive emotions and interest in the user.

2. Choose your keywords carefully

Choosing the right keywords and phrases in your text content is very important for optimizing it and attracting your target audience. I tried to identify the most relevant search queries that matched the topics of the articles on my site. To do this, I used Google AdWords services, which helped me choose the right and popular keywords.

When writing text, it is important to pay attention to the use of these keywords and phrases. Thus, the meaning of the articles will best meet the visitor’s expectations, and the time spent on the site will increase several times.

3. Set up harmonious internal linking

Internal linking is an important element for increasing time stay of users on the site. I added text links and banners to each page that led to other sections of my online store. It is important that these sections contain detailed information related to the topic of the page from which the transition is made.

I was able to develop harmonious internal linking that offered additional interesting information to users and encouraged them to stay on the site. Also, using links helped optimize the SEO structure of my web resource and improve its position in search results.

The best option for an online store is to use templates specially designed for online sales. For example, ELBUZ provides the opportunity to create a simple and clear interface that allows you to adapt the site for mobile devices

4. Simplify your website design

Website design plays an important role in keeping users on the site. The first seconds of a visit are very important for assessing the design and understanding what to do next. I realized that difficulties in navigation and page overload with content can cause users to leave.

To prevent this situation, I entrusted the design to a professional who knew the principles of effective page structure. I recommend using specially designed templates for online stores, such as our ELBUZ platform. It provides out-of-the-box design and easy SEO settings to enhance the user experience.

5. Reduce page loading time

Page loading speed is another important factor , which affects the time users spend on the site. The longer the page takes to load, the more likely it is that the user will close the tab and go to another site.

To increase loading speed, I paid attention to the following factors:

• Limiting the use of plugins.
• Optimize images and videos, reduce their size.
• Code and redirect optimization.
• Using caching and file compression.
• Choosing fast hosting.

After optimizing the basic parameters, my page loaded much faster, which helped increase user dwell time and improve Dwell Time.

6. Disable pop-up ads

Pop-up ads can annoy users and cause a decrease in time spent on the site. I've noticed that full-screen pop-ups cause more irritation than interest for visitors. Frequent false clicks on these windows and transitions to the advertiser’s site further irritate users, which can lead to the closure of the site and a negative impression of it.

It is also worth considering that Google analyzes the parameters of pop-up advertising when indexing pages, and too many pop-up windows can negatively affect the site's position in search results. Therefore, I recommend disabling pop-up ads on your site to provide users with a better content experience.

Focusing on customers and improving their experience on the website has helped me significantly increase sales and conversions.

7. Offer related services or products

A guaranteed way to increase the time users spend on the site is to offer them related products or services. This can be done by placing advertisements or blocks of related products on the pages of the online store. Some users will definitely be interested in this offer and continue viewing product cards.

In addition, it is worth creating a blog with topical articles that can significantly increase the time users spend on the site. In our example, on a page with shoe polish, you can invite the visitor to read the article “How to choose the right shoe polish.” This way, I not only increase dwell time, but also provide additional useful content to users.

The practical application of these methods has helped me increase the time spent by users on the site and significantly increase sales of my online business. Remember, it's important to tailor these strategies to your business and target audience to achieve maximum results.

7 ways to increase the time users spend on the site and increase sales

Reasons that irritate users and lead to premature departure

When I was developing my own website, I ran into a problem where users would only stay on the page for a few seconds and then leave. This led to low conversion rates and low sales. To solve this problem, I conducted an in-depth analysis and found out that there are several common reasons that irritate users and discourage them from further browsing the site.

1. Page overload with colorful, flashing banners: Lots of bright and flashing banners can create a feeling of intrusiveness and discourage users from further browsing. It is important to maintain a balance between advertising and user experience; make sure that banners do not clutter the page or distract the user from the main content.

2. Autoplay videos: When a user visits a website, they don't always want to listen to or watch a video. Autoplaying videos can be annoying and distracting for users, especially if they have limited internet or are in a public place.

3. Using sound or tones immediately when the page loads: Harsh sounds or tones played when the page loads may be unpleasant for users. This is especially important to consider if users have audio enabled on their computer or device.

4. Unknown site visit context: It is important to consider that the user may be visiting your site in different environments. He may have limited technical capabilities or there may be children around him. Therefore, it is advisable to limit the activity and amount of content that is initially loaded on the page so that users can quickly get the information they need.

Monitoring site and section views

One of the key points in increasing the time users spend on the site is continuous monitoring of indicators viewing time. You can analyze this data using services such as Bing and Google, as well as by installing add-ons provided by these services. This will allow you to quickly identify problem areas on your website and take measures to improve them.

Develop your site based on user input

Based on my personal experience, I am convinced that analyzing and incorporating user input is an important factor in improving time stay on the site. Carefully study user reviews, conduct surveys and analyze statistical data to understand what exactly attracts users and what aspects of the site need to be improved.

In Summary

Increasing the time users spend on your site is an important factor in increasing conversions and increasing sales. Avoid intrusiveness on site pages, limit the use of video and audio, and consider the needs and context of users. Continuously monitor the viewing time of the site and sections, and also take into account the wishes of users when developing and improving your site.

It's important to remember that every site is different, so experiment and analyze the results to find the best strategies for your business. Good luck in growing your online business!

It is important to understand that the time users spend on a site is a key indicator of its effectiveness. Continuously monitor watch time metrics and analyze the results to take timely action to improve the user experience.

Review: What to Do and Avoid

As you can see from the review, to increase the time users spend on the site, it is necessary to pay attention to detail and data analysis. Develop strategies that are specific to your site and monitor the results. This will help you attract and retain more visitors, as well as increase conversions and sales.

Take action to increase the time users spend on your site and successfully grow your online business!

Rich content can significantly improve the user experience and increase time spent on your site.

Frequently asked questions on the topic "How to retain users and increase sales: 7 strategies"

Thanks for becoming more experienced!

It's time to increase the time users spend on your site and increase conversions! In this article, we looked at 7 effective ways to help you achieve this goal. Now you know how to create engaging content, optimize page speed, improve navigation, and use other strategies to keep visitors on your site.

🚀 It's important to remember that each of these methods takes time and patience, but they are worth every minute. And most importantly, they can significantly affect the success of your business in the online environment.

Don't forget to comment below and share your thoughts on this article. I'd be interested to know your opinion!