How to Convince Your Visitors to Return Often


One visit does not make a sale. Be sure to make your Web site attractive to your visitors so that they want to come back. You don't win their trust right away. It may take 4-7 visits before they buy.

Here's Five Ways:

1. Check and Correct What's Not Working

First, be sure you don't have long passages of bio or information about yourself on your home page. People don't care about you and they want information short and sweet. They want solutions to their challenges and they want free information.

Second, test all of your links often to make sure they work. Nothing discourages buyers more than disorganized copy, links that don't work, and difficulty getting to where they want to go.

2. Upload New, Original, and Useful Content Often

On every Web site page put a notice "Bookmark our Web Site. We update material weekly."

Follow up by uploading new "free articles," book excerpts, ezines, and tips as promised. Blatant ads such as banners turn visitors off. Give them original information they can't find anywhere else, and make it free. Giving freely is a proven online marketing philosophy.

3. Publish Your Own Ezine

Without an original ezine, you can't stay in touch with your potential buyers easily. They want regular, ongoing information to develop the trust it takes to buy. You need to prove you are the industry expert and a savvy friend. If you don't stay in touch, your readers will forget you and your products.

Start with a monthly ezine then see if bi-weekly works for you. Start writing short tips and articles to include. You can later recycle these to the opt-in ezines and other Web sites that want free, new information. If you think you lack content, start subscribing to ezines in your targeted market. Other authors gladly allow you to use their information when you include a signature file.

If visitors like your ezine they will recommend it to others.

4. Offer a Questions and Answers Page

To get visitors to return offer them answers to typical questions they may have. Freely given, you not only establish yourself as the expert, you gain their trust and support.

5. Offer a Navigation Bar of "Useful Links"

Your visitors will appreciate the ability to contact others in your field. These links add value to your site because people like the convenience of checking out products and services--all on one Web site--yours! This method also may raise your standing with the search engines. An added benefit--you meet others to network with, to support as they will you.

Web visitors appreciate new content and contacts to make their quest for information, service or products easier. You'll reap many rewards when you accommodate them.

Judy Cullins ©2004 All Rights Reserved.

Judy Cullins, 20-year Book and Internet Marketing Coach works with small business people who want to make a difference in people's lives, build their credibility and clients, and make a consistent life-long income. Judy is author of 10 eBooks including Write your eBook or Other Short Book Fast, Ten Non-Techie Ways to Market Your Book Online, The Fast and Cheap Way to Explode Your Targeted Web Traffic, and Power Writing for Web Sites That Sell. She offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, "The BookCoach Says...," "Business Tip of the Month," blog Q & A at http://www.bookcoaching.com and over 185 free articles.

Email her at [email protected] or [email protected]: 619/466-0622 -- Orders: 866/200-9743