Why you aren’t getting repeat website traffic

It’s a fact that most people seldom return to new sites that they discover in their Internet travels. Aside from the obvious Internet resource sites like search engines, newsgroups, and our own home page, we seldom go back to a site for a second look. It’s easy to see that some of the most successful sites on the Internet are those that get tons of return traffic. Their website traffic grows as new visitors discover it and as the old ones come back for additional visits.

Here’s the four biggest reasons people never return to an Internet site for a second look:

1. NO Content
2. NO Change
3. NO Value
4. NO Fun

Let’s take a closer look at each one so you understand exactly what I’m talking about.

NO Content
On the Internet, content is king! The sites that make money and get lots of repeat visits are those with great content. Content simply means information that is relevant for the type of visitors that you attract to your site. One of the best examples of a site loaded with content is <a href=”http://www.espn.com”>ESPN Sportszone</a>.   It always amazes me when I visit how easy it is to get lost in all the stories, stats and information. More often than not, I end up spending time looking at stuff that I never intended to look at once I get there. If people can literally “get lost” in your site, that’s a sign of good content.

NO Change
I’m amazed at the number of people who do a great job of promoting their sites to generate lots of initial visits but then never change a single thing on their site to encourage repeat website traffic. This is one of the biggest faults of Internet business owners. If a site doesn’t change, why would anyone want to come back for a second look. This is a simple one.

NO Value
If I can purchase your products for the same, or close to the same price from on off-line vendor, what incentive do I have to visit your online site? All consumers are very selfish. They are concerned with one thing only when they surf the net – What’s in it for me? Ask yourself that question about the information on your site. If there are not several obvious benefits for your visitors to come in for a look and stop back again, don’t expect them to do either.

NO Fun
Most of us still use the Internet, and especially the web, for entertainment. We love to have fun. If you want to get their attention you need to do something that will entertain them. Part of having fun is being involved. People tend to support what they help create. Internet users love to feel as though they are part of the process. Giving your visitors a chance to be part of the process is a great way to liven up your site and your traffic. With all the innovations in technology, making your site fun shouldn’t be too hard.

So if your site is beset with any of these major problems, here’s a few simple suggestions to help you turn things around:

Add some new information to your site
Building content is a never-ending process. You should be adding to the content on your site at least monthly. If you’re challenged to produce new content yourself, then don’t. Go online and find some interesting content that you can add to your site. Most people in the information business would love to get some additional exposure for their information on your site. Just ask them if you could add their article or information to your site and give them a return link to their site. It’s that easy.

Try to make your site a starting point for your target audience. If you provide some great information and direct them to additional resources that exist online, then they will certainly want to visit your site often. Position yourself as the “expert” they can trust to steer them in the right direction to find the best information available both online and off.

Content is a little like books in a library. A library without any books is not worth a visit. I’ve never been to a library yet that didn’t have books from more than one author. Try to fill the library in your Internet site with lots of books full of information that is of interest to your target audience.

Change your site at least Monthly
Change takes work and since most of us are lazy by nature, it’s one of the biggest problems when it comes to generating repeat website traffic. Try changing something as simple as the headline on your home page next month and see if anyone notices. You may also want to start a feature of the month on your site. This might be a special product offer, a feature article or story, or perhaps a contest or something for free.

It’s also important that when someone visits your page for the first time that they are alerted to the fact that your site will change from time to time. Something as simples as the words “Monthly Contest” tells them that the site will be different next month and invites them back for a second look. The Deals of the Day in the iMALL is another example of a site that changes frequently. Just the name “Deals of the Day” states very clearly that change is part of your site.

Suggest Bookmarking your site
Here’s a simple suggestion that you might try: Put a note at the top of one of your pages that simply says, “Bookmark this page for future reference.” They may have never considered marking that page, but if you suggest it they just may click that add button. The power of suggestion is a powerful thing and you should not forget that.

Start building a relationship on the very first visit
If you know that most people will visit your site once and then never return, then it only makes sense to collect as much information as you can from them the very first time they visit. This information might be helpful in determining where your target audience is hanging out online, or where they live, or what they want that has to do with your company and/or products.

Start a mailing list.
This one is cheap, easy and powerful. Start a mailing list of visitors to your site. You may use this list to send announcements of changes to your site, your monthly special, or your own newsletter. Let your visitors add their name to your list and be sure to promote it right on your home page or the other busy pages in your site to increase subscribers.

Build Community on Your site
Remember that having fun is important and we all like to feel as though we’re involved. Ask your visitors to make contributions to your site or take an active role in the direction of your online business.

So there are a few suggestions to help you build your traffic by getting repeat visits. As the Internet becomes more and more crowded with websites and home pages, it’s more important than ever to take a proactive approach to your Internet marketing. If you wait for them to come back, you might be waiting a long time.

Our Blog

Leave a Comment