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SUE WADDINGTON’S SALES AND MARKETING COLUMN

This month, I thought I’d begin by discussing the subject of stickiness. No, I am not talking about my small children after they have spent a day at a funfair but about how to make your website more attractive to visitors so that they stay longer and spend more. This, as you may be aware, is referred to as ‘stickiness’.

As one expert has pointed out: “The equation is simple: if you can increase the time that your visitors spend on your website’s pages, you increase your chances of making a sale.” Research has indicated that average visitor time to a website is less than a minute; so you must act fast before your potential customer clicks away to another business. Designing your website to be as ‘sticky’ as possible is now a commercial imperative that all businesses must build into their online sales strategy.

Content is what drives visitors to your site, and so you must ensure that the information you place on your Web pages is engaging and relevant to the customers you are trying to attract. A site that is easy to understand and easy to use is always going to be stickier. If someone is interested in buying the products you have on offer, then they will want all the information (and pictures) that you can give them. Here are some top tips:

• Don’t ask visitors to log in. I am not saying never… but hardly ever is this worthwhile. It’s much better, if you are selling something, to let them get straight to your online catalogue so they can start browsing.
• Dodge anything too technical. In particular, be careful of Flash. Large images, front doors and other gimmicks tend to slow down the time it takes for visitors to get to the meat and thus, often, causes them to leave.
• Make sure your site is easy to navigate. By this I mean it must be easy to find your products and easy to identify the price. Dodge anything that flashes or blinks.
• A picture is worth a thousand words.
• Build a straightforward shopping-cart system that is simple and fast to use.
• Make sure that your site is easily searchable.
• Keep your site fresh, and by this I mean up to date. There is nothing worse than a site that is stale or where the information is inaccurate.
• Be careful not to over-design your site. The Keep It Simple (Stupid) Rule really applies here.
• Clearly state all your terms, including delivery and other costs.