Starting an Online Business All-in-One For Dummies®, 3rd Edition

Giving Customers a Reason to Stay on Your Site

To increase your Web site's stickiness, give customers a reason to hang around, come back, or participate more in your business. Here are some ways you can make your online business stickier:

• Provide original content. This information can come in the form of articles, tips and tricks, reviews, or opinions. You can write about the hottest new product, list ten ways a customer can use a product, or share stories about how customers use your products.

  Two ways to reuse your original content are to put that information into newsletters to keep your customers informed, and to repeat the information on your social media outlets, such as your Facebook business page and Twitter feed.

• Create discussion boards. Allow customers to talk to each other, ask and answer questions about your product line, and get to know each other and your staff.
• Keep your content up-to-date. Create a blog, maintained by either yourself or one of your employees, to provide in-depth, always changing content for your customers. Insert sections of your Facebook page onto your Web site, so customers who are Facebook users can see their friend's likes and comments.
• Encourage your customers to provide content. Ask loyal customers to write reviews, guides, and anecdotes that you post on your Web site. Some businesses even have contests where the contributor of the best ...