The number of visitors who land on a site and quickly move on is called the bounce rate. Most websites that have a high bounce rate are not currently using these techniques or have no clue as to what their market really wants and needs.



Here are 10 proven tips to keep visitors on your site longer.

1. Teach your visitors something. Visitors don't want loads of hype, they want to learn and increase their knowledge of your product or industry so they can make an informed decision.

Provide informational content about your product or services. Teach your visitors and this will help them create a good opinion about your site.

2. Keep the navigation simple. Navigation links should be large and clearly labeled. Have you ever been to a cultural restaurant but couldn't tell the men's restroom from the women's? While you may think themed titles are cute, your visitors may become confused and end up leaving your website. If in doubt, always go with the more common title.

3. Keep your content updated. Try to update times, dates, and news articles as much as possible. You don't want your website to sound like it was published in the stone age do you? If you're running an information based site than it is important to consistently add fresh and unique content.

4. Add a blog. Blogs can be added to your site with a few clicks if your web host includes the option within your hosting package. If not, you can always start a free blog at Blogger.com or Wordpress.com and link it back to your website.

Blogs are an easy way to add new content. It's a great way to add user-generated content and it's a amazing way to build a dedicated group of visitors who visit your blog everyday. Since blogs create interaction with your visitors it also builds trust and creates the feel that there is actually someone on the other side of the website.

Blogs that offer quality content always carry a loyal group of followers and often create a hefty income.

5. List and describe product benefits. Most site owners describe the product's features, example: Rubber coated speaker, 2-ohm total impedance , etc., Your visitors don't purchase features, they purchase the benefits that the product or service will provide for them. Is your product a time saver? Is it easier to use than most competing products? Make sure you describe how the product will make the visitors life more productive, more fun, easier, or better.

6. Provide product pictures and related images. People like to visualize things. Ever wonder where day dreaming came from? Websites with relevant images help stimulate the visitors emotions and emotions drive sales. Remember a picture is worth 1,000 words.

7. Make sure your visitor knows their purchase is secure. More than one-half of all buyers won't buy online because they're afraid of getting scammed.

Proudly display signs of trust like BBB Online and Verisign logos. Make sure your visitors know your site is secure or most will not feel comfortable making the purchase.

8. Make sure your informational content is accurate. Your visitors will stick around to read your message especially when you back it up with references and third party awards.

9. Ask for site feedback. Provide your visitor with a way of leaving feedback for you and other readers.

Testimonials are a powerful tool because they give your product credibility from a third party. Testimonials can be a trust builder, especially if you provide a reference (phone number, email address, ect. ) for them to contact the user that gave the testimonial. Most of the time your visitors will not contact the person that gave the testimonial but it helps build trust and provides a more authentic feel.

10. Test and Tweak. Not every site will be a home run the first time it steps to the plate. Use tools like Google Analytics to determine what makes your visitors stick around and what makes them "bounce". You then proceed to build on the good and drop the bad.

Tweaking your website will improve the performance of your sales funnel and link popularity over time. The difference between a site that generates 100% ROI (return-on-investment) and 500% ROI is usually a matter of split testing and tweaking.

Successful sites keep their visitors interested with easy-to-find information that fulfills the visitors wants and needs. That is what separates the beauty from the beast.