Invite People to Come Back

You might have new and interesting content on your web site. Your customers might be raving fans. You might offer daily specials or monthly coupons. And yet...

People get busy. They get distracted. Life happens. They aren't necessarily unhappy about anything; they just forget that your site exists. They need a tap on the shoulder. If you know who they are and have their permission to stay in touch, you can invite them to come back. Some of the most effective messages impart a sense of urgency. A sale is about to end! Free shipping until midnight! Hurry, or you'll miss out!

Remember, to be able to send these reminders, you need email addresses and permission. Because few are excited about clicking an "email sign-up" present this as an enticing opportunity, such as "become an insider." And be sure the content has real value for the reader. Make people happy to continue hearing from you. Take advantage of any additional communications, too. Include information on a new special when you confirm that you've shipped a customer's order, or invite customers to view new products when confirming their email subscription. This is just like the warm "thank you for coming in, and remember to stop by next week when our big sale is on" that you might get when shopping in person. Make people feel appreciated and welcome to return.

Once people stop by, we want them to stay -- but why would they? We need some sticky content to keep them around, but what makes content sticky? What is sticky for one person, at a particular moment, will not be sticky for another -- or even for that same person at another point in time. But there is one universal truth in this regard: Sticky content fulfills some need for the visitor. People are strongly motivated to get their unmet needs met. Websites obviously can't meet all our needs, but when a site does offer something we really need, it is very easy to get caught up in it and hang around. We could be drawn in by the prospect of being admired for our taste in clothing, promise of finding meaningful work or by having a place where we can belong and feel understood. Let's look at a few of the many needs that could compel visitors to spend time on your site.