Have you ever dashed into a store to pick up something and found yourself leaving an hour later? That’s a great store. You found interesting new things to look at, stimulating ideas to try at home and friendly people who shared their know how. That’s what we want for your website.

In Part 1, we started the conversation about why keeping your website visitors interested (and yes, entertained) can ultimately lead to loyal customers and new accounts. We discussed how the inclusion of a simplified navigation bar and social share buttons, like the blue Twitter bird, can make your site a more pleasant place to click around. We also reviewed the importance of writing web content that is relevant and unique to your business, presented in a tone that encourages an inclusive, ongoing two-way conversation. Finally we looked at how having a comments section keeps a company honest and open to constructive criticism.

Here are some additional ways you can invigorate engagement.

Call-to-Action Advantages

Usually a big colorful tab or bar makes it obvious what to do next: CLICK for a coupon, DOWNLOAD an ebook, SIGN UP for an event. You must always be thinking in terms of call-to-action, what you want people to ultimately do next. In one example, visitors to a tourist website are shown some nice pictures and then directed to stock up on tour maps with the PURCHASE HERE bar. There are also more subtle calls to act with highlighted links in the descriptive copy that suggest the reader take an architectural tour or look into the area museums. Finally, readers are offered an Event Calendar they can use to match local happenings with their particular travel dates, a subtle call-to-action but nevertheless a strong one.

Attest to Testimonials

What’s better than letting others brag on you? Who doesn’t want to earn five stars? Hard earned, well warranted praise is priceless. Use it. Let your prospects hear firsthand from customers who find your products and services superior. Lands’End content writers were one of the first to use this important sales tool. Short authentic testimonials offer compelling reasons to trust their claims and continue exploring.

Vibrant Visuals!

Emotionally speaking, some people believe red means strength and power, yellow means happiness and energy, etc. All we know is that when it works it’s a wonderful thing. If you don’t have a full-time art director on your staff, at least make sure the designer has a feel for the many flavors color conveys. Depending on your business, the overall impression will be linked to the mood manufactured through graphics, photography, layout, typography and color.  

Contact Us: The Ultimate Call to Action

Letting customers know there’s a human behind the computer is the equivalent of having a salesperson at the register to ring up the sale. How will you receive queries and complaints? Some people just like to talk to a real person and may not be comfortable with the chat live function (described below). What details do you need to include on your website to make this connection possible? Asking to be contacted by email can seem impersonal and imply a delayed response. If you provide a local phone number, or a toll free number, be sure there is someone there to pick up and list the hours. A recorded message is unacceptable. Your website should also list your physical address and hours of operation and in what manner and time frame you will get back to them.

Some sites incorporate the Help section in the Contact Us area, providing links to other site content such as FAQs, Returns Policy, Track Orders, Shipping, etc. This can often answer questions, eliminating the need to contact the company.

Look Into Live Chat

As your online business grows, depending on the scope of inventory and complexity of involvement, some professional site content writers suggest making a 24-hour chat line available to answer customers’ questions. It’s a great way to increase user involvement, establish trust and prevent customers from putting off a buying decision. If you decide to incorporate Live Chat support on your website, consider a tweak such as enlarging the size of the CHAT button, using the handset graphic with it and making the message visible on every page to provide a convenient way of getting in touch from any point throughout the site.

First impressions determine whether visitors linger or click away. Forever. You’ve utilized SEO methods to deliver new hopefuls. Their curiosity has been piqued. How do you keep them entertained? You need staying power. There are numerous areas to assess in determining If you have a website with real user engagement. Every place a person clicks should transport them to an awesome answer, showcase your proud array of products and convince them your company is solid. Just how do you put all the pieces together? We can answer that. Why not CONTACT US today?