The internet is a crowded space. Regardless of your industry and target audience, there are a number of websites that are producing the same content as you. If you want to get an edge over your competitors, you need to get the attention of your website visitors and keep them engaged.
That’s where the real challenge lies
So, it’s not surprising that user engagement is a top factor for ranking so you need to design your website in a more engaging way with the help of an effective graphic design company. Even if you manage to attract new website visitors, it won’t matter if they keep bouncing off to another website. That’s led to no sales from these visitors. Before you lead them into your sales funnel, you need to engage them.
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So, how can you boost your engagement rate?
In this article, let’s take a look at the best ways to keep your audience engaged.
1. Align Your Content and Brand Voice
If your content is unique and engaging, your website visitors are likely to spend more time on your site. So, what kind of content is likely to catch the attention of your audience? The kind of content that works will depend on your industry and your brand voice.
You may want to write articles that are funny and conversational. Or you may want to write well-researched, professional articles.
Both kinds of content can work well. The key here is to understand your target audience.
That is easier said than done – traditionally, understanding the audience has been a big pain point for marketers. However, you now have AI-powered content marketing tools that analyze the topics relevant to you, discover what people are searching for, and what kind of content drives engagement.
This is a great leap in audience targeting and brand communication – AI has the potential to reveal insights and opportunities at touchpoints all along the customer journey by analyzing customers’ behavioral patterns on your website as well as the conversations they have with your chatbot.
If your audience is likely to include working professionals, the latter may be a better choice for you. In this case, well-researched, professional articles are more likely to strike a chord with your audience.
2. Diversify Your Content
While blogging can be effective, don’t restrict yourself to just one type of content. While some visitors may prefer to read a lengthy article, others may be overwhelmed by it.
To cater to the varied tastes of your audience, you need to diversify your content.
When it comes to content marketing, videos are hailed as the next big thing. According to a survey by Renderforest, 78% of respondents revealed that they attracted more traffic on their websites after uploading videos. Furthermore, 71% of them said that visitors spent more time on their sites after they added videos.
So, it’s definitely a good idea to create & publish videos on your website. It can keep your audience engaged for a longer duration of time. Podcasts can also serve a similar purpose. Both these content forms open up opportunities for your audience to spend more time on your website.
In addition to this, you can also add more visual content. You can create infographics, webinars, and gifographics. Not only do they keep your audience engaged but they can also help you get more traffic. By publishing them on other websites, you can redirect more visitors to your site.
3. Add Internal Links
Internal links are links that you take your website visitors from one article on your site to another one. They serve two main purposes. Firstly, they give a hierarchical structure to your website and help Google crawlers to understand the relationship between different web pages
Secondly, they allow users to navigate your site easily. A strong internal linking structure can help you reduce your bounce rate. At the same time, you can get more page views. It’s the ultimate strategy to improve your engagement rate.
For this strategy to work, you need to pay attention to your anchor text. Ideally, your anchor text should be specific and relevant to the link that you are adding. It’s also a good idea to add links to pages that are not accessible easily by your website visitors.
If you add a link to your homepage or any main categories, it defeats the purpose of internal linking. Users can jump to these pages from your navigation bar. So, it’s better to add links to other blog posts, infographics, or other such content. Internal linking is useful as link building from other websites.
4. Build an Email List
To improve engagement, your goal shouldn’t be just to gain new visitors. You need to ensure that they return to your website.
For this, you can collect the email addresses of your visitors. Sending them emails at regular intervals can be a great way to build relationships with them. So, how can you build your email list?
Sending an email at the right time is a crucial factor in your email marketing success so you need to figure out the right time and optimal time to send your email to get better email ROI for your email campaign with the right email list.
Here are some tips to help you get started:
Use Pop-Ups
When a user visits your website, you can add an opt-in form that pops up. This is a popular tactic to get new leads. However, it’s not advisable to activate your pop-up immediately.
Allow the visitor to scan your website. Give them at least 10 seconds. Otherwise, the strategy may backfire. It could annoy your visitors and turn them away from your site.
While writing content, ensure that you write something that can evoke an emotional reaction. You could also use humor to connect with your audience. If you fail to impress them, they are likely to close your pop-up.
Another way to collect email addresses is through exit pop-ups. Whenever a user attempts to leave your page, you can also use an exit pop-up. It can be your final effort to convince a prospect to stay on your website. You can also use the best SMS Marketing tools to deliver messages to a large audience effectively.
You can also consider offering a freebie or a discount. If an incentive is involved, they are more likely to engage with you.
Add Subscription Forms
Sidebars on your site can come in handy and can be a great place to add a subscription form. Well-designed subscription boxes can do wonders for your overall lead generation strategy.
Alternatively, you can opt for a sticky top bar. The biggest advantage with sticky top bars is that they remain at the top of the page. Even if a user scrolls, they are still visible. You can check it for multiple locations using a VPN like Windscribe VPN, and ensure seamless access with free DNS services.
Also, you can organize an online event using a virtual event platform to attract new customers.
5. Collaborate With Influencers
Influencers can create an instant buzz around your products and brand. They have loyal followers who count on them to give good recommendations. When you collaborate with an influencer, your brand gets more visibility and traction.
With influencer-content, you can also drive people to your website. By featuring their promotional videos, photos, and articles, you can associate your business with them. Alternatively, you could also interview them or feature their testimonials.
This kind of influencer content can work as an instant pull for their followers. Their fans are likely to visit your site to check out their content.
For this strategy to be successful, you need to ensure that you are collaborating with the right kind of influencers. Ideally, your brand values should match with those of the chosen influencer. Then the collaboration will seem more authentic. Plus, you can reach out to the right target audience.
To find the best influencers in your industry, you can use iFluenz. On this platform, you can submit your campaign brief and interested influencers will get in touch with you.
6. Use Chatbots
Intelligent chatbots are disrupting the customer service industry. They are transforming the overall customer experience as well.
Previously, users had to wait for hours or days to get their questions answered because customer representatives may not always be available.
With chatbots, you can provide 24/7 service to your customers. That’s one of the many advantages of using chatbots.
You can also use chatbots to get new leads. Whenever a user visits your site, your chatbot can ask them a series of questions to figure out what they are looking for. Not only does it improve your customer service, but it can also boost the average time they spend on your website.
Apart from this, it helps to build customer loyalty for your brand.
Based on that, you can collect their information, send them personalized offers, and provide them with assistance.
Conclusion
It’s not enough to get new visitors to your website. If you want to grow your business, you need to ensure that they remain engaged. Keep in mind that the content you create should be entertaining, informative, and engaging. At the same time, it should align well with your brand values.
In your blog posts, add ample internal links so you can redirect users to other articles on your site. It’s a great way to boost your website engagement rate.
Also, explore different types of content to reach out to a broader audience. Infographics, podcasts, videos, and more — you should try it all!
To get repeat visitors, make sure you send regular email updates to your subscribers. You can collect their email addresses using pop-ups, subscription forms, or chatbots. In addition to this, you can collaborate with influencers to get more engagement on your website.
Which strategies do you use to boost your engagement rate? Please share your experiences and insights with our community in the comments section.
