 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|
|
 | |
by Marcos Sanchez So how can get people to keep coming back to your site? Here are some simple concepts to keep in mind.
While I was in Thailand, I had a revelation. The funny part is that it didn't happen at a Buddhist temple or while sitting on a mountain. It happened in the Golden Triangle, Chiang Mai to be exact. I sat down in a hot café overlooking the moat that separated old Chiang Mai from the newer part, and my wife ordered curry and sticky rice. As we sat, I stared at rice that was balled up in my hands and thought, why do we always order this and not regular
rice? I realized it was mainly because it was different--you don't find it in the United States, even though it pretty much tastes the same. I get to interact with it in a new and special way. So, I keep ordering it . . . What does that have to do with Web sites? Well, in the Web biz, "sticky Web sites" are those you want to go back to again and again. Why are return visitors good? The more they visit your site, the more they rely on you, trust you, and have
equity in your relationship. That means they'll come back and buy more goods, get more advice, and see more ads. What does that mean? Stickiness = relationships = loyalty = revenues. Personally, I don't call it sticky, I call it retaining the customer's long-term value. Either way, it's all about the relationship between you and your site visitor/customer. Here's a list of things you can do to help build a relationship with your customers--and get them to return to your site. People want to come to a site that adds value or expresses ideas/opinions in a new or different way. There's a ton of raw information on the Web. What's useful is perspective that you can trust. If you can, provide "time sensitive" information. It seems obvious, but if you are providing compelling content (try to stay in your area of expertise), people will want to come back to learn more.
We take it for granted that once we talk to a customer, he or she will keep coming back. (Don't forget, even if you're not "selling something," that visitor is your customer.) Besides giving compelling content to come back for, you should ask for feedback and send informative reminders. Customers need to be reminded of your presence. Be careful though; don't become a nuisance. If you're going to put up a "Webmaster" or "info" e-mail, you should respond within a day max. Any later and you've damaged your credibility, sometimes a little, sometimes a lot, depending on the request. Your Web site is a product and just in the same way you would hate getting something and not getting a reply when asking a question, your visitor/customer will, too. Give your customer a useful resource Whether it's an easily navigable site or a catalog, a searchable index of stories or access to customer account status, your customer is at your site to get information. The more you enable them to find that information, the more likely they are to view you as a resource. When you change the perception of your site to a "resource" instead of just another Web site, you make your site the launch pad someone goes to again and again. Don't forget, people have different launch pads for different interests, you don't have to be a Yahoo or Excite. Niche pads are where people really hang out. Our bookmarks are full of them, and I'd rather have one site for each area of my interest (i.e., antiques, food, wine, etc.) than 20. If your business is not about a niche but a service or
particular product, the same applies but at a smaller level. I want to go to my pet food supplier and be able to access things quickly, the easier it is and the better the service, the more likely I will make that one pet site the only one in my bookmarks, and then they'll get all my business. This may not be applicable for everyone, but if you are willing to enable a public forum and can do so while avoiding many of the pitfalls (i.e., it's boring, there are flame wars, it's always down, tech support stinks), then go for it. There are sites that will host these for you, for free, such as eGroups, Delphi Forums, and eShare. The sum I'm getting at here in creating stickiness is understanding that each customer has a long-term value, and the more you keep them, the more dollars you can make (who wants a customer for just one purchase or just one ad impression?). To retain customers, you need to give them a reason to come back (in marketingspeak, provide them with a compelling "value add"). Illustration: Global Business from |
| |
 |
|
|
| |
 |
