5 Content Fixes to Boost Website Engagement

First Impressions are Everything

When someone lands on your website, you have under 15 seconds to capture their attention before they click away.

That's not much time to make an impression, especially considering the average person spends over 4 hours online each day–browsing websites, shopping, scrolling social media, and managing an endless stream of emails.

So how do you make your website stand out?

In this article, you’ll learn 5 tips to make your website more engaging and “sticky” so visitors stay longer.

The best part? These aren’t complex redesigns or technical changes–they’re simple but powerful adjustments to your messaging that can transform how visitors interact with your website.

Why bother improving your website?

As noted in this Forbes article, research shows that every dollar invested in user experience returns up to $100 in benefits.

That’s a 9,900% return on investment. 

How to fix it

5 Tips to Transform Your Website Content

We’ve put together 5 simple but powerful tips to make your website more engaging and “sticky.” These are the same strategies I’ve used to help clients increase their average time on site by 150%.

1. Write Customer-Focused Content

The first step is to understand who your website visitors are and what they are looking for. All the other changes build on this customer-centric approach.

• Shift the perspective.
  Instead of talking about yourself ("we, our"), speak directly to your audience ("you, your").
• Provide value first.
  Focus on outcomes your customers will experience or the value you offer.
• Take the Lead.
  Provide clear calls to action so visitors know what to do next.

Example of Customer-Focused Content

Imagine you need help hiring a marketing director, so you visit the websites of two different recruiting firms.

• Recruiting Firm A
  “We help our clients fulfill key staffing positions through our extensive network of experienced and qualified candidates.”
• Recruiting Firm B
  “Staff your key positions quickly with qualified employees, guaranteed.”

Firm B wins every time because they focus on your problem, not their own capabilities. Did you even finish reading Firm A’s tagline?

2. Use Clear Headlines and Titles

Think of your headlines like highway signs. When someone’s driving by at 60 miles per hour, they need to understand quickly if they are on the right path to what they are looking for.

• Summarize key topics.
  Write headlines that can stand alone and summarize sections of content.
• Get to the point.
  Front-load the benefit or main point in the first few words.
• Be crystal clear.
  Use simple, direct language. Never sacrifice clarity by being clever or cute.

3. Make Your Content Scannable

As mentioned earlier, visitors don't read–they scan. Ensure your content is formatted to make it easy for your visitors to quickly scroll through your web page and understand what it's all about.

• Keep it short and sweet.
  Break long paragraphs into 2-3 line chunks, and favor simple words that are easily understood.
• Format text to make it interesting.
  Use bullet points to list information and bold text to highlight key ideas.
• Give your content (and visitors) room to breathe. 
  Leave plenty of white space so the content doesn't feel cramped or overwhelming.

4. Edit Your Content to be Laser-Focused

Considering that people only read 30% of words on a website, it’s critical that every word counts. Here are some ways to make your messaging as effective as possible.

• Make it make sense.
  Avoid industry jargon and acronyms like “We have a 30% ARPCA.” What? If your visitor has to guess what something means, it will only confuse them.
• Remove the “ROT.”
  Eliminate any content that is Redundant, Outdated, or Trivial. If the content doesn’t directly serve your message or add value to your visitors, take it out.
• Write how you speak.
  Practice reading your content out loud, or have a colleague read it to you. Does it sound natural or forced? Does it have a conversational flow?

5. Test, Rewrite, Repeat

Once you've completed Steps 1-4, test your website content with someone you trust. It is better to get honest feedback and fix it rather than just hope it makes sense to your visitors.

• Run a 15-second test.
  Have a friend or colleague scan your website for 15 seconds. Then, close the browser window.
• Get their first impressions.
  Ask them what they remember from your website and what caught their attention.
• Compare the results to your goals.
  Did what they recall match what you wanted to communicate? Did they “get it?”
• Repeat and revise.
  Repeat this test with 2-3 more people to find problems that multiple testers encounter. Those common issues are likely more important than one-off feedback or outliers.

Learn More

Additional Resources

Want to take a deeper dive? Here are several resources that we use and love for mastering website engagement, from copywriting to usability testing.

Books

• Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability
• Rocket Surgery Made Easy: The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Finding and Fixing Usability Problems
• Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less
• Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen

Websites & Software

• Copyblogger
  A wealth of content marketing tips and articles
• Nielsen Norman Group
  An industry leader in user experience articles, reports, and more.
• HubSpot Academy
  Free courses on a range of topics like content marketing and SEO.
• Kolenda
  Action-packed guides, tips, and courses about persuasive design.
• Masterful
  Conversion-focused copywriting articles, books, courses, workshops.
• Useberry
  User experience platform for testing website design and content.

Have questions?

We are here to help. Contact us, and we’ll get back to you within two business days (or sooner).