Did you know that there are more than one billion websites on the web? That’s a whole load of websites — and that number rises by around 250,000 every single day. As you’ll probably know from your own internet usage, people only tend to visit a select number of websites. That means that the vast, vast majority of websites receive virtually no visitors at all — indeed, it’s probably only the website owner that clicks around.
But let’s not focus on the failed websites. Let’s focus on the successful ones. Many websites do manage to break through and receive new and returning visitors. So how do they do it? In this blog, we’ll take a look at some tried and tested methods that popular sites use.
They Invest in SEO
You could build the most brilliant website on the planet, but if it’s ranking highly on Google, then it’s unlikely that the website would receive too many visitors. Most people don’t go past the third page of search results, and even that is rare. Good sites tend to rise to the top, but they do so with some help. All the biggest websites invest in their SEO — search engine optimization — to ensure that Google, and, by extension, people, can find their site with relevant search terms.
They Offer an Incentive
There’s no shortage of competition for visitors. There are a billion websites out there, remember! As such, many websites offer incentives to potential visitors in order to inspire them to visit their website rather than one of their competitors. There’s no shortage of incentive types that you can find online. Some websites offer a free ebook; others, such as online casinos, offer free bonuses or a deposit match, and games platforms like Epic Games or Steam usually give out the occasional free game. SaaS websites typically offer money-back guarantees or free customization, which then draws interested parties to their website.
They Host Quality Content
There’s a lot of content out there. But the vast majority is just filler, and in reality, no one wants to read it. The best websites understand the power of hosting excellent content. For starters, they know that it’s a reflection of their brand. Excellent content leads to a favorable image of the website and the brand as a whole, and that leads to an increase in credibility that can lead to long-term success. Of course, the best websites know that it’s not enough to just host a few quality content pieces. They post this top-quality content regularly, which gives the visitor an incentive to come back.
They Have Excellent Design (And Regularly Update It)
People know when they see bad design; they don’t know when they see good design. It should be so effortless that people look beyond the design elements and get straight into what the website is offering. Web design is a complicated, advanced field that many people don’t even think twice about. But we’re pretty confident that every website you visit regularly has a team of well-paid designers behind it because it has such a big impact on the overall success of the site.
As with content, the best websites don’t just sit on their well-designed website. They update it regularly, either by making small changes or fully updating the overall branding. As well as the other advantages, this shows visitors that the site is being actively managed, which again gives them a reason to keep on returning.
They Avoid Shady Practices
Finally, the most successful websites avoid shady practices. They have respect for their visitors, and don’t try to get them to do things that they don’t want to do. A website that uses dark patterns, has too many pop-ups or includes other annoying elements, could get a series of one-time visitors, but they won’t get repeat visitors. And that’s really the only statistic that counts when a website is trying to find success. Ultimately, great website owners find a way to make their website mutually beneficial, so that both the website and the visitor benefit.