Something I’m focussing on a lot at the moment is making my sites more ‘sticky’. By ‘sticky’ I mean creating content, tools, games etc…that make my sites more interesting and create a good user experience.
This does take more work, but I strongly believe it is well worth the time and energy to do so, as it will help you get more viral traffic as visitors will be more inclined to share your site and it will also create good metrics to show off to Google (more on this later).
Examples of Stickiness (is that a word?)
Every site will be different, so you need to ask yourself, what could I add to my site that would make my site stick out from all the other sites in the niche. Remember your aim should be to have the best site in your niche, as this will win out in
the long term.
With that said, I have just had some great tools created for one of my sites, that the visitor can play with and once done can print the results, email them to a friend, or save them! Pretty cool eh…and I hope this will get people naturally linking to the site and also good old referral traffic from social sites.
Quizzes
You don’t have to spend much on this stuff, in fact simple quizzes can do the trick, like what you find over at Snack Tools (thanks to Lisa P for that one) – can work great. The key is to make your sites more interesting than just plain text, as let’s be totally honest here, who really loves reading a page full of just text? I personally don’t myself, and enjoy a site much more, if I can interact or even just watch a video combined with the text.
Tools
You could get any number of simple scripts created for very little expense, such as a BMI calculator if you’re in the weight loss niche, or anything that someone in the niche would find helpful, and most likely bookmark your site to come back to.
YouTube Videos
On that note, simply adding a YouTube video in your content is one of the most basic forms of ‘stickiness’ you can do. I like using YouTube on sites, because what will happen is your video will get more views if it’s embedded on your site, which will help it rank higher in YouTube itself. Over time your YouTube channel will grow in authority, and I think that’s not only a good extra traffic source, but a nice signal to Google that you have a quality site, if you have a quality channel linking to you.
Comparison Tables & Lists
Proper well done comparison tables are quite interesting and can get people not only hanging around on the page, but also linking to it. This can be comparing features of multiple products and their prices, but just make sure the information is accurate, don’t guess it. You could also have a table with latest figures, for example a site on precious metals could have a chart on latest spot prices.
You could also make lists of the best and worse products in the niche and why you think this is the case. For example in the “Online Webinars” niche there are quite a few products, and the price range is massive. So you could break it down and even do demos of yourself using the tools to illustrate the features of each and then compare them.
White Papers
If you take the time to write a really informative PDF on a topic in your niche, this can be a great tool, as people will hang around to read it and also share it with people, if the quality is good. You could even survey your traffic over a period of time and find out what the most popular questions people have, and then research and answer all of these and create it into a report on your site, and tell people what you did and these are the finding from your research.
Blog with Active Comments
Having a real blog with active comments, by ‘real’ I mean one where there is actually a readership/community like this one, where people will stay around on the site and participate.
Forum
Of course you can go the extra mile and consider adding a forum onto your domain. I’m planning on doing this with my ecommerce store eventually, once I gain more momentum with it, as I believe a forum is a great way to get people to stick around, and also share your domain with other people. This has many added benefits if done well, such as adding content to the domain.
Nice Design
I have mentioned this in a previous post, but make sure your site looks nice and is easy to navigate, as if someone gets a bad impression of your site as soon as they arrive, you have to work uphill to try and convince them to stick around for the great content. I don’t even bother read content on sites that look really crappy.
Summary
In closing, I think focussing on making sites stickier is very important aspect on online marketing, and again it comes back to improving the user experience. If your visitors hang around on your site, visit multiple pages on the site and share it on the social networks, then you’re in good shape, and Google LOVES to see this kind of activity. This is when I think it’s a good idea to have Google Analytics installed on your domain, as these sort of metrics are awesome to show Google, as it proves to them that you have a high quality site.
Google will see that not all traffic comes from search engines, you get social media recommendations, people stay on the site for a decent amount of time, you have a low bounce rate, and lots of return visitors, what more could Google want!
I would really love to hear what ‘sticky’ ideas you guys know about, as the more ideas we share with each other the better!!
Also if you like my site, be awesome if you would share it with the social icons below;
Related articles
Hey Matt, these are good strategies I’ve been using to take my income up over $6000 in affiliate commissions in March!
It’s been great! I use a lot of youtube videos now, they are the best thing ever! They rank themselves, AND they help your website rank, it’s a nice big circle of SEO and Traffic Love!!
-Mitch
i agree with the “stickyness” but maybe not too much sticky. i’ve heard that long unique articles have the advantage in google ratings although noone can be 100% about what google really wants…..
Very nice info Matt!
Good stuff Matt, I hadn’t thought of that, I do however use my videos on my site, and have noticed that quite often a video will rank higher than my webpage, and people stay on the site longer.
Hi Matt,
Thank you so much again for good quality posts. I’m starting afresh with my IM (affiliate) and will stick to your teachings. I’ve discovered the hard way that short cuts to riches promised by some are just non-existent.
I’ve started watching RPF (needs to update) videos and will follow the formula set-by-step.
John S
Take a look at Pizza Hut’s Facebook page as an example of these sorts of things. They’ve done a great job with making their page interactive. The one thing I would caution new content marketers is to never lose sight of the overall goal and desired action you want people to take.
Thank for the tip on QuizSnack, on it right now!
Btw the BMI calculator is a good idea, I was just looking for one a few days ago to pimp up my Dutch weightloss website. I am basically trying to become one of the authority site for most weightloss keywords in NL. I was only able to find 2 BMI wp plugins and they were ugly and coudlnt change language. Should I just go outsource one for cheap? oDesk?
Like the idea about the comparison tables. Never have tried it but I think its time. Thanks for the info.
Great tips Matt, thanks.
I didn’t know about Snack Tools. I will definitely check it out, it looks cool.
Viola
I too have started to incorporate more video and images into my blog posts, seems to be helping with traffic, my next goal is to get comments from real people and not comment bots. I’m thinking of adding a captcha plugin for comments, cause I get so many spammers. Great tips as always Matt, I just recently realized what a sticky page was and how to incorporate one into my blog, so I think it’s a good idea to git sticky wit it.
Thanks Matt,
Useful information, I tend to forget the basics like having a “sticky” post or a homepage that emphasises your KWs and really is your No 1 SEO tool. This thought takes it way further.
I have been a Matt Carter fan for years since he introduced Affiliate Internet Marketing theme, a theme that I still use and I’m glad he is making some noises again.
Peter
HI Matt
If only we knew what Google won’t like when the next change comes we will get it right now. I’m finding it difficult to change my site as I follow an seo method. So far it’s working.
Getting the videos right works well so far.
Thanks for your post.
Janny
Thank you Matt for all the helpful tips and I agree user experience will help a site rank in the overall scheme of things. I do have a question on that note. What are your suggestions for a site that is niche specific and there aren’t much in terms of calculator or quizzes that one can add to make it more interactive? Is a Youtube video enough or does one need more to entice visitor to stay longer?
Matt Carter Reply:
April 14th, 2012 at 10:06 am
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I think it is better to not only focus on how long they stay but if they enjoyed their stay…if you ask yourself that then you will know the answer
Hi Matt,
Like you I am inold. I have been following you for some time now and as a novice it is all a little overwhelming even though it all make sense. I really do not want to go back to work…12 of hospitality mgt in central London UK is pretty much a sole darkening career.
I suspect this would not be the first email you have received lol but would love it if you could point me in the right direction….. I need to earn £2Kpm to support my wife and child….I do have some experience with seo, but have a ‘biz partner’ who has the contacts and ends up taking a majority cut.
Any focused help would be a very much appreciated.
I look forward
Matt Carter Reply:
April 14th, 2012 at 10:05 am
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Read my blog and keep learning and take action…
G’day Matt:
This is one of those great coincidences, Only seconds before reading your post, I visited a site which had a BMI calculator in it.
Normally I would not have spent much time on that type of site, but the calculator kept me interested as I played around with it.
As a newbie, I’ve only got the one site up myself so far, using your Rapid Profit Formula course and free theme.
I’m happy with the site but would like to make it “more sticky” with a custom header.
Can the free affiliate theme be customised in this way?
I have someone willing to do a header for me, but he needs me to supply him with the height and width details, which I can’t find.
Hope you can help me.
otherwise, this has been another timely and helpful post.
Cheers, Leon
Hi Matt,
More great info! Another twist on content, content, content. Stickiness and have a quality site can be more than just lengthy posts and articles.
Thanks,
Paul
I don’t know what google want any more. this is a great article, i follow you for long time i know you are very smart but i don’t have ideas what happen i read the more i read everybody said something different, so i’m very confused. thanks for the article nice and i think is very good idea.
Good post Matt, it is definitely a lot more work, but it is well worth it to create a sticky site, this is the kind of “SEO” I like most, instead of trying to trick search engines and visitors into checking out a page.
I remember when the Google content farm update hit, sites started making pages much longer and adding Q&As, facts, references, and multiple videos to the same page, these days I guess adding quality content to your site means not just adding words.
.Andrew.
need an article
Agree with ya Matt, when you had Lisa Parmley on one of your webinars, her course (which you reference) really hit home about what building a real sustainable online business is about. No shortcuts. I enjoy all your webinars, but that one was probably my favorite and really wrapped my head around this. I like your other suggestions as well. Need to make content unique, interesting, and shareable!
Matt Carter Reply:
April 14th, 2012 at 3:38 pm
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Awesome Andy, glad the penny dropped for you, you’ll do very well online!
Great tips Matt, I agree with you wholeheartedly there about sticking up your site. Just you tube videos will make your site look a lot more appealing. I’ll have to try out snack tools or at least have a look
Grant
Superb content as always. Matt is one of the best (if not the best!) marketers out there who find genuine satisfaction in helping people.
Matt Carter Reply:
April 14th, 2012 at 3:37 pm
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Thanks for the kinds words George
Well, I must admit, I was not keen on making my pages sticky. Ideas suggested by you are great. Must work more on it.
Image on top of this post speaks for it.
Google loves who are loved by surfers…
I am certainly going to add most of the things suggested by you in all sites..
John
Hi Matt
Thank you for another great post and for the reminder about Snack Tools.
I certainly need to generate more visitor interest on one of my sites in particular, as the bouce rate is high. I get a lot of favourable comments about my articles and told that the reader has recommened them to friends. However that doesn’t increase traffic or success as an affiliate marketer, and I often wonder how genuine those comments are.
So I will follow some of the recommendations you have made in this post; if I present them correctly on my site they are sure to make a difference.
Kind regards
Valerie
Hello Matt,
Thanks for the useful information, another gem to stick in the treasure chest of great tips from Mr Carter. have a great weekend.
Chris
Hi Matt,
I have a problem with visitors staying on my site. I think focussing on making the sites stickier as you outlined in your post will make a big difference.
Thanks for the insight and ideas.
Larry
They are some plug on workpress
Just like yahoo answer..also add poll
Great post Matt. Good idea about using quizzes tools. The free one at wibiya.conduit.com is really awesome.
Thanks Mike, you never drop the ball and the information on Quick Snack was also a revelation to me. Proves that being in touch with
your blog is always a pleasant learning experience for me. You can never stop learning and I appreciate your tips and insights.
Cheers
Jon Alexander
Great post, Matt. I love reading your blog because you are always up to date and offer cutting edge advice.
As for my “sticky” idea, I am going to try and add a Pet Finder service to my website so people can find an animal to adopt from a Rescue or Shelter in the USA.
I just need to work out the technical stuff first!
Cheers!
Sally
Some good information here. I have been taking this approach for a while. I operate in the life insurance niche which is highly competitive. I always add fresh, unique and helpful posts to my sites, comparison tables, calculators, own made or youtube videos, interactive spreadsheets etc. I tend to look at the big players with the massive budgets and take their tools and calculators and ten outsource the development for peanuts. I have found my user visitibg time to increase, search engine traffic to increase and conversation to increase as i think visitors trust your site more.
Good one Matt
I have had some good results with YouTube video as well Matt.
What I have done to do to try and increase retention rate when people first arrive on my website is to “AutoPlay” the video if I think the page warrants it.
You have to be careful however, because it can in some instances increase the bounce rate unless you get your key message out quickly.
If that doesn’t work, we can all just use your picture of the sticky buns. Yum.
This is a very informative post. Thanks Matt for the tip.
I salute Matt, and love the way he tell us to be more professional and use some skill to be on it. Thanks Mr. Matt i am following your steps and i will on future as well.
Thanks,
Noble
Matt,
A lot of this comes down to asking yourself what you would like to see and then over delivering on that in a creative way.
For example, given that your audience is tech savvy enough, hold a Skype q and a that can be recorded by you and hosted on YouTube with a backlinks to your site. Either transcribe or have the q and a transcribed and place the best parts on your site. Viola, what your visitors want without even so much as researching forums, etc.
You will also learn from this and be able to gain insight on how to improve all of your sites.
-Jim
—- Hey, Matt – Thank you as always for good solid info that is worth reading and teaches me a bit more… I have been thinking about this topic myself lately, and have started adding Voting Polls to some of my sites… we’ll see!
Thanks for sharing your ideas and doings ~
Ruth Martin
Great post Matt. It really calls for some increased work on the pages. I have high bounce rates for a few of my sites. I will try this out and share the outcome. Thanks & Regards.
Additional, compelling content is key. The downside is that it all takes a lot of time. My advice is to find ways to do quality automation, especially if you have more than a couple of sites.
Having a tool like the calculator is ideal because the same function can be repeated and provide a different result for each visitor. Quizzes and polls need to be updated with fresh topics.
Comparisons are a good idea, but I would definitely opt for a user-driven, dynamic comparison system. It could be as simple as allowing a user to select “n” number of products and displaying them in a side by side comparison. To be truly dynamic, you will need a coder to work on it. Its an idea though.
Hey Matt,
This is a great post. You’ve made me think of things I hadn’t considered before. Thanks.
Dan
This definitely makes sense. I’ve had some success with implementing a lot of what you’ve taught in your courses. You are definitely the person I trust the most when it comes to learning affiliate marketing. I’m earning income as a marketer with the information I’ve learned from you and wonder if you think this industry will continue to be a good one for a long time to come. Thanks Matt.
Hi Matt
Great post with good ideas. I have added a poll to some of my site with a free plugin (WP-Polls) addeds a simple poll that you can custom to site your site.
Hi Matt,
I need to put a couple of these sticky tips on
my website. I think to create a poll will be great to give you feedback from visitors.
I totally agree Matt, its all about providing quality content for your visitors, and Its something that I been really focusing on in recent times also.
I like the idea of creating a forum, and videos from my experience work great too.
As far a site design goes, I think the use of images is often a aspect that is often not leveraged enough.
In some niches, I think larger content images (full content column width) work a lot better and can have the effect of bring the post to life, and can spark emotion from the reader.
In other niches, smaller images (with text wrap-around) can be sprinkled through your content, and can trigger engagement to the reader to read more.
Take this post for example, while the info you have provided is awesome, a few more pictures below the fold would, in my opinion, make the post more engaging and easier to read to the bottom, and also break the text up.
Love to know your thoughts,
Cheers,
Cade
I have a forum on a few blogs and works well,providing you get people posting,otherwise just dead in the water-done correctly is a huge asset for a blog.You have to spend time replying to posts on the forum,if you do not have the time for that you will shoot your toe off-people want advice and help,so you must give them totally that concept.
All your ideas are very correct as always Matt,great post for us all!!
Thanks Matt.
Getting your content sticky will not only work in favor of your readers by creating a more engaging, interesting content, but will also reduce bounce rate and increase your sites ranking.
I would like to add that running contests, adding incentives for users comments will also make your blog stickier, turn it viral and keep the search engines happy.
Great post as always
Tobi
Good post Mat….
What is the acceptable bounce rate? Seems that I have quite high, but not understand the industry standard…
Matt Carter Reply:
April 16th, 2012 at 7:45 am
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I would aim for under 70% for sure
Hi Matt
‘Stickyness’ is that one of the reasons that dog owners come to my site? – You know, to find out how to housetrain their dog! (LOL)
German Shepherd Dogs-Don’t You Just Love Them!
P.S. still trying to edit videos of our German Shepherds to put up on YouTube.
sticky content is really difficult sometimes. I love incorporating audio and video to get more direct connections. also resource posts are a great way to build up some authority and give Google outbound links to look at, while limiting the outbound links on your “money pages”
Hi Matt,
I’ve been out of the loop for a month due to a car accident. I’ve got some of your training. Just need to get back on the internet and see what’s going on. Thanks for your ideas.
Joyce Knake
Very good post and once again reading all the comments that people have left you, I have learned as much from them as I did the content on your post. There are not many blogs that I go to that the relationship of subscribers to the blog’s owner is this strong and quite frankly it is very refreshing to see someone of your status regarded as you are, because, truthfully speaking, most marketers on the Internet really suck, for lack of a better word. I always know I am going to learn something from you without it costing me an arm and a leg, and that in itself makes coming to this blog so worthwhile.
Paul
Thanks, Matt for the info. I too didn’t know about snack tools.
According to Website Magazine, one strategy for improving web video is to create videos that help teach prospective customers different ways in which they can improve their lives rather than videos focused on selling products. Then pair the educational outreach with direct calls to action which are designed to steer them in the direction of the products that will help them.
Thanks for the tips. I haven’t really thought about stickiness until now though I’m aware that I have a high bounce rate. I’ll work on making my site stickier. Thanks for the ideas.
Hi Matt.
I focused today on your remarks about design, good advice!
As I mentioned earlier I still use your Affiliate Internet Marketing theme 1.3. I still think it is really good and easy to use. Is there any update of the theme?
Peter
Hey Matt,
Here again another amazing and useful post!
It’s a long time that I wanted to ask two question. Today I feel like to ask them.
1- As you know blog commenting is a good way to create back-lins. However, as you know it’s not possible to use blog commenting to create back-link for articles, since that, it’s not possible to put the article URL in the place where we are supposed to put our optinal website.
Therefore, do you think will we receive the same benefit on creating back-links for the short link that is possible to create on wordpress for the articles url?
2- I have found a niche where there is quite competion, I have checked the competion with traffic travis and it showed me that there are thousands of back-links for the top ranked on Google.However, those sites haven’t no keyword in the title, description and H1 tag. If you were in my place would you go for this niche?
I hope you will answer my two questions
Thanks before hand
Marc
You make some good points Matt.
What I rely hate with websites and applications is “clutter”. The BigPond website is a classic for clutter. It’s just far too busy and slow to load for those who have slow internet. Sometimes less is more.
Thanks for the tips.
Hello Matt,
Thanks to Panda I no longer have to spend time battling those short cut takers who do all they can to get ranked with poor quality material.
I know my sites with great content will continue to rank well but will not have the spammy rubbish getting in the way.
Best regards,
Toby Carlisle.
Matt Carter Reply:
April 20th, 2012 at 6:13 am
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Good stuff
Matt
Hi Matt
Thanks for this “sticky” post (WordPress pun intended;-)
Indeed, quality bloggers are now seeing some light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. So now it’s time to consider how to win over readers given that we are now not fighting over scraps (with those spammy sites) but contending with higher and higher quality content being put up by the serious marketers.
Your tips here are really useful and you are such a live example for us to follow. Thanks again, Matt.
I have been keeping an eye on my bounce rate with Analytics and the more good content I add and the more authoritative my site becomes I have reduced my bounce rate from 80% to 3%. I wish I knew exactly what I did but I think it is just articles worth reading. I love your list of tips and will add these to my posts.
Thanks for sharing this Matt. I love that you used the term “sticky” for the strategies mentioned above. An online marketing firm, such as Austin SEO company, should really have a “sticky” website in order to entice more clients to avail of its services. Your tips and strategies are really valuable. Thanks again!
Thanks for the tips Matt.
I thought that great content was sticky enough and never really cared about looks but I may be having an issue with that.
Going to try to dress up a little bit more my site.
Sergio