A great website is a sticky website. It does more than just provide information. It encourages interactions, delivers a memorable experience, and makes people want to visit again later.
Users can’t resist a mix of professional design, engaging copy (with valuable information), and a positive user experience.
Keep reading to discover exactly what makes a website sticky.
What is a sticky website?
Sticky is a term used to refer to a website that makes users want to stick around.
Websites with real stickiness meet users’ expectations, answer their questions, and help them meet their goals. All the elements—from design and navigation to copy and forms—are appealing and captivating.
Some of the many benefits of making a sticky website:
- You will see your time to bounce drop
- Users will visit more pages per session
- Your site will get more return visits
- Conversion rates will increase
- Users will be more likely to share your content
To make a sticky website (and reap the related benefits), here are four core areas to address.
Functionality improves website stickiness
Poor functionality makes for a frustrating user experience and results in a high bounce rate. What makes a sticky website in terms of functionality? The answer is multi-fold:
- Fast loading speeds on desktop and mobile
- Well-organized content
- A simple navigation scheme
Due to the wide range of devices people use to access the internet, a responsive design will ensure a positive experience regardless of the device or screen size.
Aesthetics influence users’ opinions
When it comes to a sticky website, its look and feel will go a long way in shaping the user experience and influencing people’s perceptions.
Great copy matters, and—today—visual content is their preferred way of consuming information for many users.
When you have created a high-quality website, you will have plenty of options for incorporating strong images, videos, and infographics that will engage and inform.
“Quality is free. It’s not a gift, but it’s free. The ‘unquality’ things are what cost money—all the actions that involve not doing jobs right the first time.”
—Philip Crosby, executive management consultant
Finding the right balance between white space and web copy will help draw attention to your main elements without letting clutter get in the way. This can also increase readability.
Also, don’t forget to consider color contrast for aesthetic and website accessibility reasons. A sticky website makes both factors a priority during the design process.
You can make the copy on each webpage more inviting by using:
- Consistent formatting
- Bold text
- Subheadings
- Short paragraphs
- Bullet lists
- White space
Editorial content helps make a website sticky
A sticky website always has text that keeps people’s attention, answers their questions, and makes them want to read on. It delivers value, answers questions, and suggests next steps that make sense.
Here’s how to craft that kind of copy:
- Web copy should be easy to read and not too complex (avoid jargon!)
- Pay special attention to flow and sentence length
- Proofread copy to eliminate typos and other errors
- Include calls to action and links to related content to propel readers forward in their customer journey
- Employ website storytelling techniques that elicit emotions and make users want to read more
- Tell users what they will get out of your content with descriptive subheadings
- Keep users coming back to your sticky website by publishing new content regularly and creating up-to-date content aligned with trends
Pro-tip: Creating effective web copy doesn’t stop when the writing ends. You should also take the time to prepare it for website production.
Strategy and purpose provide more value
Users will stick around if a website delivers what they’re looking for. Beyond functionality, navigation, design, or copy, it’s crucial to understand your audience and meet their expectations. Developing original content and contributing to the conversation on industry topics (using exact keywords) will make your website stickier.
Pro-tip: Search engine optimization contributes to what makes a website sticky. Thinking about SEO as you develop content makes your web pages better for search engines and your users. Sticky websites never force keywords into content if they don’t make sense contextually.
Another strategy for creating a website that is sticky is to identify and address common pain points your audience is trying to solve. Relevant and timely content will show your audience you listen to and care about their experience, which will increase engagement and website stickiness.
Segment your website audience into different groups. Considering the unique goals and expectations of each target makes it easier to deliver stickier web content.
What can help make your website more sticky? TBH Creative can answer this question in the context of your goals and target audience. Our goal-driven redesign projects typically include a number of the strategies listed above to develop sticky websites that are easy to use, aesthetically pleasing, and worth visiting again.
