Dwell time - what is it and how can you increase it?
Posted on 27th June 2019
If you’re unfamiliar with the term ‘dwell time’, it’s very simple.
It’s defined as the length of time that people spend browsing your website after clicking through to it from a search engine.
That’s all well and good. But why should you care about dwell time?
After all, surely your main goal is to get people to visit your site in the first place? Wrong!
Dwell time is actually a key metric when it comes to search engine optimisation (SEO). Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most neglected, due to a tendency (as noted above) to think that maximising visitor numbers is key to SEO success. But if you think about it, focusing on dwell time makes perfect sense.
If people like your website and want to spend time reading and viewing your content, then chances are, they’re interested in what you do. In other words, they’re more likely to buy from you.
So, how do you go about increasing dwell time?
Essentially, it boils down to two things: providing a high quality user experience and creating relevant, unique and helpful content that engages your visitors.
Here are our top 5 tips to help you do just that:
1. Understand your audience
When someone visits your website, they’re usually looking for something specific. That could be a particular product or service, or a local business they can visit in person. Or they might just want to find out more about a topic that interests them.
If you’re not sure what your target audience are searching for online, you need to find out! This article will help you get inside their heads, so you’re equipped to meet their needs.
2. Make an amazing first impression
Your business is unique, right? So, make sure your website stands out from the crowd. Don’t settle for a generic design template or boring stock imagery that makes your company look bland or, worse still, doesn’t reflect its nature and ethos. Poor design will send people scurrying back to the search results in no time – no matter how good your content might be.
If your website isn’t cutting the mustard, we recommend you invest in a redesign. A fresh, up to date look and feel that resonates with your target market could do wonders for your dwell time and, ultimately, your sales figures. Here at it’seeze Web Design Nottingham, all our designs are completely bespoke and built to meet your specific requirements.
3. Get the logistics right
Yes, design is important as we’ve just seen. But you also need to look at the more ‘nuts and bolts’ elements of your site to keep people staying on it longer. Areas to look at include:
Is the site easy to navigate with a clear structure and menus? Is there a site map?
Is the site mobile-friendly? Most people browse the web using smartphones and tablets these days.
Do the pages load quickly? Load speeds over 3 seconds are likely to push up your bounce rate.
Does the site feature ads or pop-ups which might annoy people or put them off?
Do you have an SSL certificate to reassure people that any personal or financial details they input into your site will be secure and protected from cyber theft?
If people find your site difficult or slow to use, irritating or untrustworthy, your dwell time will suffer.
You may be able to improve your site to tackle these issues, or you might need to consider a redesign – our free website health check can help you decide.
4. Create the right content
When it comes to increasing dwell time, content is king. By following step 1 above and getting to know your audience, you can identify what they’ll find interesting and relevant. Genuinely helpful - as opposed to sales-focused - content, will also boost your search engine rankings so it’s easier for people to find you in the first instance.
Don’t be afraid of writing long blog articles. If your visitors are interested in a topic, they’ll welcome the opportunity to take a deep dive into it. It’s a great way to answer their questions, present yourself as an expert in your field, and grow that all-important ‘know, like, and trust’ factor.
This approach means you can also keep the main pages of your website relatively short. This makes it easier for people to read and digest the content, so they quickly grasp what your company’s all about and what you have to offer – and will hopefully be encouraged to find out more. Breaking up your content with images, infographics, and video links is another great way to capture and hold your readers’ interest.
Naturally, keeping main page content up to date and posting regular blog articles are imperative for holding people’s interest and making sure they keep coming back. And, of course, you’ll need to make sensible use of the right keywords in all your content, including the metadata in the back end.
5. Use internal links intelligently
This is a great way to keep people on your site once you’ve got their attention. Adding ‘Read more’ links to your web pages lets people access more in-depth information about a particular product or service you have to offer.
Posting blog articles on related topics is a useful device, too. Add links to the relevant articles at the end of each new post you create, so people can keep reading about subjects that interest them.
Like to know more? Just ask it’seeze Web Design Nottingham
For more information about how to boost dwell time on your website, please get in touch. Or why not book a free health check to find out how your site’s performing? There’s no obligation to proceed with our services, but we’re always happy to provide a free demonstration of our unique website editor and how it works.
Share this post: