9 Underrated Tactics for Boosting Your Website Retention Rate

All the incredible headlines, content, and research reports in the world can only get you so far.

If you don’t make customer experience your top goal, your website retention rate will always suffer.

Buyers consume an average of 13 pieces of content before they choose a vendor.

Most of that content should come directly from your website. But if your site experience pushes people away from the first contact, how can they ever read it?

They won’t. They’ll go somewhere else with a better experience.

Here’s how to rethink your site’s function and goals for better retention rates.

What is a Good Website Retention Rate? Why Benchmarks Don’t Matter

This is such a tough question to answer honestly.

If we’re talking about your website retention rate in terms of visitor traffic, benchmarks say B2Bs should aim for 40% to 60%.

In other words, 40% to 60% of people who find your site through any channel should stick around to consume more than one piece of content or page.

But there’s a big channel with retention rate benchmarks – and all website traffic analytic benchmarks in general. There’s no “normal” way for people to interact with a website.

Everyone who visits your site has their own job, industry, needs, and reason for visiting your site in the first place. That’s why so many marketers sing the praises of quality traffic over quantity.

How people find your site also matters.

• Someone who opens a blog you shared on social media is still in the scroll mindset. You must overcome the allure of the endless scroll with something fascinating if you want to convince them to stay.
• When someone finds that exact blog post from an organic Google search, however, they’re in a researching mindset. That’s why search traffic tends to stick around more than social traffic.

Your Goals for Your Site Directly Oppose the Reasons People Visit It

Most B2Bs design, update, and manage a website with the main goal of collecting leads.

Content pulls people into the website. Lead forms restrict access to the best content in exchange for data. Pages and posts are designed to encourage conversion.

Unless someone already knows who you are and they’re prepared to buy, that’s not why they’re visiting your website in the first place.

Most visitors don’t want to feel duped into clicking a blog link. They don’t want to give you more data, and they definitely don’t want to buy anything or sign up for a list – especially when they feel used, tricked, or forced.

People visit your site because they want to learn something. They might want to know more about who you are, what you do, who you’ve helped, or just what you can teach them about your industry.

You must design your site to meet those goals if you want an impressive website retention rate – along with all the benefits that come with it.

9 Underrated Tactics for Boosting Your Website Retention Rate

The concept is simple: Create the website experience your visitors want and they’ll stick around. In other words, think about their needs more than your own.

Unfortunately, this is harder said than done – especially when you have to prove an entire website overhaul to your higher-ups that conflicts with everything they believe.

Below you’ll find a list of specific and actionable strategies you can use today to improve your website experience for visitors, ultimately boosting your website retention rate.

1. Rework the Same Piece of Content in Multiple Formats

Reading, listening, watching, viewing – everyone learns differently.

Create your content in bundles. Each topic deserves a blog or eBook, infographic, video, and audio recording.

2. Customize Internal Links Based on Interests, Funnel Stage, and Behavior

Internal links are useful for both SEO and website retention rates, but relevancy is key.

AI-powered tools scan your content and analyze visitor behavior to understand which content they should read next.

3. Update Evergreen Content for SEO Consistently

Your organic traffic gems deserve consistent updates. Add a few hundred words, update stats and links, include new context, and replace keywords if needed.

4. Direct Visitors to Custom ABM Campaign Pages

61% of B2B buyers say they like to reach out to sales teams for custom pricing. Why add the extra step? Take the burden off visitors with customized ABM landing pages with personalized pricing, offers, and content.

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5. Custom Exit-Intent Popups That Don’t Ask for Anything

No one wants to fill out a form when they’re trying to leave your site. Instead, use AI-powered tools to recommend relevant pieces of content and keep them on the page.

6. Remove Invasive Lead Forms from Your Content Marketing

Forms and gated content also drive visitors away from your entire website. Even worse: many fill required forms with fake details. Bad lead data is a silent killer among 80% of personalization strategies.

Just say no to invasive forms.

7. Endless Content Streams with Personalized Suggestions

People will binge content for hours if it’s interesting and relevant. Use personalized streams to do the work of finding that content for them.

8. Publish More Video and Visual Content

Video works wonders for engagement. Branch out from promotional videos into interesting series or interviews with industry experts. Be entertaining.

9. Sponsor Original Research for an Under-Addressed Topic

Like organic search, referral visitors are already in a researching mindset. Choose an industry topic lacking current research and either use your own data or hire a research company to do it right. Make sure to promote your findings in the right papers.

A Solid Website Retention Rate Starts with the Right UX Tools

Your website retention rate really boils down to making a good first impression. If you can create a positive experience, visitors will be more likely to stick around and return later. Plus, they’ll think of your brand fondly.

AI-driven tools are vital for creating the personalized content experience your visitors expect. B2Bs across several industries trust Hushly with their content engagement needs because our tools are easy to use and deliver results almost instantly.

Learn why Hushly guarantees a 51% increase in lead conversions with our content engagement tools.

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