Originally I was going to write about effective wiki uses (which I will save for another time), but then I kept coming across a term referred to as ‘website stickiness’. I began to realize that this would be a better topic to write about because once people understand what website stickiness is, other topics will play a more relevant role than they would had I not explained it.

Let’s get down to business then, shall we? Website stickiness in layman’s terms is the amount of time spent by an end user over a given time period on a website.

Nowadays end users are multi-tasking when they are visiting your website. They could be talking to a loved one, conducting business, watching television or running after the kids… so how do you get them to focus that attention on your website?

One of the most effective ways to keep their eyes glued to the monitor is to have fresh and valuable content and to offer an outlet for the end user to express their concerns about your website.

I’ve come across some great suggestions that promote website stickiness; these are just a few tactics that you can implement to capture your audiences attention:

Got Fresh Content? If you don’t, then you are losing your audience. Web users are a finicky bunch. Think of your website as a “pusher” – a pusher of valuable information. It’s your goal to get users “addicted” to what you’re “pushing”. Post new content in a consistent place on your website. End users will flock to that section to read the latest and greatest buzz that you have to offer.

Exclusivity makes users feel muy importante! The name of the game is exclusive content. End users want to see something on your website that they can’t get anywhere else. Most companies already know that you need a presence in a few places to drive traffic to their website. Posting the same old boring content will more than likely cause you to lose viewers.

Keep comments in-house. End users want/need a forum to vent, praise and comment about your services and or products. Believe it or not, you should want them to post or relay comments their comments directly to you. If you don’t present a way for them to offer feedback they’ll do it somewhere else. User reviews can make or break a website, if they post comments on another website, what’s the likelihood that you are going to see them?

So your users have left you feedback – some positive, some negative; what are you going to do with? Don’t just rest on your laurels, use that feedback. Your users’ likes and dislikes will help to enhance the experience for new users and keep the old ones coming back.

You love technology and so do your users. Incorporate your love of all things great that are available on the web. Post videos on youtube.com, get a blog going at digg.com, post new content on myspace.com and facebook.com – and then direct your visitors to those sites to see the new and exciting things that are happening at your place of business.

Creating a website that draws the user in and keeps them coming back doesn’t have to be complicated or a chore. Think about your favorite website and how it captured your attention. Take cues from that website and you will be on your way to creating a user experience that is rich and informative.