Ask Mr. D - "Sticky Sites"

By Bill Daugherty
Posted Thursday, July 8, 2004

Dear Mr. D,

I keep running across the terms "sticky sites" and "sticky visitors." About the only thing I have learned about this "sticky stuff" is that it is a good thing for site owners to make their sites "sticky."

Can you tell me what this is all about? How can I make my site sticky?

Signed,

Just Wondering,

________________________

Dear Just Wondering,

A sticky visitor is one that returns to a website often. A sticky site is a site that has some feature or features that causes their visitors to developed an affection, affinity or addiction to the site that compels him or her to return there often.

Sites like Yahoo and GeoCities have become giants on the Internet because of their "stickiness."

What makes a site sticky? There are many features you can add to your website to make it sticky. Below I have listed several of the proven ones.

Chat rooms
Message boards
Email accounts
Search engines
Reward programs

When deciding how to make your visitors return again and again, think of what would make you want to return to a site like yours. You may come up with something that's very new and unique.

About the Author
Bill Daugherty
Do you have an advertising or marketing question you'd like to see published in this column? Send it to mailto:MrD@epm.zzn.com You can visit Mr. D's website at:(http://www.freeadsgalore.com)