What is ‘web glue’ and why do you need it?

Web glue (noun) 1. web site content that keeps people on your site longer and encourages them to return.
Everyone knows it’s easier to sell an existing customer than to find and woo a new one. Regular customers come back again and again–they already like what you offer. The same idea applies to your web site. But how do you make visitors want to come back?

Two words: Web glue. Smart organizations build a road back to their door and a reason to travel it with Web glue. They know that the money they spend to attract visitors to their web site is wasted if prospects don’t buy on their first visit or come back again. A click of the mouse and they’re gone, never to return.

Web glue is a critical part of building regular traffic and repeat business. It entices people to explore a site and bookmark it as a future destination.

So what is Web glue? Let’s look at a few examples…

A caterer knows that her best prospect loves good food but doesn’t love cooking for a crowd. By adding a recipe-of-the-month feature, she creates top of mind awareness, and brings those prospects back month after month, looking for her latest gourmet recipe. She knows that the visits renew interest in her service and may even prompt a booking.

Monthly specials make great Web glue — people are always looking for ways to save money. So do newsletters, chock-full of news, tips and interesting links.

Think about what makes you bookmark a site. What Web glue are they using to bring you back?

Like any marketing strategy, your plan should include a tracking mechanism. That way you can see if visitors are ‘stick’ing around.