The New Year has begun, Christmas trees have been taken down, and resolutions have been made, but it’s hard not to forget the holiday experience. Whether you’re remembering the ball drop as you counted down to the New Year, the glow of Christmas lights, or the taste of sugary treats; it’s these experiences that create a fondness and anticipation for the next year’s festivities. Creating an online experience is an important part of gaining a loyal customer base, growing purchase opportunities, and acquiring prospects. Since the web doesn’t offer such tangible holiday experiences, improve your online experience by utilizing the following:

Clean, Clear, and Direct
Appeal to the visitor by providing a clean and aesthetically appealing site. Upon the visitor’s arrival to the site, provide them with a clear call to action. Let the user know what you want them to do: whether that means signing up for the newsletter, contacting the company, or applying for a job online. Instead of using indirect terms to reference specific information, provide a clear and easy to follow message on your site. Allow the user to access information directly instead of taking them through a maze of links to reach their final destination. Minimizing obstacles will prevent user frustration and increase the chance of a re-visit.

Updating Resources
Keep the information on your site current. Make sure your blog posts refer to current news within your industry. Build your blog into a resource for those looking for information on related topics. Become a thought leader so that the information you provide is valued and visited.

Engagement & Interaction
Incorporating engaging material will entice the visitor to return to your site. Social media lends itself to both interaction and engagement, whether using a widget to spread information across the web or a blog to build a community for users to engage and communicate within your website. Create a Facebook page and Twitter account, and add links for each to your homepage. Get involved socially and begin to build relationships on both Facebook and Twitter. Interaction can often translate into unique visits to your site.

E-Commerce Made Easy
Ensure that the visitor experiences an easy transaction with every e-commerce interaction. The purchasing process should be as short as possible, taking the user through the least amount of steps. If your site is primarily retail, it is important that you give the visitor the ability to create an account, so that each time they visit the site their information can be easily accessed and processed quickly. Creating an in-store experience by welcoming the frequent visitor with a personal greeting and giving them buying suggestions based on recent purchases will give them reason to return.

Geo Targeting
Communicate information that is relevant to the user. Geo Targeting allows you to display content dependent on where a user is accessing your site. PM Bedroom Gallery communicated information to local customers that encouraged foot traffic into their stores, while also providing visitors from outside their local area with ordering information. Instead of scanning a site for pertinent information it is targeted information to increase the chance of purchase.