Why Isn't Anyone Coming Back to Your Web Site?

One of the great things about analytics software is that it shows what percentage of your web site's visitors are new, and what percentage are return visitors. Depending on the theme and type of web site, twenty-five to seventy-five percent of a web site's traffic comes from return visitors. However, if your web site virtually has no returning traffic, chances are something is wrong. Here are a handful of factors that may be causing this lack of return visitors:

Poor Web Site Navigation: For the majority of internet users, there is nothing more frustrating than a web site with a bad navigation structure. If users are unable to find what they want from your web site, they are going to leave your web site with a bad taste in your mouth. Because they were unable to find what they wanted, they have no reason to ever visit your web site again. Regardless of what kind of web site you have, make sure that you make it as easy as possible for your users to navigate and find what they want.

Confusing Domain Name: A confusing domain name can be the death of return traffic for a web site. Even if a user really likes your web site, if they forget to bookmark it and can't remember your domain name, they are going to have a really tough time getting back to your web site. When you are choosing a domain name, make sure that you pick something that will not only stick in your visitor's minds, but also be easy for them to type into the address bar.

Advertising on the Web Site: When most people think of advertising that deters visitors from revisiting a web site, they think of pop-up advertisements. While this is true, pop-ups are not the only type of advertisements that can cause you to lose repeat visitors. As Shoemoney discussed in a recent presentation, when a web site is in its early stages, any type of advertising (such as AdSense) that does not open in a new window when clicked can cause you to lose repeat visitors. To avoid this, Shoemoney recommends that you avoid putting this type of advertising on your web site until it is receiving at least 1,000 unique visitors a day.

Badly Designed Web Site: In most situations, a unattractive web site will make visitors less likely to return. Although you don't need to spend tens of thousands of dollars on the design of a small web site, you should make sure that it is aesthetically pleasing. For example, you should use a dark font on a light background instead of using neon green text on a red background.