Making Your Site Sticky

One important design rule is to try to make your site sticky; that is, you want the user to stick around as long as possible. This insures more brand name recognition and engages the user in a more interactive experience. Search engine sites, in general, are the most sticky. Here are a few tips for making your site sticky:

Use a message board (but the board must be active. An inactive message board will discourage visitors.)
Add a chat room (again, it must be active.)
Offer advice in the site's area of expertise - as we are doing at this site. This establishes your authority in the subject to the user.
Offer free stuff - templates, tips, images, software.
List links (but constantly check to be sure they still work!)
Ask feedback from the user.
Use polls.
Make sure your home page loads fast.