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.
  
  
• Use a blog.
  
  
• Use a newsletter.
  
  
• Use more than an email button for response - use a form with a comments area.

One tip: If you are using any interactive tool where the results are visible to the users such as polls, chat rooms, and bulletin boards - they can discourage visitors if the visitors you have don't use them. You will need a strategy to draw people into using them, such as asking hot questions that encourage response.