My name is Haley, and I am a Pinterest addict.
Since Pinterest began, I’ve been an advocate for the late night pinning sessions till 1 a.m., telling my self,”just one more scroll” before finally forcing myself to go to bed. (insert nerd joke here). However, while being an avid user, I’ve noticed some mind-blowing trends that could help out any marketer trying to capture an online audience, not only on Pinterest, but their own websites as well.
As marketers, we’re taught that a returning customer is almost always more profitable than a new one, taking into account the work and time associated with gaining new cliental. For Pinterest, that is not a problem.
According to Brandignity.com, Pinterest accumulates over 4 million unique visitors a day, over 2.3 billion page views in one month alone, with the average time spent on site at 14 minutes.
So, what keeps em’ coming back?
Simplistic Design
Pinterest is definitely leagues ahead of most when it comes to user experience, and more so with their redesign. Users have the ability to change their view to make images more predominate and easier to see. Readers, consumers, or any other audience deciding to visit your site is looking for one thing, to find what they’re looking for. Whether it be a blog post about how to make their favorite dessert, or looking to purchase a new outfit, viewers need to be able to find what they’re looking for quickly and with ease. According to Chaperro, Shaikh and Baker, the layout on a Website including white space may not influence the performance of a page but does influence user satisfaction and experience.
Easy To Use
Pinners keep using Pinterest because it’s easy! Users can add their favorite pins to a collection with 2 clicks. Same rules pertain to your website, enable the visitor to stay engaged by keeping the user experience in mind.
Make sure that the pages displayed on your site serve a purpose. Don’t have a page just because you think you need one, have a clear idea of what that page will mean to the person viewing it, and in turn you will maintain a much more engaged reader.
In a study by Joshua Porter, on the elusive Three-Click-Rule, he found that a majority users just kept clicking. There was no conclusive data showing that users stopped after three clicks, in fact, the users tested were just as likely to click 12 times to complete a task as three. The study also highlights the fact that when users are frustrated with sites, it’s because they can’t find what they’re looking for, rather than the number of clicks it took to find it.
Limited Ads
Pinterest, unlike Facebook has maintained their sleek design without the pollution of ads, and the visitors are loving it! Advertisements are a major source of income for many websites, but putting too many or just poor placement of ads on your site can be detrimental. When a visitor comes to your site it needs to be clear what you’re trying to get them to do, not over whelmed by weight loss plans or amusement park trips.
In the Click Here: State of Online Advertising Study conducted by Adobe, 51% of consumers found online ads “distracting” versus 14% who found them “eye catching”. The last thing you want your consumers to do is be distracted from what you’re trying to achieve, so keep it simple, and limit the ads.
“I’m Awesome” Feeling
By far the best part for me about Pinterest are the notifications! After I finally coax myself to go back to work, sleep, or whatever I’ve put on hold to get my pinning on, I get an email exclaiming that my pin was awesome and 10 people repined it, sucking me right back in to pin something even better.
Consumers love to feel good about their purchases, and are programmed with the desire to fit in, so give your visitors the chance to feel it! E-commerce sites can capitalize on this “I’m Awesome” feeling by following up after purchases; send your customers an email thanking them for the purchase and encouraging them to check out your other products for equally as good deals, or reviews of other people on how cool the product was that they just purchased.
Remember for any campaign big, small, red, or blue, the experience of the user is what will ultimately make or break you. They’re the ones that choose to purchase from you again, or recommend you to their friends. Take these tips and provide an experience that your visitors will enjoy.
Comments: