This is a guest post by Patrick Molone. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines here.
We all want more traffic, more loyal readers, and more sales. I know I do. For most of us our blog is the precious stone we chisel our artwork into. We slave over making our website as good as we possibly can and don’t want our work to go unnoticed and unappreciated. I know exactly how you feel and that’s why I’ve put together 12 ways to compel your visitors to stay.
Whether you’re looking to increase your readers loyalty, improve your website’s accessibility and friendliness, or build a community these tips will help you achieve your goals.
1. Simplify your websites navigation - You should focus on the most important elements of your website and display those in your navigation and eliminate the rest.
It can be very confusing and annoying to make visitors click on everything.
Your navigation should give them clear direction to what your site is about and how to navigate it.
2. Choose an engaging color scheme – Your website should have two or three primary colors that stand out.
You want to break your content apart and allow your audience to see your website as different sections of content
Don’t overdo it though. Too many colors can turn visitors away as quickly as it can entice them stay.
3. Use images to break up the content and add personality – Images have a way of speaking to people the way that words never can.
Use images to convey emotion and draw your audience in.
4. Make your websites header (logo) and tagline stand out – It’s one of the first things a visitor sees on your site and can make your site look either professional or glued and pasted together.
Your headline and tagline should be clean and clearly display what your website is about.
5. Add more calls to action – A call to action is simple and often only a sentence long.
Ask people to comment, twitter your post or take some other action.
Whatever you decide to do get them in the habit of taking action.
In fact don’t forget to comment at the end of this post 
6. Create strong, emotional headlines – Other than your posts picture your headline is immensely important.
If your posts title doesn’t get any attention readers aren’t likely to click on your little read more icon.
In fact they will probably ignore your post all together.
7 . Simplify your readability – While your content may make perfect sense to you it doesn’t mean your reader gets it.
Most readers want the information they are looking for to be easy to read, highly memorable, and easily accessible.
8. Offer more at the end of your post – Your post was absolutely amazing, now what?
Did you add a related posts section, a call to action or a request to comment?
If you want people to stay engaged give them more of what they want, or they’ll find it somewhere else.
9. Use sub headlines to break up your content – Most readers like to skim content. I know I do, and I bet you’ve done it too.
If your writing a long post or speaking on multiple topics break your content up with bold, larger, or different color sub headlines.
You’ll please the skimmers and the loyal audience, and most likely get more return traffic.
10. Change your content or change your audience - Your content may be great, monumental even, but if your audience isn’t reading it then you may need to change your audience or change your content.
If they’ve already heard your content a million times over by everyone else, then you need to teach it to an audience that hasn’t heard it as much and wants to learn it.
Or create fresh and new content for your existing audience.
The reason teachers have students is because students don’t know as much as their teachers.
If they did then we’d have no schools.
You need to find fresh minds to grow and build relationships with, which brings me to my next tip.
11. Create a monthly post questionnaire – You know it all don’t you? I know I do (just kidding 
Writing a post every month or so and asking your audience what’s most important to them will do wonders for your blog or business.
It’s about as direct as you can get.
Ask them to comment about what’s on their minds, what they need the most help with, and what they think you can do better.
It will help you uncover topics, and idea’s you’ve never thought of “guaranteed!”
12. Build relationships with peers – We all love the A list bloggers, but building relationships with those that are at the same level as us is a great way to gain additional insights, followers, and contributors.
It helps you expand your reach, get your name into the blogosphere, and become known.
One of the best things about sharing idea’s with those in your niche is the motivation that you get.
It helps you reshape your thinking and build new principles to help you reach success.
If these tips have helped you than please contribute in the comment section with your own tips.
I’m sure it will not only help me improve, but help those that read your comments as well.
Your participation is just as important as this post! Thanks again, and have a great week
About the Author: Patrick Molone is the author of Fromdreamstolifestyle.com and teaches the importance of starting an online business to help you achieve the lifestyle you desire. If you’d like more idea’s on building your brand than check out his post on 35 questions to help you build your business and your brand.
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