Last 2015, Microsoft Corp. did a research and surveyed 2,000 Canadian participants. Using high technology particularly electroencephalograms (EEGs) to study brain activities, they found out that from the average attention span of 12 seconds from the year 2000, it is now as low as eight seconds. Goldfish even have a longer attention span, which is nine seconds, compared to humans.
We constantly seek for something new. Another conclusion Microsoft Corp. have drawn is that we also developed greater ability to multitask as most of our gadgets, especially smartphones, have many applications and features that can help us a lot. So if you are still reading this article, congratulations!
That study may be pertaining to us being easily distracted by our devices. But if we’re going to take a look at it, it also applies to what we do on the Internet. You may be searching for your social media accounts, but after a few seconds or minutes of not finding any good read or watch, you look for another website to visit or a thing to do.
Now, if you are a site owner, you would want to attract more visitors, and hopefully, they will spend a good amount of time on your page. To make them stay on your website longer than eight seconds, here are some design hacks that can help you keep your visitors:

Blank space, white space

As the CEO and co-founder of Skillcrush put it, “when in doubt, give it space.” You should always have some breathing space on your website. As much as you want to give people lots of information, statistics, and graphics, it should be in moderation. You don’t want them to be overwhelmed and make your site “overloaded” or crumpled unnecessarily.
Examples of this are the design of Apple and Google. They keep their websites easy to navigate, not heavy on the eyes yet you can see all the information that you need.
Moreover, it is better for you to stick with a theme or mood.

Lessen the fonts and colors you use in your website

Try typing on Word and use around five different fonts each with distinct colors and sizes, were you able to stand it? Glad you said no even before you tried doing this.
It is suggested that you keep a color palette. You need that particular consistency as well as with the fonts that you are using. There are a lot of “cute” fonts but are eye soring if employed in websites. You should also review fundamental rules of designs so you would know which fonts work well together, their sizes and colors.

Go big with your graphics

Did you know that in an Econsultancy study, larger graphics stimulated conversions as high as 329%? Perhaps it is because they were able to showcase their models, products, items, and services which are visually appealing. Having large graphics are definitely an A for clothing and fashion websites and other industry that having high-quality images will help them promote their businesses.
Maybe your business has nothing to do with design or fashion but presenting significant images is, in general, good to the eyes. It is a good reliever of your website being too text-heavy. Others may tend to rely too much on getting pictures from stock photography. It is okay, but most of the time, they don’t appeal too well to your visitors. Why not use tools like Canva and PicMonkey? Custom visuals also decreased bounce rate up to 14.3% according to a study.

Maximize different forms of media

As much as possible, use other forms of media aside from pictures or images. Less text, more videos, slideshows, GIFs, statistics, infographics, to name a few. Infographics are very useful as the information they need to read is simply put into graphics that are easy to process and remember.
Give your visitors a break from heavy texts and information. Present some fresh, entertaining media. Adding a little bit of humor is always good.

Write better and longer contents (and they should be interesting and relevant)

Not so much as a design tip, but more on the content. Besides, they still “appear” on your web page, right?
Don’t forget to highlight your top posts and pages. If you are confident with its content, make your visitors read it. Make sure that they are not spammy or clickbait. It is irritating, annoying, and disappointing. Instead of making your visitors spend longer time on your site, they will just close it. Make your content longer for SEO purposes but still of high-quality. Again, write for your readers and not just for the bots.
Ending your content with questions or engaging phrases are a plus. Provoke them to comment on your posts and crave for enriching discourse. And also, another trick to make your visitors stay longer on your site is by linking useful and relevant pages from your website as well.

Never forget to optimize your website for mobile or tablet use

Having your page, not mobile-friendly is a mortal sin in the digital world! Always remember that most people are using their smartphones when going online or checking something on the Internet. If they see that your site is not optimized for a better user experience, they will immediately look for other pages. Do not stress your visitors with your website’s design. Awe them in a good way.

Be creative and unique

This tip might be a cliche, but in reality, you should always have your signature style or design. Be that great to the point that when they see something related to your style or design, they will remember your brand.
So there are the seven simple and easy-to-do design innovations you can make use of. If you don’t quite trust your judgment on aesthetics, ask a friend or your team to be honest about your web design. Brainstorm, analyze, and throw constructive criticisms and useful suggestions. For sure, after that, your website will be far better than usual and eventually attract visitors, and they will stay longer on your page. Do you think these tips are effective? Let us know if you have anything in mind!