If you are like most people, you probably spend hours online, looking for the next distraction from your long day’s routine. Websites likeFacebook, BuzzFeed andYouTube are some of themost frequented websites during work hours, offering quick escapism and instant gratification to millions of people. However, if you’re already spendingsome idle time on the web, you may as well learn something. Understanding what triggers an addiction to certain websites and what keeps us coming back to them can offer valuable insights for marketers.That way, when building your own website, you can try and emulate the best of the best.
Here are 7 addictive websites that we love and what you can learn from them:
Google Feud
The Onion
(Video) 3 Things I HATE About The PS5!Fancy
Wix
Free Rice
Do Nothing for 2 Minutes
ListVerse
Google Feud
We might have posted this blog a week earlier if it we hadn’t discovered Google Feud. A parody of the irresistible game show Family Feud, Google Feud invites you to guess how Google would autocomplete search queries in several categories. The unique combination of nostalgia and trivia kept us playing over and over and over.
Takeaway: Everybody lovesto play and grown ups appreciate a good game just as much as kids do. Gamification (theuse of gaming elements to drive, measure, and reward behaviors by customers) was one of the hottest trends to hit the internet in recent years, with more and more companies waking up tothe importance of keeping clients engaged, entertained and eager to “score points.” Check out thesegreat examples of simple gamification tacticsto learn how to create a“WOW!” experience for your clients and prospects.
The Onion
Why read the real news when you can read the fake news? It’s much funnier and less depressing. With Compelling titles such as “Hillary Clinton To Nation: ‘Do Not Fuck This Up For Me,’” you just may find yourself checking the site daily.
Takeaway:Great content is the mainstay for any business that wants to succeed online. Keep your content fresh and engaging and don’t be afraidto use your own unique voice. People love big personalities, original thinkers and new standpoints.
Fancy
You have probably heard about Pinterest but have you checked out Fancy? The site is a collection of useful, fun and interesting things – all available for sale. There are several things that Fancy is doing well:First, they know their target audience. Like Pinterest, which has a 70% female audience, Fancy can safely assume that most of their web visitors will be female. Next, they attract their audience with beautiful, high-quality images. The site is well organized so users can easily browse for things they love or search within a specific category. Finally, and this is crucial for anyone building an online store, Fancy makes it easy for visitors to purchase any of the products simply by clicking on an image.
Takeaway:Understanding and designing for your target audience is key in delivering a seamless user experience. If you want to learn more about creating a sticky website that converts more customers, check out this beginner’s guide to mastering UX.
Wix
Wix is any amateur designer’s candy shop, a place where dreams come true at the speed of light. One of the world’s fastestwebsite builders, Wix allowsyou to choose a design from a collection of beautiful free web templates and customize it toperfectionwithin minutes. You can easilycreate amazing websites that are perfectly unique, publish them to the web, share them on social media and ask your friends for feedback. The design process is highly addictive and chances are more than good that you’ll find yourself fully sucked in in five minutes. You can keep your original design, re-edit it, add elements or start over with a completely new template altogether: after all, it’s free!
Takeaway: Making partof your offering free is a great way to get people to learn about your business and foster clients’ loyalty. Even if you don’t have a freemium business model, integrating small services that are free of charge into your business (a free consult, a free trial or samples of your products) can go a long way with prospects.
Free Rice
Free Rice may not have a sleek appearance but they still have a sticky appeal. And that’s not because they’re selling rice pudding. The site offers trivia questions with an alluring incentive: for every correct answer, they donate 10 grains of rice to hungry people around the world. You waste time and save the world. What could be better?
Takeaway:When building your own website, particularly if you are a nonprofit, remember that having a clear, positive mission is very attractive to users. Your visitors will enjoy feeling like they are making a difference simply by revisiting your website.
Do Nothing for 2 Minutes
The site does exactly what it claims to do. And we can’t stop visiting it! This site works because it is simple, innovative and offers users something they rarely find on line: An easy to achieve challenge that will help them relax and take a breather.
Takeaway: Success starts with simplicity. Keep your messaging clear and help your visitors understand where they are as soon as they land on your page.
ListVerse
ListVerse is an enormous collection of top ten lists, ranging from the strange (10 Bizarre Situations There’s Actually A Word For) to the funny (10 Consequences Of Being A Superhero In Real Life) to the informative (10 Famous People Who Did Great Things In Other Fields). They write clear, compelling headlines that tell visitors exactly what each article is about.
Takeaway:If you write a blog, take a cue from this great site and use numbers in your headlines. Readers find lists irresistible because they make for quick, easy to skim reading. Take note.
By The Wix Team
