Returnability - What’s Your Returnability Quotient?

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Returnability is a new word that I created which describes the appeal a website has to have for the need, want or desire to return again and again. The Returnability Quotient will simply be a measure of all of the elements combined that create a measurable and comparable score to judge the effectiveness of a website. Let me list the 10 key elements that the Returnability Quotient is comprised of. The simplest test is for you to give yourself a score of 0 or 5 or 10 for every one of these ten categories.

An example would be:

1. A constant flow of new and useful information that is pertinent to your desired reader -- the goal is to be the source of the hot topics or trends within your industry. This doesn’t mean you have to write even one article. All you have to do is be a collector of information that you can gather from other websites, newsletters or blogs. What you are doing is becoming the filter and distribution point for pertinent information that would force your reader to return again.
2. Tools can encourage return visits to your site such as how to create the perfect diamond ring with a tool that has the different settings in it. In the home décor business, a floor planner widget or software will help to lay out furniture in a room electronically, better known as computer aided design.
   Another tool that is used in the wedding industry is a chart that matches a dress type to a body type, i.e. a pear-shaped body should match a pear-shaped dress. The company that is a master at this is the software company Hubspot that offers different types of graders for websites, Facebook, Twitter and even press releases. Think in terms of what kinds of tools you could offer on your website that would be beneficial to your customers and almost force the customer to return again and again.
3. Specialized reports that are updated on a regular basis can be a wonderful tool to bring people back to your website on a regular basis. The reports can vary in topics but the common denominator must be the things that benefit your readers. You can call these white papers on….
4. Humor, jokes and cartoons are the easiest ideas to capture and bring your website to another level. People love to collect and share jokes and someone can be your biggest promoter if they are a joke forwarding type of person because you are getting this free type of exposure and subtle referrals. I send out a joke or a cartoon in every newsletter entry I submit.
5. Calls to action are simple, graphical boxes with a compelling offer whereby you will send them special reports or information pertaining to something of interest to them. If you’re thinking that this graphical box doesn’t really bring people back, you’re half right. What the box does is to collect customer contact information which allows you to send that customer additional offers that in turn will bring customers back to your site.
6. Free webinars – create a series of webinars about things of interest to your customers which they can turn on to keep them on the site longer and make them return only if you let them know there are more webinars that are constantly changing.
7. Polls and surveys – ask your customers survey questions that would have interest to your other readers. These surveys can be done on a short term basis or can be offered on an ongoing basis. An example might be the percentage of expenses for advertising and marketing or advertising trends and the survey results change when someone fills out a survey form. The result is continuous, cumulative and updated data.
8. Specialized stock market reports – there are widgets that you can get which will collect specific stocks that will apply to your industry. You want to select stocks that affect your customers’ community or industry. In essence, you are supplying information that your reader cannot find compiled in this way anyplace else. Therefore, this makes your site a place they want and need to return to.
9. Quotes – people love to read pithy informational or motivational quotes about their job, relationships or living. Be a collector of quotes and offer a quote of the day or of the week and it will bring people back to your site.
10. Adaptable material that can be adopted from various websites, the news, blogs or newsletters that you gather to make your site the hub of information pertaining to a specific topic. It is estimated that there are over ten million free articles on the web at any given time. Check it out.

Now ask yourself how many of these 10 are you currently doing? If you’re not doing any, give yourself a zero. If you’re doing a little of it, give yourself a 5. And if you’re fully engaged in it, give yourself a 10. Let me know how you scored or if you have any other ideas to add to this list. I think it is a fascinating topic, and if I can get through some of my other projects, look for a book coming out on this.