How to Increase User Engagement? Best Engagement Strategy for Your Business

How to Increase User Engagement? Best Engagement Strategy for Your Business

Zuzanna Sobczyk
Zuzanna Sobczyk10 minJuly 23, 2023

Tired of playing a one-sided game of hide and seek with your website visitors?

Well, it’s time to turn the tables and make them stick around like a clingy koala on a eucalyptus tree.

Welcome to the wild world of user engagement, where the fun never stops and the excitement is contagious.

We want to show you the secrets of user engagement and how to level up your website like a pro gamer on a sugar rush.

Without hesitation, let’s begin.

What is user engagement?

User engagement refers to the level of interaction, involvement, and interest that users have with a product, website, or application. It measures how users interact with and respond to the features, content, and functionality of a digital platform.

User engagement can be assessed through various metrics, such as:

  • time spent on the platform,
  • number of visits,
  • page views,
  • social media shares, comments, likes, 

and other forms of user interactions.

How to calculate user engagement?

There are several ways to measure user engagement, depending on the specific platform or product you are analyzing.

Here are some common user engagement metrics:

  • Time spent on site or app: engagement metric relating to the average duration users spend on your website or app. Longer session durations generally indicate higher engagement.
  • Pageviews: the number of pages users visit during a session. Higher page views suggest more exploration and engagement with your content.
  • Bounce rate: the percentage of visitors who leave your website or app after viewing only one page. A lower bounce rate means higher engagement.
  • Click-through rate (CTR): the friction of users who click on a specific call-to-action or link. A higher CTR can convey greater engagement with your content or offers.
  • Social media metrics: the number of likes, shares, comments, and mentions your content receives on social media platforms. Higher engagement on social media implies a more engaged audience.
  • Conversion rate: the number of users who complete a desired action, such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or filling out a form. A higher conversion rate suggests a high level of engagement and interest.
  • User surveys and feedback: user feedback from surveys, polls, or direct feedback channels. This qualitative data can provide insights into user satisfaction and engagement levels.
  • Heatmaps and session recordings: tools like heatmaps and session recordings used to analyze user behavior and interactions on your website or app. This visual data can reveal areas of high engagement, such as frequently clicked elements or sections of the page that get the most active users.

Factors that can improve user engagement

If you’re struggling with engaging your users, it’s not the end of the world. Here’s what can help you:

Quality and relevant content

Content is king, but quality and relevance are its queen. Users engage with content that resonates with them, that speaks to their needs and interests. It’s not about churning out content for content’s sake - it’s about creating value for your audience.

Practical advice:

  • create content that your audience finds helpful and interesting
  • keep your content up to date and provide fresh information regularly

Useful tools: Buzzsumo, SEMrush, Google Trends

UI and UX design

A user-friendly interface and a seamless user experience are non-negotiable. They’re the foundation of user engagement. If your website or app is difficult to navigate, users will bounce off - no matter how great your content is.

Practical advice:

  • make your website or app easy to use and navigate
  • ensure that your site loads quickly and works well on different devices

Useful tools: Canva, Figma, Midjourney, LiveSession, Google Analytics

Read also: 

4 Inspiring UX Design Examples that Showcase the Power of Graphic Design

Personalization and customization

Users don’t want a one-size-fits-all experience. They crave personalization and customization. They want to feel seen and understood. They want an experience that’s tailored to their needs and preferences.

Practical advice:

  • give your users personalized recommendations and options
  • let users customize their experience to suit their preferences

Useful tools: Mailchimp, Optimizely, WordPress plugins, LiveSession

Social interactions and community building

People are social creatures. They crave connection and community. Brands that foster social interactions and build a sense of community enjoy higher levels of user engagement.

Practical advice:

  • encourage users to engage with your brand on social media
  • create a sense of community by fostering interactions among users

Useful tools: Hootsuite, Buffer, Facebook Groups

Incentives, rewards & gamification

Who doesn’t love a good incentive or reward? Gamification elements like leaderboards and badges can drive engagement and foster a sense of competition and achievement.

Practical advice: 

  • offer rewards or incentives to motivate users to take action
  • make it fun by adding games or challenges to keep users engaged

Useful tools: ReferralCandy, Gamify, Badgeville, Billy, HiThrive

Best practices for boosting user engagement

To further expand on the above elements, we’ve crafted a useful guide with best practices to improve user engagement for you.

Crafting Engaging Content

  • Know your audience

Understanding your audience is the first step in creating engaging content. It’s about knowing their needs, interests, and pain points. You have to speak their language.

  • Mix it up

Don’t limit yourself to blog posts. Experiment with videos, infographics, podcasts, and more. Variety is the spice of life, and it can keep your audience engaged.

  • Consistency is crucial

Maintain a consistent brand voice across all your content. It helps build brand recognition and fosters trust with your audience.

  • Stay fresh

Keep your content fresh and up-to-date. Outdated content can harm your credibility and disengage your audience.

Optimizing UI/UX design

  • Easy navigation is a must

If users can’t find what they’re looking for, they’ll leave. An easy-to-navigate website or app is a must for user engagement.

  • Mobile-friendly is the way to go

With more people browsing on their phones, a mobile-friendly design isn’t optional - it’s mandatory.

  • Less is more

A clean, clutter-free design can enhance user engagement. Overwhelming users with too much information or too many options can lead to decision fatigue and disengagement.

  • Clear calls-to-action

Guide your users with clear and concise calls to action. Tell them what you want them to do next, whether it’s signing up for a newsletter, making a purchase, or sharing your content.

Personalization and Customization

  • Leverage data and analytics

Use audience data and analytics to deliver targeted content. The more relevant your content, the more engaged your users will be.

  • Empower users

Allow users to customize their experience on your app or website. Empower them to choose what they want to see and how they want to see it.

  • Listen to your users

User feedback is a goldmine of insights for improving your user engagement strategy. Listen to your users, value their feedback, and make necessary improvements.

Social interactions

  • Foster a sense of community

Foster a sense of community among your users. Encourage interactions, discussions, and collaborations.

  • Social sharing

Implement social sharing buttons and features. Make it easy for users to share your content with their networks.

  • Engage on social media

Engage with your users on social media. Respond to their comments, answer their questions, and join their conversations.

  • Host events

Organize events, webinars, and virtual meetups. They’re great opportunities for users to interact with your brand and with each other.

Incentives and gamification

  • Reward engagement

Offer rewards for user engagement and loyalty. It could be discounts, exclusive content, or even recognition on your website or social media.

  • Gamify the experience

Implement game-like elements like leaderboards and badges. They can make the user experience more fun and engaging.

  • Promote competition

Promote healthy competition among users. It can drive engagement and foster a sense of achievement.

As you can see, there are actually many things that can help you improve user engagement. Pick the ones that are close to your product and its users for best results. 

Real-life examples of brands with high user engagement

Enough of theory. Let’s see how real brands manage to keep their users engaged. 

#1 LiveSession

LiveSession, a user analytics and session replay tool, not only provides valuable insights into customer behavior but also cares about user engagement through informative and engaging blog posts. 

Our blog covers a wide range of topics related to user experience, conversion optimization, and data-driven decision-making.

Thanks to sharing valuable content and practical advice, we keep users like you informed, entertained, and engaged with our brand.

Tip: Boost user engagement with LiveSession!

LiveSession is a fantastic solution for enhancing user engagement on your website or application.

With our powerful features, we let you:

  • gain valuable insights into how users interact with your product,
  • identify areas for improvement in your sales funnel,
  • and ultimately increase conversion rates. 

Thanks to session replays, you get to observe real-time user behavior and understand their actions.

What’s more, LiveSession’s event-based product analytics provides comprehensive metrics that you can use to track important user actions and identify patterns that drive engagement.

Whether you’re a SaaS company or an eCommerce business, LiveSession equips you with the tools to answer critical questions about user behavior, drop-off points, page elements, and more.

Start leveraging LiveSession’s capabilities to enhance user engagement, make your product more user-friendly, and ultimately achieve greater success.

Sign up for a free trial of LiveSession today and start understanding your users on a whole new level.

#2 LEGO

 LEGO understands the power of play and increases their user engagement rate through its LEGO Ideas platform.

They invite fans to submit their own product design ideas, vote on their favorite sets, and bring their creations to life.

This collaborative approach creates a strong bond with their audience and fuels creativity.

#3 Airbnb

Airbnb revolutionized the travel industry by focusing on creating unique and personalized experiences for their users.

Through their platform, travelers can connect with locals, book one-of-a-kind accommodations, and truly immerse themselves in the destination.

This formula can lead to memorable and engaging travel experiences for users. Ultimately, they will make them want to come back to Airbnb to use it again.

#4 Glossier

Glossier has built a cult-like following by involving their customers in their brand journey.

They actively engage with their audience on social media, encourage user-generated content, and listen to their feedback.

This way, they make their customers feel like part of an exclusive beauty club.

#5 Sephora

Sephora has successfully engaged users through their Beauty Insider loyalty program.

Members receive exclusive perks, personalized recommendations, and access to special events.

Sephora also provides a seamless omnichannel experience whch allows users to browse products online, try on virtual makeup, and receive personalized beauty advice in-store.

Conclusion

User engagement isn’t just about numbers - it’s about building relationships with your users.

You have to create value for them and earn their trust and loyalty.

Remember that it’s not a one-time effort but rather a continuous process. Invest in it, and it will pay off in the form of brand success.

Thank you for coming to our blog and be sure to check out our other articles. Once more, we recommend trying LiveSession if you want to increase engagement of your users. 

Good luck!

Want more knowledge?

Get more tips and insights on UX, research and CRO. Zero spam. Straight to your inbox.