When you think about an online commodity, what is the first thing that comes to mind? If you said “time”, then you’re already ahead of the curve when it comes to attracting and retaining the attention of site visitors. Unlike Internet space, which can be filled with banner ads ad nauseam, time cannot be created on the web, meaning it is one of the most precious commodities available. Savvy marketers are waking up to this fact, and as a result, it seems that time, not clicks, are the new gold within the Internet economy.
How Do You Keep a Visitor’s Attention
The simple fact is that the Internet is an increasingly crowded marketplace of ideas, opinions, products, and services. Additionally, as the Internet has led to a more connected business landscape, people are now encouraged to do more online at work with the little time they have. What all of this means is that it’s getting harder and harder to capture and retain an Internet user’s attention, which is why, once again, time is such a commodity. As a result, in order to cut through the clutter, experts are now focusing on content quality over quantity. In the past, it was easy enough to draw in site visitors by bombarding them with meaningless content and ads, but today, that tactic is almost sure to fail.
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How to Monetize Time
When it comes to monetizing time, there are a number of different ways to go about things, but one of the most often used today is to require visitors to watch a video ad to access certain content. While this may seem counter-intuitive and like something that would turn visitors away, once again, you have to go back to the notion of offering quality content. If you provide your visitors with content that is desirable, most users will be willing to sit through a short video ad in order to gain access to it. Overusing this model, however, may indeed have the opposite effect. Additionally, there is the problem of losing views but not receiving a higher revenue percentage from advertisers. The solution to this problem remains to be seen, but it is likely to resolve itself over time.
Inventory Builds Time Spent on Your Site
Lastly, one of the best ways to keep people on your site, and coming back, is to have an inventory of content. Yes, you want to be regularly updating your content in order to entice visitors and keep their attention, but you also want to have an extensive inventory of content that will drive visitors to delve deeper into your site. For example, if you have a specific type of content, such as humorous original cartoons, you want to be able to offer visitors the chance to spend hours looking through all of the pieces that you’ve produced over the years. Likewise, this will help to develop your site’s brand, meaning visitors will be more likely to sign up for updates and check back regularly.