How People Weave through the Web

Lee Rainie, a pioneer in Internet research, talked to a select group of Washington, D.C. Web managers recently about what the Pew Internet and American Life Project has learned over the past decade.

Naturally, everyone wanted to know how to snag and hold visitors to their sites-and he told them.But first, he reminded them what a very big place the Web is. Internet users expend as much effort filtering out information they don’t want as finding what they do. One-half use a customizable information filter, like a Google News alert.

So how do you get visitors past their filter and onto your site? Rainie suggests a four-step approach to get in sync with today’s “new pattern of communication and influence”:

Attention. Find new visitors in out-of-the-ordinary places, which for many organizations means Facebook or Twitter. Seek out people who are trying to exert influence in your field, whether they are big names in online conversations or humble personal bloggers.

Acquisition. Make it easy to learn about you. Go past search engine optimization and converse about your work, online and in-person. Express collegiality with links or referrals to other entities in your field, some of whom are likely to reciprocate.

Assessment. Make it easy to assess the value of what you offer. Of course, the user ultimately decides whether your work is relevant, but you can demonstrate that you’re trustworthy. Link to all of your sources, archive everything, and when you make mistakes, apologize.

Action. It’s also up to the user to take action in the real world, but you can make it easier to take action online. Offer opportunities for meaningful comment, and be sure to respond.

Lee Rainie spoke at Julie Perlmutter’s invitation-only Web Manager’s Roundtable.