7 Strategies to Increase Website Dwell Time – Balancing Security, Content, and User Experience

Intro

As digital marketing competition intensifies, keeping visitors on a site for longer—known as “dwell time”—has emerged as a crucial metric that goes beyond simple page views, influencing SEO, conversion rates, and brand trust. Increasing dwell time is not just about adding more content; it’s about creating an environment and experience that make users want to stay. In particular, the perception of a site as “safe and trustworthy” directly reduces visitor anxiety, encouraging them to explore more pages and engage further. In this regard, examples from safe casinos show that robust security and authentication systems can effectively extend visitor dwell time.

A safe casino refers to an online casino that ensures legality, security, and fairness, allowing users to enjoy games with peace of mind. These sites are licensed by the government or certified by relevant authorities, and they operate robust security systems that include data encryption, identity verification, and measures to block illegal programs. Such elements minimize the risk of users being exposed to fraud or illegal operations and provide an environment where they can stay safely for extended periods.

This kind of “trust-based dwell time enhancement” strategy can be applied to various fields beyond online casinos. For example, Naver Shopping and 11st encourage consumers to explore more products with peace of mind through escrow payment systems and seller verification processes. Similarly, internet-only banks such as KakaoBank and Toss enable users to safely use financial services for extended periods through two-factor authentication and real-time transaction alerts.

An Intuitive Design That Shapes First Impressions

Within the first five seconds of accessing a website, users decide whether to stay or leave. At this moment, intuitive navigation and a clean layout are crucial. A cluttered interface or overly complex menus are major factors that reduce dwell time. For example, clearly distinguishing between primary and secondary menus and implementing a responsive design that provides the same usability in mobile environments can make it easier for users to navigate and explore the content.

In Korea, Dong-A Ilbo is a prime example of this. In 2023, the company revamped its UX and UI, introducing a responsive web design that delivers the same user experience across both PC and mobile environments. It also placed personalized sections, such as the “Your News” corner, on its main page to effectively extend dwell time. As a result of these changes, Dong-A Ilbo increased its average daily active users (DAU) by 30% compared to before the redesign.

Ensuring Security and Trustworthiness

A website’s security goes beyond technical aspects and directly impacts the overall user experience. HTTPS security protocols, data encryption, and integration with trusted payment gateways are fundamental. In particular, online casinos or shopping malls that handle financial transactions can lower visitors’ psychological barriers by adopting security certificates and third-party verification systems. A site with robust security encourages users to stay longer, explore more features, and increases the likelihood of repeat visits.

For example, Naver Shopping and 11st apply an “escrow service” by default in the payment process, withholding the amount paid by the customer from the seller until the product is received and confirmed. This prevents consumer harm, enhances the platform’s trustworthiness, and naturally increases dwell time on the site.

In the gaming industry, some mobile and PC game platforms operated by Nexon and Netmarble prevent account theft and unauthorized payments by implementing “real-name-based account management” and “OTP two-factor authentication.” Notably, the reduction in fraudulent payment incidents in recent years is a direct result of the effective operation of these security policies.

KakaoBank and Toss, two internet banking services in Korea, combine “easy login” features with “biometric authentication” while also providing a system that allows users to check all transaction records in real time. Such trust-based services encourage users to spend more time exploring various features within the app or webpage.

In this way, various industries in Korea are actively applying strategies to extend dwell time by ensuring security and trustworthiness. Security and verification go beyond mere risk management; they serve as the foundation for building long-term user relationships and driving platform growth.

Providing Personalized Content

A personalization strategy that delivers the information visitors want immediately can significantly increase dwell time. This includes recommendation algorithms, customized content based on past visit history, and email newsletters tailored to users’ interests. In the case of online gaming platforms, analyzing a player’s gaming preferences and history to offer personalized game recommendations can boost both engagement and dwell time.

Domestic examples include Naver and Kakao. Naver provides personalized news and shopping recommendations through its “Smart Channel” feature, based on users’ search, shopping, and content consumption history. Kakao, on its Kakao Games platform, analyzes individual users’ gameplay history to recommend games of similar genres or difficulty levels, thereby increasing both revisit rates and dwell time.

There is a case where the “Clash of Clans Bases” website significantly increased dwell time by combining search engine optimization (SEO) with personalized guide content, raising its ranking to second place for its target keywords. The site offers different base layouts and strategy guides depending on the player’s level, tactical style, and objectives, encouraging visitors to not only gather information but also spend more time exploring content tailored to their own play style.

Use of Multimedia

Compared to text-heavy pages, content that effectively combines images, videos, and infographics enhances visual engagement. For example, adding short tutorial videos or review clips to a product introduction page can increase the amount of time users spend on that page. In online casino sites, combining live-streamed game screens with chat functions is an effective way to encourage user participation.

Some beauty clinics have enhanced the credibility of their procedures by embedding before-and-after comparison images and short explanatory videos on their web pages. This multimedia content encourages visitors to stay longer by providing a visual and sensory experience beyond just reading text. By utilizing high-quality images, explanatory videos, and 360-degree views, businesses can improve users’ understanding of their products or services and naturally extend the time spent on the site.

Interactive Elements Placement

Elements that allow users to actively participate—such as quizzes, surveys, and mini-games—are powerful tools for increasing dwell time. Interactions linked to rewards are particularly effective. For example, an online store could host an event where users receive a discount coupon for completing a simple quiz, encouraging them to spend time voluntarily.
In certain industries, interactive tools based on professional data can significantly increase dwell time. For example, a construction website that offers a structural design calculator or a material requirement simulator encourages users to spend more time inputting real data. A UK-based rebar detailing company implemented a full SEO strategy with topic clusters and in-depth content, resulting in a 25% increase in qualified quote requests within six months. The same principle can be applied to online gaming or casino sites: providing tools such as game probability calculators, betting simulators, or strategy guide generators can simultaneously boost user engagement and return visits.

Page Load Speed Optimization

No matter how excellent the content is, users will leave quickly if the page loads slowly. Optimizing speed is especially crucial in mobile environments. By optimizing images and video files, minimizing unnecessary scripts, and utilizing a Content Delivery Network (CDN), loading times can be improved. It is said that reducing load time by just one second can increase purchase conversion rates by 2%.

Recently, Core Web Vitals metrics have been directly incorporated into search engine optimization (SEO), making page load speed improvements not only a means of enhancing user experience but also an important factor in strengthening competitiveness in search rankings. For example, major e-commerce platforms such as Coupang and 11st have switched the image loading method on their mobile apps and websites to lazy loading and expanded cache servers to reduce server response time, thereby increasing both page dwell time and purchase conversion rates.

Strengthening Community and Social Connectivity

Providing spaces where visitors can communicate with other users naturally extends site dwell time. Forums, chat rooms, comment sections, and social media integration encourage users to share and discuss content. In particular, content that combines participation and competition—such as in gaming communities or online casinos—can expand dwell time alongside active social engagement.

In Korea, Inven and Ruliweb are notable examples. Inven operates dedicated boards for each game and real-time chat rooms, fostering strategy sharing and community interaction among users. Ruliweb enhances discussions and information sharing by integrating social media accounts and offering a real-time comment system, thereby driving long-term engagement.

Seen in this way, strategies for increasing dwell time are not merely about keeping users on a page, but about fostering both psychological comfort and active participation. When a safe environment is established, personalized experiences are offered, and the quality of interaction and content is elevated, a website can transform from a simple visit destination into a place where users truly want to stay.