I personally find that if I have done my marketing correctly, then my visitors will stay because they know exactly what I provide and that they want a piece of the action.
It's as much about what happens before they come to my site as it is about what they see when they get there. If I land them right, then someone who is interested in 'Widget X' goes directly to the 'Widget X' page, rather than to my homepage and then on to the product page (If I get the initial sale done, then I can up-sell just before checkout, or just after adding to basket).
In terms of on-site goodness, I think users appreciate the following (in order):
- Simple Navigation
- Short, articulate passages of text
- Images that complement the text or activity in question
I have always found that superfluous text (management speak) and images (think generic images that are of no consequence - people staring moodily at computer monitors, business men shaking hands, etc...) make for an irritating user experience. Keeping it simple and obvious reduces the potential for a user to make a mistake or become frustrated.
A good experience will always keep a user on your site for longer - a bad experience will definitely send them on their way.
