I was reading that some great ideas to make visitors staying longer on your website are to start a forum or a chatroom, to set up a blog, to carry out polls or surveys, to give them puzzles, quizzes and games, but nothing about content.
I agree that a forum (chatroom, whatever), a blog, a poll or a survey, puzzles, quizzes, games, etc. are very good methods to make your visitors staying longer on your website, but what about content? The idea of starting a website, or a blog, or whatever you want to do, is to send a message to your visitors, to answer them their questions, to provide them a solution for what they are looking for, not to make them staying longer on your website with any price. Of course, making them to spend more time on your website is in your advantage, but make it fair. Give them the right reason to stay on your website.
Make clear the purpose of your website, describe what you are selling, a product, a service or mere information, be concise, make clear that you are the one who has the answers in that domain, and you will see that you don't need games, puzzles, quizzes or something else to make your visitors staying longer on your website. Do not think that if you have some knowledge on a subject, you are wiser than your visitors. In fact, many of them could give you lessons in whatever domain you ask for. Someone who is smart enough to search for something on the Internet can not be fooled easy.
The reason for which 98% of the Internet marketers are failing is because they are following this kind of advices. Methods like "make your visitors staying longer on your website using quizzes or games" are the death of your Internet Marketing adventure, unless your website is dedicated to such things. A forum is great, a blog is great, a poll or a survey are great, but should serve you to determine what are your visitors looking for, should be your main source of documentation for providing them with what they need.
There is one word which is saint for me, targeted traffic. You don't need a million visitors staying on your website all day long. You should prefer one hundred visitors for one minute each and 99% conversion from that visitors. Is this a wrong point of view, considering that Google will rank your site considering the number of visitors and the period of their visit on your website? Do not think that Google is not observing this kind of things. The unique content, the originality of your content, the clarity of your website will always be seen and you will be rewarded by Google for that. Do not build your business on the criteria of Google or other search engine, keep in mind that your visitors are your target. The Japanese use to say "the customer is God", and they are right.
The author is running a website, "Affiliate Marketing Step By Step", where you can find detailed documentation on how to start a home business at no cost. You may find out also interesting things on his blog, "I Am An Affiliate!". You will receive a lot of tips and gifts related to Internet Marketing.