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If you have been using the Internet for some time, I’m sure you would have at least heard of StumbleUpon once. The site is one of the biggest social media on the net, along with Digg and Del.icio.us. But unlike Digg and Del.icio.us, it’s very rare for StumbleUpon to be able to send tens of thousands of new visitors in a day. Though with that said, StumbleUpon is one the best way to bring in new visitors, especially for new sites. Do keep in mind however, that as the service describes itself as allowing you to ‘channel-surf the internet’, StumbleUpon users are notoriously fickle. They don’t tend to stay in a site for long (usually within a few seconds).

The service describes itself as allowing you to ‘channel-surf the internet’ and I think it’s a very appropriate description. Users flick through websites like you might flick through channels, often making a decision on whether to stay or leave your site before it has even had time to finish loading. In this post, I want to suggest some quick tips you can use to draw StumbleUpon users into your site before they stumble away.

1. Make your blog’s core mission-statement unmissable – I suggest having a good header and your site’s mission statement as the catchphrase to communicate a lot of information within a few seconds. If the stumbler is interested in what your site has to offer, he or she are more likely stick around.

2. Insert powerful visual cues – Having a logo is recommended if you want to get more chances for StumbleUpon users to stay longer at your site. As picture can paint a thousand words, it’s easy to send the message to your visitors on what your site is about within seconds. For example, if your site is about making money online, having a pile of cash as logo will instantly tell people that your site is about making money.

3. Push your content above the fold – StumbleUpon users often judge a site by what is offered in the above the fold area – the area of your site which appears on screen before any scrolling occurs.

In order to place your content in area visible to StumbleUpon User the moment they enter your site, you can make use of your blog’s sidebar (widget), header area and your navigation menu.

4. Get a unique design – To be precise, get a professional design. More often than not, internet surfers are hastier with aesthetic judgments. A professional looking blog encourages a stumbler to stick around and check whether the content is great, as well.

Even though StumbleUpon users are notorious in channel surfing the net, if you make full use of these tips, it’s not hard to score some loyal readers while driving hundreds of stumblers to your site. Make sure to give it a try.

Nik Imran is the author of IMakeABlog, a blog that provides beginner’s guide to make a blog. He also compiled a list of blogging tools for new bloggers to use.