This is a guest post by Danny Wong, the Lead Evangelist of Blank Label, a provider of custom men’s dress shirts, co-created by the consumer with all your preferences and exact fit in mind.

In our digital age, where websites like Facebook, Twitter, and ChatRoulette all demand our attention, web consumers are looking for a quick fix, and are entitled to short bursts of entertainment. In fact, it is getting harder and harder everyday to engage an audience online if you’re not the next viral video on YouTube, if all of your friends aren’t in the same place at the same time, or if you’re not meeting crazy strangers from around the world or oddly enough down the street.

The Gen Y consumer needs to be stimulated, and needs to know within seconds that your website, product or service can add some value to their otherwise “busy” lives.

Here are 5 tips for capturing a Gen Y audience:

1. Give them something fun, something interesting or something outright crazy

In a world where Scarlet Takes a Tumble can take in over 10 million YouTube views, you have to have something just unbelievable or no one, or very few people will care about it.

2. Break the latest and best news!

Let them know something new and awesome has happened, but really have something fresh and amazing to support that.

3. Give it to them within 3 seconds, or they’ll leave

This isn’t always applicable, but we all know that people have a shorter and shorter attention span. If you can’t loudly express your value-add within 3 seconds, you’ll have lost your chance.

4. Prove you’re legit (social proof)

Are all the cool kids doing it? Prove to your audience that you are credible, that Media is covering you, their friends are using your product or service, or that strangers are highly recommending your offering

5. Make it real personal

The Gen Y consumer is incredibly entitled. They want to make sure they’re being treated like kings and queens, and that you’re going out of your way to do everything you can to make them happy. One day we’ll be able to create websites that virtually greet you with a “Hi Joe” or “Hey Dave.” We can easily do that now, but we won’t always get your name right. ;-) On the flipside, if you happen to be a Joe or Dave, you’re gonna love this new website we’ve got.

Photo credit Daniel*1977