Change your tab title when users leave

When someone opens a new tab, your page becomes a title in a row of tabs. That title is your last chance to pull them back.

A few lines of JavaScript can detect when the user switches away and change the tab title. "Don't forget your cart" on an ecommerce site. "(1) New idea waiting" on a content site. The parenthetical number mimics notification badges and is surprisingly effective at drawing the eye.

This works because browser tabs are a to-do list people scan constantly. A title that changes stands out from the static ones. It's a pattern interrupt in a row of sameness.

But use it once per session, max. Sites that flash the title or cycle through messages feel spammy. One calm, relevant change when the user first leaves. That's it. If they don't come back after that, changing the title again won't help.