One of the most common questions we receive from clients who have an existing, established website is "how do we increase our conversion rate"? Often, business owners who are worried about their conversion optimization strategy have other web-related issues that have yet to be uncovered, such as design and copywriting. It's easy to think that fixing a few things and checking them off a list will skyrocket your sales, but the truth is, conversion optimization is an ongoing process that requires constant attention, tweaking and risk-taking.
Making changes to your website without considering how it impacts the user is mistake number one - especially if your primary source of traffic is via pay-per-click advertising. One of our favourite requests is "let's make the phone number bigger". Sure, a bigger phone number could draw more attention to the action you desire, but what would this do for your website in the long run?
Who is your ideal user? What are they looking for? What state of mind are they in when visiting your web page? The more questions you can answer about your user (based on analytical history) the better chances you have of increasing conversions.
Many of the decision makers we speak to are unaware of conversion-related terminology, such as "above the fold" or "call to action". They often have the impression that a better looking web design will garner better results - and this is not always the case. Identify your user, identify the singular goal on your page and then design it to encourage the actions required to complete that goal. Designing without purpose (business goals) is useless when it comes to landing pages.
Clients LOVE showcasing product or service features in a stylized bullet list - and rightfully so. The features are what set you apart from competitors but when it comes to landing page design and converting your traffic, focusing on the benefits rather than the features will resonate much better with potential leads. Tell them why they should choose your company, not what your company does.
Social media signals weigh heavily on a brand's credibility. What is the market saying about you? How quick do you respond to support tickets? Has someone recently had a bad experience that's gone unresolved? Having social proof such as testimonials and reviews included in your landing page will instill a level of trust based on public recommendation.
Implementing all of the above tips is great, but it's only the beginning. Using Google Analytics to segment your traffic sources as well as sending them to separate landing pages will ensure consistency with each channel i.e. PPC, email marketing, social media and organic placement. This way you can measure, conduct split testing and tweak to improve conversion rates over time - and avoid the dreaded plateau.
See below for more on how to increase your website conversion rates:
Photo courtesy of Kevin Dooley