It’s excellent when you get traffic to your website, but if the conversion rate is low or non existent then all your hard SEO work is next to useless. Check out some of the steps below that Logic Red Web Design have been using over the years to help our clients get conversions from their websites. Remember that the key to a higher conversion rate is to test, check stats, test, repeat. What works for one website, will not work for another, making it difficult to offer a one-size-fits-all strategy for getting the best conversions.
Forms, keep them simple
Whilst forms are a spammers ticket to get content forced into your inbox, they are an excellent way to get information from a website visitor. Especially when your business is closed for the day. When asking for information in your forms, ask for as little information as necessary, you can always ask for additional information later. Give an expectation of what happens if someone were to complete your form, ie “We will get back to you within 24 hours”. Be careful when making your form fields mandatory. Some people are happy to give out their phone number but not email address, and vice-versa. Ensure your form is fully compliant with GDPR too. Your privacy policy can have a huge impact on your email conversions.
Don’t offer too many options
When faced with too many choices, your website visitors may actually become overwhelmed and completely avoid a purchase or going any further. When possible, be very clear about who your product is for and also consider suggesting which product is best for the majority of people to make it easier to choose.
Testimonials
Credibility is key here. Testimonials put your clients at ease. Use them on product landing pages where possible as well as having a testimonials page. There are third party websites you can use for your testimonials to ensure the client sees that these are from unbiased sources that are out of your control. These websites usually come with a small monthly cost, but will provide the ultimate in credibility. Eighty eight percent of respondents said their buying decisions were influenced by positive and negative reviews in a recent survey.
Refund policies, plain and simple
If you are selling products on your website, be sure to include a no quibble refund policy on all purchases. This reduces the risk and increased sales will make up for any returns.
Use well chosen call to actions and place them appropriately
Call to actions are essential to a website. When choosing, try using action language that tell visitors to take action. “Reserve yours today” and “Dont’ hesitate to call us, we are waiting to assist“. Let your website viewers know exactly what you want them to do next, whether it’s a button click or form completion. Test variations of your call to action buttons. Your “buy now” or button may perform differently depending on where it’s placed, what color it is and how big it is so test different versions to see what works best.
Make sure the benefits of your products/services are clearly stated
Obviously it’s important to list your products and services and explain how they work, but it’s equally important to inform potential customers how your product/service will help them solve a problem. Sounds obvious, but it’s often overlooked.
Conversion element placements
Keep conversion elements towards the top of the page. Customers will not always scroll to the bottom of your page, so anything with an opt-in or button to purchase must be visible towards the top of the page. This is also referred to as ‘above the fold’
Use call to action buttons as opposed to links
Buttons are more obvious and more clickable, particularly when viewed on mobile devices where links within text can easily be missed.
Include social-media follower counts
Again, like testioninals, showing the count of how many people follow you on your social media accounts adds more credibility to the business.
Related product placement
If you have related products/services, always try and include them next to your product/service to keep your viewers engaged.
Choose your page headline carefully
This is one of the most important parts of your landing page. Don’t just chuck any old thing in there. Really think about it and come up with a few possibilities to ensure it’s as engaging as possible.
Show stock numbers
Put pressure on your customers if you are selling products with stock levels and use call to actions such as “Hurry, only 1 left”
Keep your visitors excited
Use emotionally charged language and fun storytelling to get your visitors excited to try your product/service.
Offer as many payment options as possible
Consider offering a variety of payment methods to satisfy all your potential customers. Some people want paypal, others just credit card. Remember that some people may not have their credit card to hand but they will know their Paypal login details so will always be able to pay this way.
Use the best quality images you can
Using generic, cheesy stock photos can send the wrong message and can be transparent. Custom, professional quality photos are an absolute must for your site. Hire a photographer like James Neale to get some excellent shots of your product/services and use the bank of images for other things in the future (mailshots, printing etc).
Don’t waffle
Most views are too clever to fall for hype based content. Focus instead on factual, clear website text that helps your visitors make a fast decision.
Online chat
Install online chat software to help answer questions potential customers may have. We have used this online chat software in the past with excellent results.
Put a face to a name
Include a personal photo near your call to actions. It shows that there is a real person behind the brand and gives some credibility. Photos of people smiliing is believed to result in the highest conversion rates.
Placing your contact details somewhere obvious
In our eyes, there is simply nothing worse than making contact details hard to find. Ensure phone numbers, email addresses, forms are readily available in the header. On a mobile device ensure that there is phone icon stuck at the top that someone can click instantly to call.
Bonus discounts at checkout
After a visitor has purchased from your shop, don’t leave it there! Offer free shipping or a percent-off discount on their next purchase.
Match your content’s reading level to your audience
Using difficult language or technical language can alienate some of your visitors. You can use a Readability Score to make sure you’re matching your content to your audience.
Don’t require registration to purchase
Long ago, nearly all sites used to make you regsiter to purchase products which was very tiresome. Be sure to offer guest checkout to ensure it’s as easy/fast as possible to purchase a product. Remember, your visitor will want a seamless/fast transaction. The slightest complication will invariably result in a ditched shopping cart and the items being purchased elsewhere.
Hire a great design team in the first place!
Err, it’s obvious isn’t it? Contact Logic Red Web Design today to discuss your website requirements!
