Is your website’s conversion rate leaving you cold? It could be that your site is not optimized and geared towards converting browsers into buyers. If this is you, don’t feel bad – it happens to the best of us, and it actually creates a belief that personal services can’t be sold online, and that websites don’t work – both of which are not true.
With the right tools and approach, you can improve your website conversion rate and you can sell whatever you want online. Whether you want to add visitors to your email marketing database, or to convert them to buying sooner in your sales funnel, these changes will help to significantly increase your site’s usability and conversion rates.
Increase Conversions Step 1: Deliver Social Proof
Social proof helps potential customers make buying decisions. Nobody wants to buy something they know nothing about, or something that has not been proven effective. Adding social proof to your site will make you look like an authority in the field and will tilt the decision in your favor. Here are some examples of social proof that might work for you:
- Testimonials
- Case Studies
- Success Stories
- Partner / Customer Logos
Display your social proof along with an introduction about your offering, as well as a link to more detailed information.
Tip: Add a video introduction. Potential clients love seeing your face as it helps them to create a personal connection with you.
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Increase Conversions Step 2: Navigate Like a Pro
Navigation should be a primary aspect of your website design, and not an afterthought, as it is in many cases. Your visitors want to know exactly where they are at on your site. They want to know where they can go.
As part of your website strategy, consider your business objectives before you design your site. Everything should be designed with your strategy and business objectives in mind.
Tip: For every page, menu, footer, recommendation and category, keep your visitor’s ease of navigation in mind.
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Increase Conversions Step 3: De-clutter
While a website be your online voice, it is important to avoid overwhelming your visitors with information. Keep the main pages of your site clean and clutter-free. When we want information, and we need to think, we generally need space to do that.
A site with plenty white space allows just that. It gives them an opportunity to pause, analyze and consider their options. It allows their eyes to easily find the information they want to read next.
I am a believer of less is more.
Tip: Along with the white space and simple navigation, consider creative ways of simply answering the WWWW and H questions for your clients, in a non-cluttered manner.
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Increase Conversions Step 4: Remember a Picture to Create a Visual Experience
While enticing text can help describe a product’s features and benefits in much more detail than looking at the physical product, people like to see what they are buying. Create a visual experience with images and screen shots.
Tip: For products, add a few shots from different angles. Add close-ups of a special feature, and a shot from the front, back and side.
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Increase Conversions Step 5: Make a Decision Simple
I mentioned “space to pause” above and the same applies to making decisions. Savvy consumers like to consider all their options before deciding on the best one for their needs. Don’t let the paradox of choice stop your conversions from taking place.
Tip: Remove multiple calls-to-action from your landing pages. Make it simple with a single option per page, or by listing each product with its benefits and price in a neat and organized manner.
The key to online success lies in conversions, and many of them. You can either work harder and pay more to get more visitors, resulting in more conversions, or you can use these methods to convert existing traffic. If you have more conversion tips you’d like to share, please do so in comments below.