Getting your target audience to visit your website is one thing. But it’s only the beginning of the process of gaining new customers who are willing to pay for your product or service.
In the midst of all your other efforts to optimize your website, few things will prove more important than increasing your site’s conversion rate. Whether you’re selling an original product or trying to increase sign-ups for an email newsletter, these tips will help you achieve your conversion goals.
1. Emphasize the Awareness Stage
Each product or service has its own unique buying cycle, with more expensive and complicated products generally requiring more time and information before someone is willing to make a purchase.
Because of this, your website should focus on the three main aspects of the funnel: awareness, interest, and sale. You can gain the customer’s trust by offering value early on, through informative blog posts or encouraging them to sign up for an email list.
With increased awareness and trust, you are better prepared to leverage their interest and drive them to make a purchase with persuasive sales copy on other parts of your site. Collecting an email address or providing value through a blog will ensure that several persuasive touches are made to encourage customers to select your product or service.
2. Provide Social Proof
Do you really want to convince potential customers that your product or service is worth their hard-earned cash? Provide social proof. Third-party testimonials will always be far more persuasive than your own copy, especially when they show how others are using your product and service.
Featuring customer testimonials on your site or even providing “before and after” case studies can prove extremely effective, especially for B2B products and services. If you’ve received press coverage in a third-party publication, don’t be afraid to share some of the text and link to the article.
Collect customer reviews and ratings whenever possible, and make them easy to find on individual product pages. Even a counter that shows how many people have bought a particular product can give potential buyers confidence when making their purchase.
3. Streamline the Checkout Process
The easier it is to complete a purchase, the more sales you’ll make. One of the biggest improvements you can make is ensuring that customers aren’t required to register a profile on your site to complete a purchase. One case study saw a website’s purchase rate increase by 45 percent, generating $300 million in additional revenue, all by eliminating customer profiles.
Of course, you will still need to collect payment information and shipping data to finalize the transaction. As helpful as it could be for marketing, don’t try to learn more about your customers during checkout. Only ask for information you absolutely need to fulfill their transaction to avoid causing them to abandon their shopping cart. When possible, try to limit the checkout system to only a few pages (Amazon’s checkout process provides a good template to follow).
Parting Thoughts
Simple changes can have a surprisingly big impact on your website’s conversion rate. Don’t be afraid to A/B test different design elements, copy, and more to craft the version of your site that best appeals to your target audience.
As you improve your site with a focus on driving conversions, you will increase profitability and generate a far greater return on investment from your digital marketing efforts.
