8 Incredible Ways to Improve Conversion Rate

Today’s businesses are super focused on designing websites that will attract the masses. After all, when your job is to meet your customers where they are, you’ve got to go online! For most organizations, this means developing a professional-looking and functional website, as well as deploying inbound marketing tactics that help draw in new consumers. But what happens after a guest arrives at your website? Do they look around for a sec and then bolt for the door, or do they hang around and take some sort of desirable action? Well, that’s what this two-parter is all about. Join us as we foray into the exciting world of conversion rate optimization (CRO) for tips on how you can convert every casual visitor into a paying customer.

Tip #1: Clean House

When it comes to web design, less really is more. One of the biggest mistakes that businesses make is in cluttering up their websites by trying to fill up every empty space with something. While videos, infographics, links, and live chats are very helpful, when you overload your page with a little bit of everything, your users get confused, distracted, and even annoyed. You might end up with half your visitors getting bothered and never following through with your CTAs, while the other half get so frustrated that they navigate away. Stop the madness by reducing the clutter!

Tip #2: Go Macro

Online conversions are about more than just the CTA. Yes, of course your CTAs and landing pages are a necessity, and you’ve got to make sure that the copy used in these areas is “just right” if you hope to close a deal, but you must look at the user’s experience on your website as a whole. If the site looks cheap and crappy from the get-go, there’s a much lower chance that they’ll take the bait at the end. If you don’t have any customer reviews, stickers, certificates, or other credentials, you’re not likely to inspire action. Every little step of the user’s journey through your site will influence their decisions, so the goal is to achieve macro conversions.

Tip #3: Focus on the BIG Picture

When things aren’t going exactly right with your conversion rates, you might feel tempted to start tweaking every little thing in order to try to alter the results. You can stay really busy by focusing on the subtler aspects of your website, the color of your fonts or “Click Here” buttons, etc… but is the time spent really worth it? Usually, these small adjustments don’t result in a big payoff. Instead, you should be focusing on the bigger picture, like how the website is actually functioning, how different users are experiencing the site, your mobile compatibility, your credibility, etc. These are the things that will push you over the edge and truly make a difference.

Tip #4: Speed Things Up

Nobody likes a slow website — especially not in this fast-paced world! A big chunk of your online customers are on-the-go mobile users who expect instant answers and information at their fingertips. If your website runs too slowly and can’t keep up with their demands, you can kiss any chance of them seeing your CTAs through to the end goodbye. Test your site’s speed regularly and work with your web developers to make sure that it’s running efficiently at all times.

After investing a whole lot of your time, effort, and money into designing a website for your business, you’d better be scoring some deals from it! Unfortunately, a fair number of websites sit around, gathering dust, and never converting any leads. Because we don’t want to see your site fall into this category, we’ve decided to put some emphasis on conversion rate optimization (CRO).

Tip #5: Use Your Images Wisely

We all know that a picture’s worth a thousand words, but which thousand words are you trying to express to your readers? You only get one chance to elicit a positive, emotional response from your prospective customers, so you need to take the time to pick images that will resonate with your readers as they arrive at your landing page. The image needs to show your audience that your brand is professional and reliable, and it needs to reinforce whatever promise or claims you’re making throughout your website. Every image should be strategically placed to back up your message and remind your visitors why they need you.

Tip #6: Be Clear With Your Message

A well-stated message that clearly conveys what you have to offer will go a long way in improving your conversion rates. Today’s consumers are very cautious when it comes to giving away their contact information — especially in cases where they don’t know what to expect. If you hope to capture lead information, you’ve got to be obvious about what you’re going to offer your visitors in exchange. Play around with the wording a bit and see what elicits the best response, or simply ask your existing customers what wording appeals most to them. Taking the time to do this can take your lead conversion rates to places you never imagined possible.

Tip #7: Offer Advanced Search

At first glance, you may be wondering what the heck your search options have to do with lead conversions. While it may not be the most obvious method for capturing leads, a website’s search capabilities actually makes a big impact. This is because customers want to find answers to their questions and solutions for their problems as quickly as possible. If they have to click through pages and pages of irrelevant information, they’re more likely to navigate away from your page before becoming a viable lead. Offering advanced search capabilities will help your page’s visitors to find exactly what they’re looking for, thus increasing the odds of their becoming a paying customer.

Tip #8: Think About Your Color Scheme

Okay, color is probably the least important of all of our CRO tips, but it can still make a difference, so don’t make the mistake of overlooking your color scheme! When a visitor arrives at your page, they can actually be influenced by the different shades and hues adorning it. First of all, you need to make sure that your color scheme is conducive to reading. Using shades that contrast (but don’t clash) will make it easier for viewers to read your message without offending their eyeballs. You should also pay careful attention to the colors you use for buttons like “Click Here” or “Buy Now”. Some colors are easier to notice, and some will elicit a more urgent response. Again, play around with your options to see what works best for your customers.

With great ideas like these in your arsenal, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to increase your leads and take your business to the next level. Looking for that extra boost in sales? Team up with the pros at Madison Taylor Marketing today!