10 Tips to Increase Your Online Conversions
When marketing in our digital age, it can be hard to cut through the noise, and even harder to earn your online customers. Whether you’re in e-commerce, an online service provider, or a content creator, converting your website visitors into customers is crucial to your business’s success. We’ve compiled a list of 10 tips that will help you drive these conversions and get the business that you deserve. Follow these tips to get started now!
Strong Call-To-Actions (CTAs)
A key to good marketing is strong call-to-actions, which are pieces of content intended to induce the site visitor to perform a specific act, whether that be a request for further information or a final sale. You should have a clear and concise CTA that stands out from the other elements on the page. Choosing the wording on this CTA is critical, try to frame your call-to-action in personal, non-generic terms (“Sign Up and Claim Your 40% Off” vs. “Sign Up”), an emotional appeal can also work well for conversions. Design these CTAs with the customer in mind, the benefits they could receive, and what may pique their interests.
Shorter Forms
If forms are provided for things such as consultations, lengthy forms can dissuade your potential customers from becoming conversions, so try to keep your forms easy to fill out and to the point. Do not ask for more information than required, as this can be perceived as intrusive. Building trust is key before a customer converts, and the less time it takes them to fill in a form, the more likely they are to do so. A balance must be found between collecting the information needed to close sales and easing the process of submitting the form.
Implement Live-Chat and Support
One feature that’s increasingly seen is a live chat for the visitor on the website. This is to provide information and answer any questions the visitor may have about the business. Now, more commonly, these are staffed by team members and not controlled by a bot. Either method is valid, but customers prefer the personal attention that a human-led chat provides them. FAQs can answer the most common inquiries. A knowledgeable and responsive support team can drive your conversions by instilling confidence in potential customers.
Optimizing Page Load Speed
In today’s world, a slow-loading website can be a death sentence for a business. Most people simply do not tolerate waiting for more than a few seconds for a webpage, so a focus on optimizing your page’s loading speed is key in reducing your bounce rate. This can be achieved by compressing images, minimizing scripts, or implementing some form of caching for your website. Your choice of hosting or Content Delivery Network can also affect your page load speed. Eliminating unnecessary plugins and redirects will also help to reduce the bloat on your page.
Optimize for Mobile Devices
Mobile usage has an increasing share of total online traffic with over half of all website traffic being attributable to mobile, and over half of all sales online coming through mobile devices too. The same principles of optimizing page speed apply to mobile and are just as critical. Another important method is responsive web design, this ensures that your website can adapt to the various screen sizes of internet-connected devices. Consider building a mobile app for your business, this can be a daunting task, but can have a significant effect on closing sales.
Leverage Social Proof
Social proof is one of the most powerful tools when it comes to instilling confidence in your potential customers. You can include various types of social proof, such as user reviews and testimonials, user-generated content, and case studies to showcase the efficacy of your products or services. Positive feedback from satisfied customers can have an outsized effect on others’ purchasing decisions. Some other possible options are working with influencers who have their own followings, pursuing trust badges and certifications, and offering referral programs for customers to take advantage of. You can also increase trust with guarantees, and by keeping the website up-to-date and looking modern.
Abandoned Cart Emails
It’s estimated that e-commerce brands lose $18 billion in yearly revenue because of cart abandonment on their website. Abandoned cart emails are a simple way to capture these conversions. An automated system can be established, in which reminders are sent to customers with items sitting in their carts, and these reminders have a much higher open rate compared to other forms of marketing email. These can also be an opportunity to offer incentives to finalize the sale or to cross-sell other products. There are many reasons a customer may abandon their cart, whether it be complicated checkout pages, high shipping costs, or simply that the customer isn’t completely ready. It’s best to review your checkout process and make it as easy as possible in addition to sending these emails.
Analytics & A/B Testing
A/B testing is a methodology where two versions of a marketing element are released simultaneously to different groups to see which one performs better. This could be an email (even an abandoned cart email), a newsletter, a piece of copy, or anything. This is one of the best ways to refine a marketing campaign since it provides measurable results to see how effective your materials are at creating conversions. Also, no matter which tool you use, web analytic tools provide the necessary insight to make sales. It pays to know who you are selling to and how they behave, so use analytics to determine your demographics and their behaviors on your site. This can be time spent on each page, where your major traffic sources are, and how many times they return. Page speed can also be analyzed with tools like Google Analytics, reducing the load times will reduce the likelihood of users leaving the site.
Incentives and Discounts
Everyone loves a good deal! Providing exclusive incentives, discounts, or limited-time offers can be a powerful motivator for visitors to take action. Clearly communicate the benefits and value they'll receive by converting. It is good to emphasize any time-sensitive or scarcity-driven aspects to create a sense of urgency in potential customers. Consumers place a higher value and demand more on a product that is seen as scarce or as a rare opportunity.
User Experience (UX)
A positive user experience is crucial for conversions. Ensure your website is intuitive, user-friendly, and visually appealing. At the end of the day, if there is a person on the other end of the website, a sense of confusion or frustration from navigating the page will quickly turn away potential conversions. Streamline the navigation, minimize distractions, and focus on providing valuable content. A seamless UX will build trust, reduce friction, and encourage visitors to convert.
Achieving successful marketing conversions requires a multifaceted, customer-centric approach. Strong call-to-actions (CTAs) that are personalized and emotionally compelling can drive visitors to take specific actions. Simplifying forms and building trust through efficient processes are crucial for optimizing conversions. Live chat and support provide personalized assistance while optimizing page load speed and ensuring mobile compatibility enhances user experience. Incorporating social proof and leveraging abandoned cart emails will help instill confidence and recapture potential sales. Utilizing analytics and A/B testing provides valuable insights for refining marketing campaigns. Lastly, creating a positive user experience through intuitive navigation and valuable content fosters trust and encourages conversions. By integrating these strategies, businesses can increase their chances of converting visitors into loyal customers.
If you’re looking to take the next step in your marketing strategy, Doukas Media has the experience to take your brand to new heights. Book your free discovery call today!