Conversion refers to the ability of your website to turn business "visitors" (leads) into paying customers. We calculate this metric by simply taking the number of conversions and dividing that by the number of total website visitors associated with a conversion during the same period. For instance, if your website had 50 conversions from 1,000 visitors, your conversion rate would be five percent, since 50/1,000*100 = 5%. This metric will make or break your business because if you can't convert website traffic into paying customers, you'll soon be out of business.
In today's world, one of the keys to success is having an amazing website. So if you're starting a business, the first step is to build your website focusing on conversions.
Some keys to higher conversion rates include strong calls to action, a clear layout, and a website redesign project plan. When someone first lands on your homepage, your goal should be to paint a clear picture of what you do. If your website seems confusing, you need to redesign it. The best way to test a website is to see if a baby or grandparent can use it. For example, some of the most compelling photos of Apple products are taken when they are being used by babies. This proves Apple’s products are so intuitive that everyone understands their function. Your website should be similar, in that it should be simple and clear, yet have a focus on the market your business is targeting. To achieve the goal of having a high converting website, follow the five tips below:
Make A Unique and Clear Value Proposition
The first thing a visitor will see on your website is almost always the headline. This should be a clear reason as to why a visitor should do business with you. A great example of this is Sourcify:
The value proposition on Sourcify’s homepage is clear and to the point. Once you land on their homepage, you immediately understand what they offer. If you’re looking to develop a great value proposition for your business, ask yourself: What makes your product or service better? From there simplify that sentence to a few words. That is your value proposition. In your sub heading, you will have a sentence explaining more about your value proposition.
Have Short Sign Up Forms
One of the most annoying parts of any onboarding process is having too many steps. When a new customer is signing up on your website, they want to join as fast as they can. Having a long sign up form will kill conversions. To develop a short sign up process, ask yourself what crucial information you need from a customer. There may be more information you need down the road, but right off the bat, what information do you need? To see a smooth sign up process, check out Gigster:
Their process is broken down into four steps that qualify a lead coming into their website. It has a smooth user interface and is very self explanatory. Make sure your website has a smooth sign up process to boost higher conversions.
Test Calls to Action
A call to action refers to the words that get a visitor to click on an element on your website. This could be a sign up button or action you want a visitor to take. Calls to action need to be clear, to the point, and concise. To see an example of great calls to action, check out the Drift website:
The Let’s Go button clearly stands out on the homepage and makes you want to click it. A great call to action will not only stand out, but will also make the visitor want to take that action.
Have Clear Pictures
A user will be affected by images on your website immediately. We process images faster than text, so when choosing images for your website, think twice about the images you are planning to use. Pictures on your website should be large, clear, relevant to your product or service, and attention grabbing. The best images you see on websites align with the company’s brand. Grow and Convert has a great background image on their homepage:
The image is clear and doesn’t take away from the heading or sub heading. If you read their articles, you’ll see how the image aligns with the educational nature of their website.
Address a Pain Point
Most companies started to solve a specific problem. Your website should be focused on clearly explaining how your company is a solution to that problem. To do so in a clear way, you need case studies and examples on your website explaining how you’ve done so in the past. People will convert at higher rates when they know you’ve solved the same problem for someone else.
You may also want to mention what a user will lose if they don’t use your product or service. This is called loss aversion: we are more likely to anticipate the pain of losing something than we are to feel the pleasure from gaining something of equal value. In other words, it feels good to get $50, but the pain that we feel from losing $50 is twice as intense as the pleasure we received from gaining the same sum. That is why it is crucial to understand your potential customers and address their specific pain points. A great example of addressing pain points can be found in case studies by AdHawk:
The case study dives into the ways Sock Fancy used AdHawk to boost AdWords conversion rates. In the case study, you see how they used the concept of loss aversion. In the world of business today, having a clear online presence is the key to success. Without testing calls to action, having short sign up forms, and creating unique value propositions, your business won’t be starting on the right foot. Now that you know the keys to having high converting websites, it’s time to put these tips to use!
Author Bio: Nathan Resnick is a serial entrepreneur who currently serves as CEO of Sourcify, a marketplace of the world's top manufacturers. Having brought dozens of products to life, he knows the ins and outs of how to turn ideas into realities.
