6 Tweaks to Boost your Website Conversions

The Usual Problem 

Do your website visitors read the Home page and then leave without completing your webform? This is the usual problem. Stop this now by implementing these 6 tweaks to your website immediately.

You’ve developed your content marketing strategy, planned your publishing schedule and honed your writing skills. You need to do this to drive a ton of relevant traffic to your website.

For some reason though, conversion rates are low. This can be one of the most frustrating challenges content marketers face, and it’s often the last piece of the puzzle to be considered.  There are many reasons why website visitors might not be taking the actions you want them to take. There could be something fundamentally wrong (such as no demand for your product), but usually it takes just a few tweaks to give conversions a shove in the right direction.

Here are six ways you can optimize your conversion rates right now.

1. Offer a valuable lead magnet and write a compelling call to action

Offer valuable content that solves one problem for FREE in exchange for the reader’s email address.  Explain what the value is and deliver it in a downloadable format (free reports, software, resource lists are proven to work well).   Make it irresistible to download.

Instead of using dull CTAs such as “sign up” and “click here,” you should opt for more creative and original choices that speak your customers’ language.  Bold CTAs are more stimulating while also prompting an immediate response.

It’s also a good idea to focus the CTA on the value the prospects will receive. Saying “get your free report” is more effective because it highlights what value the customer will gain.

Something as simple as the size or color of your call to action also can have a profound effect on conversions. Using a color that is different from your standard palette could do a brilliant job of drawing attention to the CTA button.

2. Add click triggers

Click triggers are bits of text that reassure visitors about their decision. It’s likely that some prospects will hesitate or doubt your offers, and click triggers could provide the little nudge they need to take the desired action.

Click triggers can generate trust in the vital moments running up to a conversion. They include:

3. Simplify forms

Filling out online forms can be a chore and the subsequent commands – fill out these boxes, give us your details, prove you’re not a robot – annoying.

You’ve spent so much effort attracting customers to your website and have successfully guided them to a landing page – don’t let them abandon your site at the last minute because of a time-consuming form.

You should make the process of converting as simple as possible for your customers. Using just 2 fields — First Name and Email — you can more than double your conversion rate.  You gather less data about your leads (get it later) but it’s well worth it to generate a lot more leads.

4. Optimise for mobile

As Google research reveals, more people search on mobile devices than on laptop or desktop computers.  Generally speaking, you should expect around half of your website visitors to be accessing your site from a mobile device. With that said, it’s crucial that your website and the whole conversion process are optimised for these consumers.

Loading speeds need to be up to scratch. Mobile connections are usually slower than desktop, and the longer people have to wait, the more likely they are to abandon your site.

5. Remove distractions

Every option your landing page presents to visitors — other than the step you want them to take — eats away at your conversions.

Removing unnecessary links gives your users less opportunity to navigate away from your page — anything from distracting images and sidebars, to unnecessary offers. HubSpot found that removing the navigation bar from landing pages can increase conversion rates by as much as 28%.  Less is more.

6. Build in an Automated Conversion Sequence

Readers who are interested may get your Free Report because it solves a problem for them but they don’t proceed to purchase your Core Offer immediately.  They need to be nurtured and may take up to 7 or 8 communications before purchasing it.  These nurturing communications should be auto-responder messages that you plan to send out every few days until they purchase.  You may have to create new lead magnets and offers to finally get them to buy your Core Offer.

Final note

When making changes to the design or copy of your website, it’s important to A/B test elements to maximize conversions. That involves performing split tests to find which variation of an element yields the best results. You can use a tool such as Optimizely to run these tests.

Simply:

1. Decide what you want to tweak.
2. Create two variations of it.
3. Run both variations at the same time, distributing them evenly to visitors.
4. Measure the results.
5. Keep the winner and discard the loser.
6. Repeat for new element.

Based on an article by Greg Miles.

We can help you generate your content marketing and grow your website conversions and sales 

CALL US on (09) 449 1005 or (027) 489 5009 or email chris@pattersondigitalmarketing.com to find out how to implement these tweaks to your website.

Chris Kirkham