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32 Top Tips For Increasing Your Website Conversion Rate

You’ve got a website but are you getting any leads? If not, you’re not alone and this article will give you tips that’ll help you increase website conversion! A lot of websites convert far less than the industry average because they’re not paying enough attention to conversion rate optimization. Look at these industry averages: For E-commerce websites or direct sales sites, the conversion rate is usually around 1 – 3%. For a service-based company such as financial services, it’s around 10%. For a lead generation focused landing page, it’s between 10 - 40%. When we look at other industries, this older chart from 2012 by Marketing Sherpa still rings very true today.

However, these numbers aren’t set in stone or unchangeable. In fact, with some clever implementations, you can increase your conversion rates well above these numbers. Now let’s get right to it, here are some tips for increasing your conversion rates:

1. Understand The Fogg Behavior Model

Created by Dr. BJ Fogg, a behavioral scientist and founder of the persuasive tech lab at Stanford University, this behavior model is a benchmark for good web designers. Here’s the formula: B = MAT Or… Behavior = Motivation + Ability + Trigger This means that before any behavior can occur, all three things (motivation, ability and trigger) must be present at the same time. Motivation – Will your visitor be motivated? Make sure that your web page motivates the user enough to keep reading your content. Ability – Is the process easy or difficult? When surfing the web, most people don’t want to do a lot of work. You’ll need to make your process super simple to convert. Trigger – These are facilitators, sparks and signals. Decide which stage of the sales funnel you’re in and include your triggers. There are three main scenarios when it comes to triggers in landing page design: A person is high in motivation but low in perceived difficulty A person is low in motivation but high in perceived difficulty No lack of motivation or high/low in perceived difficulty Facilitators - If most of your website visitors are high in motivation but feel it’s a difficult process, then you need to simply make things look easy. Sparks - If they are low in motivation but think it’s an easy process, then your CTAs (call-to-actions) need to show value and motivate them to take actions. Signals – If they are neither low/high in perceived difficulty and motivation, then you simply need to have a straightforward process.

2. Use a Strong Headline

The most important part of any web page is the headline and the same goes for articles too. Your headline should immediately tell the user what you do or what your website is about. Have you ever visited a web page where you had to look around in order to find out what the page was about? If you’ve done so before, then you fully understand how frustrating this can be to a user. Your headline should be very clear and easy to understand within the first 3 – 7 seconds. For instance, a clear headline for an IT consultant can be something like Computer Consulting Services. This tells the visitor exactly what you do right away.

3. Have a Clear Value Proposition

What’s the value that your organization provides? Your value proposition is your promise to the visitor and why they should pick you. For example, a value proposition for a computer consulting company can be something like this: We’re reliable and responsive IT consultants that help our clients increase productivity, reduce cost and enable growth. The message to the visitor is that if they pick you, you’re reliable, quick to respond and will help them grow their business.

4. Have a Phone Number

Phone numbers act as a trust signal for many consumers on the web. Your phone number is also perfect for contacting you quickly and for people who are still uncomfortable buying online. You should have a phone number on your website to boost trust.

5. Use CTAs (call-to-actions) Wisely

You’ve probably been given this advice before but make sure you’re using CTAs on your web pages. However, don’t make the common mistake of having too many CTAs for the same outcome. You should have one or two CTAs per favorable action. If you must have more than one CTA for the same outcome, then you should have a CTA at the top and another at the bottom of your content.

6. Break Your Content Into Smaller Paragraphs

Here’s the hard truth… Most people scan, they don’t read on the web unless they can find something that entices them to. Increase readership by making your paragraphs short and easy to read. Break your paragraphs up and try not to have more than 3 sentences per paragraph.

7. Use Dedicated Landing Pages

Landing pages are dedicated product or service web pages that are designed for a specific purpose. That purpose may be to acquire more leads or close sales. The idea is to move the user towards taking a favorable action such as making a purchase. This helps the user focus on the product that they are interested in, making them more likely to buy.

8. Remove Distractions

Stop distracting your customers by reducing the available options on your web pages. Eliminate distractions such as main menu, sub navigation and out links. This is because you don’t want them to click away unless they are clicking on your CTA.

9. Motivate Users With Compelling Content

Use compelling content to increase your conversion rates. If you have a blog, you can add CTAs to it. The idea is that if a user already made time to read your content, they just might make time to check out your offer too!

10. Optimize for Mobile

According to Smart Insights, 80% of Internet users own a smartphone. Most of the world has gone mobile, making it advantageous to optimize your web pages for it. Make sure that your website is responsive and check out processes are easy on mobile.

11. Make Things Easy

As mentioned earlier, make the process as easy as possible. Your visitors don’t want to work hard when they’re online.

12. Have Fewer Price Options

Too often when we list our prices, we tend to have too many options. This can make users become undecided and if they have to leave, they probably won’t be back. Try limiting your packages to a maximum of 3 to reduce indecisiveness.

13. Ask for Less

When asking for information, only ask for what you absolutely need to conclude the transaction or begin communications. Most people don’t like filling out seemingly long forms and you shouldn’t force them to either. Instead, only ask for what’s necessary.

14. Maintain Expectations

How do your visitors find you? If you have an ad for something, make sure that when they visit your web page, the expectation is met. Don’t indirectly or intentionally deceive your visitors because they won’t be back.

15. Add a Sense of Urgency

You can add a sense of urgency to your web pages. People are more likely to make a purchase when there is a deadline. One way to do this is to include a promotional price that ends at a specific time. This can greatly motivate actions.

16. Have Good Copywriting

Copywriting is how you write content that sells. It is the art of strategically delivering words that get people to take some form of action. Keep information clear and concise to be really effective.

17. Keep Your Language Simple

Try not to use language that other people may not understand. Keep it simple because no one likes to feel stupid.

18. Read Your Content Aloud

If you want to ensure that your message is on point, try reading it aloud. Reading aloud can help you identify and fix potential issues with your content.

20. Benefits Sell

Features are important but benefits sell! Too often businesses neglect to draw the connection between product features and benefits on their web pages. You’ll need to draw that connection for the visitor. Consumers are always looking for what’s in it for them and benefits answer that question. You can list your features but ensure that you’re making the benefits of your products known.

21. Use Buttons For Your CTAs

Whenever possible try to use buttons for your CTAs. Buttons are easier to notice and well-designed ones invite clicks.

22. Use Clear and Readable Fonts

No matter how good your copy is, if people can’t read it, it’s pointless. A good practice is to use 18px or higher font size to make sure your text is readable.

23. Use The Right Colors

Color psychology is an important aspect of conversion rate optimization. Scientists have proven that color has the ability to influence buying decisions. Ensure that your designer is using colors that convey the feelings you want your visitors to potentially feel.

24. Use Images With People

Images are a great way of adding emotions to your web pages. To be really effective, you should use images with people in them. Every image should support the content around it and hone in on a particular subject matter or emotion. Your visitor should be able to look at the image once and immediately get the intended message.

25. Add a Video

Add videos to quickly engage and deliver your message. Since most people on the web scan, a video can greatly increase your conversion rate. This is because even though most people scan, they’ll almost always make time to watch a video.

26. Add Reviews

You should add reviews whenever possible. When you’re just starting out, reviews aren’t necessary but once you’ve been in business for some time, you should add them. They are a huge trust signal to potential clients or buyers. If people trust you and want your product, they may buy from you.

27. The Money Back Guarantee

Adding a money-back guarantee can triple your conversion rate because most people don’t trust websites on their first visit. So if you want to close them, sometimes adding a complete win guarantee for the customer can reduce their anxiety about your products.

28. Offer a Free Trial

Much like the money-back guarantee, a free trial gets people to try your product risk-free. If they like it, they may just buy from you.

29. Have a FAQ Section

What questions will a potential buyer have? You can answer these questions in a FAQ (frequently asked questions) section on your landing page.

30. Have a Timeframe

If you want your visitors to buy quickly, offer a one-time discount and add a ticking clock or something similar. If people feel that it’s their one opportunity to take advantage of your offer, they’ll often buy the product.

31. Use Scarcity

Educational institutions have long used scarcity to grow their enrollments. When you have limited spots or products to ship, it’s generally a good motivator to act.

32. Use Badges

Are you a member of the better business bureau or some other organization that consumers trust? If so, see if they have badges and display them on your website. These are great trust signals for visitors and can motivate them to take action. --

Gabriel Nwatarali is a digital marketer and designer. He works as a consultant for businesses that want to improve their web presence. He is the founder of Tech Help Canada, a design and marketing agency. He currently resides in the beautiful city of Ottawa, ON. Read the full article

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6 Tips For Setting Up Shop in a New City

Starting a new business can be a long and stressful process that you hope once everything is all done and dusted will only lead to greater success. But the chances are that your small town doesn’t have the opportunities available to you to push forward and unleash your industry-disrupting business on the world. For many in this sort of situation, the only option is to up sticks and head into the big city. Any big city. Here, you will find opportunities abound, new experiences, and new people. It is the perfect place to kickstart your new business and evolve into the great entrepreneur you have always dreamt of being. But, this is easier said than done. Moving to a new city is exciting, but there are also aspects that must be considered if you are hoping to be successful.

WHERE?

Before packing all your possessions up into boxes and hauling them out of town, you need to know where it is that you are going first. Choosing your ideal city location requires research. Before even pulling out a map and plotting your route, first consider what your company does. Does your business focus on Artificial Intelligence? Does it focus on Online Marketing? Or eCommerce? There are a lot of tech hubs throughout the world, and some of them lean closer to some types of business than others. By researching what types of businesses are booming in certain cities, you will be able to get a thorough and clear idea of whether or not your business will be in demand. As an example, consider Cleveland, Ohio, which has a burgeoning biomedical scene. If your business is something along those lines, then surrounding yourself with like-minded entrepreneurs could make the transition to a new city all the more simple.

OFFICE

Once your location has been selected, it is time to start thinking about where in the city you want to operate out of. For fledgling businesses, there is no need to search far and wide for offices if you’re going to be the only one who is going to show up every day. To start, search houses for rent online before moving away. This will give you somewhere to sleep, of course. But it will also allow you to work from home as you begin building your business from the ground up. Over time, you will be able to adapt your home office to suit your business. If you’re lucky enough to be renting by yourself, this is easily done by dedicating a single room in the house to act as your company HQ. If you’re living in shared accommodation, any spare room will suffice - so long as it is large enough and doesn’t intrude on your housemates. Of course, as time goes on and your company grows you will have the opportunity to expand. This can involve moving out of your home office and into a separate office elsewhere in the city. A lot of startups use coworking spaces, shared with other startups that can give your company a more legitimate aura for potential customers, until finally finding an office all for yourself. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

NETWORKING

After going through the rigorous process of researching your destination and setting up your home office, it is time to start making some contacts. Some entrepreneurs may have already begun doing this before moving in, but if you’re one of those who likes to make sure that everything is nice and neat and organised, before showing off your business to the rest of the world, then the next step in your businesses growth is finding the right connections. There is a whole host of ways to achieve this. Social media platforms such as Facebook will have city-specific groups available to join where you can interact with and arrange meetings with like-minded entrepreneurs in your area. Furthermore, professional focused websites such as LinkedIn are perhaps the best opportunity of connecting not just potential customers but potential investors, also. Having a LinkedIn account is an easy and simple way to start building a portfolio of your experience and connect with others who share your interests. It is essentially Facebook for professionals. And, while it seems more convenient to carry out all you’re networking online, there is only so much trust a profile picture can create. Search your new city for entrepreneurial events, or any sorts of events in general, to connect directly with people and spread the word about your business. Even if you don’t make any business connections, you might still make some friends.

GET ONLINE

In the digital age, it is essential that your company creates and maintains an online presence. For potential customers, how your business is presented online will be their first point of contact with your company. For this reason, it is vital to build an attractive, easy to use platform for them to browse and learn more about you and what it is you do. Finding talented website builders is one of the most essential things for any new startup. You want people to visit your website, but you also want them to stay. Collaborating with professionals and being completely transparent with them will make the whole process much easier. It is advised to avoid the recent trend of simply filling your website with a load of industry jargon. Many companies have been guilty of this, and for many consumers, it just puts them off. While you may understand what your website says, doesn’t mean that the Average Joe, who could be a potential investor, will do. There is no quicker way of driving people away than filling your website with specialist vocabulary. Ensure to find a more straightforward way to explain what it is you do and how you can help your customers. Once the website is complete, you’re going to need to start building a social media presence. This is a way for customers to communicate directly with you, as opposed to sending faceless emails to the company inbox. Companies have been taking advantage of the social media hype for years, with both positive and negative effects. Opening accounts on as many social media platforms as possible greatly increases the possibility of getting seen by the general public. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn all have their own individual benefits, whereby acting as a platform for your customers to reach you anytime, anywhere. Keeping a company blog, also, is a surefire way to demonstrate to outsiders that you know what you’re doing, and could give them more of an idea about what direction the company is going.

FIND THE RIGHT PEOPLE

It can be difficult to thoroughly check every potential job candidate for your business. While a lot of them may appear with good intentions, the realities of working at a startup are often rife with struggle, particularly in the early months where you’re just getting off the ground. This is where your networking exercises come in. Having already built up connections throughout the city, and perhaps beyond, you should already have a decent idea of the type of person your business attracts. From here, you can connect with their connections and discover people looking for new opportunities. The first hires that you make will set the tone for your business going forward. It is of particular importance that these early hires can demonstrate ambition and drive to build a business from nothing to something. Establishing a specific culture in your office - home or coworking - in the beginning will allow you to see what is working and what is not. It will also give you a chance to analyze how you’re new employees work in a different environment. You will hope that these employees will be with you for a long time. While some problems may arise along the way, showing support and remaining focused on your mission will give everyone at the office the drive to continue mining towards success.

DON’T GET DISCOURAGED

There will undoubtedly be hiccups that you encounter along the way. The city is new and unfamiliar; you will start off either knowing no one, or have a small circle of acquaintances. If you are serious about succeeding and too stubborn to admit defeat, keeping your head up and retaining a positive attitude will rub off on those around you, and set the tone for greater success in the future. When the going gets tough, there will always be other businesses around you that should be willing to lend a hand with things such as promotion. Try striking deals with local businesses that offer customers perks that can benefit both you, other businesses, and most importantly, the customer as well. This will inspire brand loyalty, and generate useful publicity that is soon to spread around town. With all things considered, there has never been a better time to start realising your dreams of running your own company. Be being adequately prepared before you even find your first customer; you will manage to avoid a lot of the problems that many new entrepreneurs experience when first starting a business. Read the full article