5 Ways to Increase WEBSITE Conversion Rates
Our digital world is becoming increasingly complex and crowded.
Consumers have more choice than ever, making decision making more confusing than ever. Your competition isn’t only businesses like yours anymore. You are also competing with anybody who is creating content in the same space as you.
As social media marketers, our job is to help our clients see the best possible results. But of course, this is a team effort. We can drive traffic to your website. But, we can’t guarantee that they’ll make a purchase.
Which is why we’ve created this guide - to set out some of the basics of purchase behaviour and website optimisation. By understanding and applying this, you can start to increase your conversion rate and grow your business.
Should any of this not make sense, you may need to get some assistance from a web developer.
Simplify your Point of Purchase
We’re all time-poor. We don’t have time to look around for the path to purchase. If it’s not fast for your customers to make a purchase, forget it.
In our years of experience, this is what we find is the biggest hurdle for e-commerce businesses, and where people should invest their time and effort.
Start with a thorough review of on-site behaviour and your point of purchase. See how long it takes your average customer to make a purchase and aim to get that timeframe down.
When it comes to enquiry forms, the general rule of thumb is the fewer entry requirements, the better the response rate. So, avoid confusing people with too many words, and don’t ask for too much data.
HOT TIPS:
Auto-generate user names, passwords, payment details and whatever else you can manage securely.
Ensure that you are technically supported, so your loading/response times don’t test your prospects’ patience.
2. USE Social Proof
According to Nielsen Trust Barometer 2017, trust in friends, family and ‘people like me’ has risen, while trust in brands and organizations has decreased further. Which is why your customer testimonials are gold, and the more personal they are, the more likely they are to land as you want them to.
Of course, social proof isn’t limited to testimonials. Don’t forget about User Generated Content and Influencer Content. Keep it simple and show your Instagram feed and the people who love your brand.
3. KEEP IT SIMPLE
"Obvious always wins." – Luke Wroblewski
It’s all about stripping back the clutter to keep the focus on the main goal. Apply KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). Anything that isn’t directly part of the conversion funnel and complicates the process is dispensable.
When writing content, stick to the core message and ensure that your final draft is visually appealing and readable. Use images where possible.
Ensure your Goal is super clear. If it doesn’t scream “Click Me” then change it.
4. Leverage Personality, Visuals, and Video to Create the Human Connection
The biggest absence in digital is the human presence. This is why people are more isolated today and suffer from loneliness, even though we are of the most “connected” age in the history of mankind. The typical commercial experience that many brands provide lacks connection and the human element. Some brands manage to pull it off, very well, and people love them for it.
Video is a great way to simulate face-to-face interactions. That why we love LIVE video as it’s such an authentic way to see and engage with the people behind the brand. Other forms of social video that work well for creating personality and human connection are IGTV and Reels.
Often it’s thought that video is expensive to produce, but it doesn’t need to be. Often an iPhone and some basic lighting can create a great result. So why not make a start with some of the easier formats like interviews, or short newsworthy updates, or behind the scenes at your office!
It doens’t need to be perfect. It does need to show your personality.
5. CAPTURE LEADS EARLY
Capturing leads early will become especially important when the iOS 14 changes come in to effect June 2021. To salvage visitors who are leaving your website, you can create a system to manage to capture at least their email address before they disappear forever.
Lead capture forms are tricky though, as they can be perceived as annoying if not implemented correctly.
Successful lead capture forms have a strong lead-in, the perfect small-commitment offering, and possibly, an effective redirection leading to your main product.