Designing a website is not only about the looks, there is so much more that should be considered when creating a website. Search engine optimization, loading time and proper navigation structure are some of those factors. However if your website is designed to sell something, then another area you should think of is conversion optimization. Conversion optimization is not about doing an overall redesign of your website. It’s more about tweaking little things to increase click through rates, bounce rates and average time spent on site. Sometimes a tiny change can increase the conversions dramatically. Below are some things you can do to improve the conversion rate of your website.
Importance of Testing
No two websites are the same, what works for one website might not necessarily work for another website. This is why it is important to track the conversions before and after you do minor modifications. Google analytics, which is available for free, has some excellent tools to track conversions. You can set up funnels and see if the conversion rates improve after your modifications. There is no point in doing things below without measurable data.
Optimizing Titles
Title is the most important thing in a web page and the title will decide whether a visitor continue to read the rest of the page. More than 90% of visitors to a web page read the title, so getting this right is very important. This is not an easy task, which is why top companies spend thousands of dollars for professional copywriters. If you don’t have the budget to spend on copywriters you can test out few titles within the team and come with the one that you think best suits your site. In general a title should describe the page and also get the user intrigued enough to read the rest of the page. Below is an example I used when testing out a online Visio alternative.
Both titles describe the same object. But the second title describes more and mentions benefits like low price. It’s never easy to come up with the right title, which is why it is important to discuss them as a team.
Clear Call to Actions
Sometime too many calls to actions might confuse the visitor and make him leave the page. In general there should only be one call to action in a web page. It could be a buy button or a subscribe button, but the visitor should have no doubt what you want them to do. Even if there is only one call to action it can be improved more. For example if it’s a button you can change the button text, button color, button placement etc. and see if that makes a difference. Below is a simple example of a tweak and the resulting CTR.
Social Proof
Another important factor if you want to increase conversions. Testimonial or reviews from industry leader tend to work best. If you can’t get that then try adding testimonials from people with websites. If the person giving the testimonial has a website it automatically gives them some credibility. Make sure to have a link that work in case a visitor decided to click on it. Having a photograph of the person besides the testimonial also helps, because it lets the visitor know that you are dealing with real people. Below is an example of the same testimonial, but presented in different ways. You can clearly see that the second one gives more credibility.
Proper Navigation and Easy Access to Information
Your important pages should be clearly visible to the visitor. In general contact information, pricing and a FAQ page is a must. If possible add a phone number because it usually tends to improve conversion rates. Also make sure every page leads to your desired goal. For example in the pricing page, instead of just showing prices, add a button to buy or sign-up.
Conversion Optimization is a Process You Must Fine Tune
As mentioned earlier no two websites are the same, so you should test every change you make with measurable data. Mentioned above are some simple but effective things you can do to improve conversions. If you know of similar ones feel free to mention in the comments section.