Web Design
Web design companies will promise you the moon and stars when it comes to the ability to convert to your new website. “You’ll increase conversions by 34%,” but they never actually tell you how to increase your conversions by 34%. We’re here to clear the air. Of course, this isn’t an all-inclusive list, but it’s definitely a good place to start.
Convert by Going Mobile
If your web developer is not automatically offering you a mobile-friendly/responsive website you should probably keep shopping. Today, around 90% of people buying online have made a purchase on their mobile device in the last 90 days*. Creating a website that your mobile customers can easily use is a no-brainer. If you already have a website, converting to a mobile-friendly website may be achievable, don’t miss out on the share of the market who are shopping using their mobile device.
Make it Easy to Purchase from Your Website
Hand in hand with the mobile tip above, you want to make it easy for your customers to purchase things using your website. Your web developer can help you come up with the e-commerce solution that works for you and your business. This is possibly the most important part of having a website that converts and it’s often much more affordable than you might think. Waiting for your customer to come visit you at your brick-and-mortar store after they’ve found your product online may be something that never happens.
Give a Great Promotion
If you are planning to wait for your customer to visit your store, offer a coupon or special for visitors to your website. The benefit of this is two-fold: 1. The visitor is likely to convert and 2. If you require an email address for the coupon, you’ve added to your mailing list. Ask your web developer to help you come up with a great tool to convert.
Improve Your Company’s SEO Foundation
Anyone can say they’re a widget maker in Texas, you want to be the Silver Plated Spring Loaded Widget Maker serving Central and South Texas. Implementing strong keywords throughout your website about the specifics of what sets you apart from the competition will help improve your SEO rankings over time. There are loads of other ways to improve SEO, but including specialty, keywords is a great place to start.
Write Content your Customer Cares About
Content Marketing. Customer oriented content works, and your customers are out there looking for it. Any tips you can offer them to improve how they do business in your field will not only make them feel like you’re there to help them, but you’re putting your business first in their minds whenever you post something new. We know how hard it can be to create a schedule for content and stick with it, but it’s something you should do to take your conversions to the next level. WARNING: starting out with a content marketing strategy, and letting it flop will do more harm than good. If you choose to go this route, stick with it!
Use White Space
This is important because your customer needs time to collect his or her thoughts between your content. If they feel overwhelmed or bombarded with content, they may feel your business is disorganized and you may lose their trust and confidence. It’s safer (and more visually pleasing) to give them some space on your website.
Steer Clear of Stock Photography
We get it. Stock Photography is accessible, easy, and it looks GREAT. But think about this: that photograph you’re using of a table with a MacBook pro and a cup of coffee and a succulent makes you look like the 500 other companies who are using the same stock photograph. Your customers have seen it before, and they’ll see it again. Try this instead to set yourself apart: use a photograph of someone from your company working at their MacBook in their work environment. This makes your company real and personal. Seeing your team’s faces on your website goes a long way toward building trust in your company with your customers.
Show Your Customer How to Get In Touch
Making your company’s contact information prominent on each page of your website can greatly increase trust without doing much work. Let your customers know that you’re there for them during each phase of their visit to your website. Doing this can be as easy as including your phone number in your website’s header or footer.
Make Forms Easy to Find
If you have a contact form or a sign-up form for something on your website, make it easy to find, but be careful when using popups. We suggest using a prominent menu option for your contact or sign up. You run the risk of losing your customer if you bombard them with subscription signups or other types of pop-up windows during their visit to your website. You want them to feel good about signing up for your mailing list or service.
Track Where Your Customers are Coming From
Your website may be generating far more leads than you think. Or way less. This may not be something you can do on your own, so make sure your developer knows what you’re looking for in your results. Remember, a website is only as good as its SEO ranking. There are 50 other companies out there looking for the good or service your company is offering, make sure your website ranks highly.
Keep in mind, a great way to find out where your customers come from is to ask them face to face. Web Developers will have you think that you can only find out where your website conversions come from by analyzing data from your website, but your customers also love to talk about their experiences. Perhaps they were a word of mouth referral who just happened to search Bing for you. That information matters, so ask your customer who convert.
Convert by Giving Testimonials
Giving real customer testimonials increases the reality of the service you are providing. When your customer feels like you’ve done a great job, get them to tell the world. Testimonials from previous customers may give new customers who are on the fence about the commitment the push they need toward conversion.
*According to an independent survey of 12,000 consumers conducted in 2015 by SessionM.
