Fast and Effective Website Conversion Rate Improvement Techniques

One simple rule to remember in e-commerce is a home page is for exploration, landing pages are for conversion. Your Home page should be designed to explain your brand.  Landing pages, product pages, special offer pages should all be designed to capture a conversion. There is no shortage of tips and tricks to optimize your website conversion rates. You will have to do some research and testing to create a strategy that works best for your particular business and your conversion goals. Here are a few components of any conversion strategy that should help to quickly and effectively increase your website conversion rate.

Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3

Determining how to optimize conversions is a complex undertaking, and there are several factors involved. One of the best ways to find out what works when it comes to completing conversions is testing.

A/B testing of ads, landing pages, product pages, and your home page can give you a clear understanding of what is working. Test to find what images, wording, layout, and other logistical considerations are the most attractive and functional for consumers. Use A/B and multivariate testing before you finalize website upgrades, ads, and so on to save time and money and increase conversions.

Be clear

When it comes to convincing consumers to complete desired actions, clarity of intent is of paramount importance. You need to make it clear what you’re offering and what you expect.

There are many ways to do this. For starters, any marketing content must be fairly precise, but also concise. If you can get your message across in a few words, don’t use a dozen.  Make sure you’re providing relevant information. The goal is not to dazzle or confuse readers, but to give them the information they need to make a decision as quickly as possible.

For example, a Google listing for a florist could say something like “Make your loved ones smile with the gift of a beautiful bouquet of flowers”. This actually says very little about what is offered. Instead, you might want to say “Affordable bouquets for every occasion with same-day delivery”. The second is more likely to attract serious buyers in search of competitive pricing, a range of products, and instant gratification.

Make conversions easy

How many steps are required for a prospective customer to complete the desired action? On Amazon, there is a 1-click option for purchases, making it easy for customers to buy.

How many steps on your site do customers have to go through to find a product page, become a member, make a purchase, write a review, or complete other conversions? If there is more than one, think about how you can reduce the number to make conversions easier and more appealing.

In addition, you might want to avoid packaging your conversion goals. For example, making visitors sign up for membership in order to complete a purchase could turn off some shoppers.  Most shoppers want to try your brand without the potential for mountains of spam.

By providing a guest purchase option, you can still get some information (name and shipping address, for example) and allow customers to get comfortable with your brand. When you build trust instead of making the process needlessly complex, you have a better opportunity to get what you want in the end.

Prove value

Offering value to customers is a necessary part of increasing conversions, but building trust also requires you to prove value. You can do this in a number of ways.

You could provide reviews from satisfied customers or trusted third parties.  Post demonstration and explanatory videos. Independent studies are always helpful and unbiased.  Always try to offer as much additional information on product pages (based on customer FAQs). All of these tactics help to prove the value of your brand, your products/service and uphold the veracity of your claims.

Answer customer questions before they ask

It’s important to look at your content with an objective eye to come up with any questions prospective customers might ask. Anticipating consumer objections to completing conversions gives you the opportunity to head them off at the pass.  Addressing any and all concerns in order to bypass roadblocks is not only good for conversion but good service as well.

Incentivize action

Sometimes you just have to keep hammering away until you give people a reason to say yes. Compelling incentives can vary from person to person, but there are certain tactics that can pay off more often than not.

If value incentives aren’t delivering the level of conversions you want, consider changing your strategy. Most people don’t want to miss out. You can create scarcity, offering limited-time deals or bonuses or letting people know when stock is low, for example.

There are many incentive methods to try out. Testing, tracking, and analysis of your efforts will help you to determine which incentives work best.  This will also tell you which overall strategies provide the greatest boost to conversions. The Hound Dog Digital team are experts at improving conversion rates and mobile app downloads.