The definition of conversion is the point at which a recipient of a marketing message performs the desired action. Having someone click the link on a Facebook Ad is a conversion. A lead opening an e-mail newsletter is a conversion. A customer buying a product from your website is a conversion.
On average, website conversion rates are roughly around 2%. This may look like a low number, but when talking about conversion, it’s pretty good. Out of 100 site visitors, 2 of them are performing the action you want them to. That’s a good thing.
For many businesses, conversion is fast, but it may not be so simple – unless you are using the right marketing tools and strategies.
To help you increase your conversion rate, we’ve outlined a few tips and tricks below!
1. Include pop-ups on your website
Pop-ups are a quick and easy way to get website visitors to convert. Whether it be a spin-the-wheel prompt for the lucky winner to receive a discount on their purchase or an e-mail newsletter signup. Pop-ups are an effective tool that will help increase your conversion rate. However, too many pop-ups can ruin a good party. They can come off as being spammy to your potential customer. So, while they are effective, use them carefully.
Don’t be afraid to get creative and try out different types of pop-ups to see how they perform on your site. There are many ways to slice a pie. Test, test, and test again to see which are most effective for you.
2. Remove unnecessary form fields
Have you ever started filling out an online form, only to give up part of the way through because there were too many fields to fill out? We’ve all been there. If there are forms or other sign-up options on your website, keep the fields down to a minimum and only request the information you need. Nobody wants to spend more than a few minutes filling out online forms.
3. Show off your business and who you are
You’ve worked hard to make your business what it is…so show it off! If you have great client testimonials, share those across your website for people to see. If you have a new, beautifully designed logo, plaster it where people can see it and recognize it easily.
4. Keep things simple
There is nothing worse than landing on a website and being overwhelmed with how many options there are. Your website and your landing pages should be clear, concise, and organized. Get straight to the point and get rid of any pages of unnecessary content. (Unless it’s content that improved your search engine rankings.) Eliminate all distractions and ensure that anyone that lands on your website are focusing on what matters.
5. Make the first step easy
Whether you’re trying to get someone to hit the ‘subscribe’ or ‘check out’ button, you need to make things easy for your customer to get them to convert. So, when it comes to your offer, the first step should be easy to do. Instead of asking someone to fill out a form with multiple fields, start by just requesting an email. The easier you make the initial step, the greater chance there is of your visitors taking the action you want them to and following through to the end of the process.
6. Make the sign-up service easy
Speaking of keeping things simple. Nobody enjoys having to make multiple accounts and profiles for every website they interact with. So, consider a third-party sign-up service. Instead of a new lead creating a new profile from scratch, they can connect their Google, Facebook, or other social media accounts to your website. This not only eliminates the signup process, but you will also notice an immediate increase in your conversions.
7. Avoid generic CTA copy
If you want the best conversion rates, you need to avoid using general calls-to-action such as ‘Sign-up now” or “Start trial”. By spending more time on creative copy for your CTA, you will see your conversion rates improve. Using positive words that stand out such as “Yes” or “Great” are an effective way to grab attention and improve your conversion rates.
8. Add a live chat feature to your website
The future of marketing is here. Many business owners only ever dreamed of being accessible to everyone 24/7. With the internet, that is possible. But what about customer service? Before it was only during regular work hours, but with automation, you now have the opportunity to be there for your customers around the clock.
Similar to a pop-up, live chats will appear in front of your lead on your website and will invite them to ask any questions they have. Now you can rest easy and spend more time on the more important tasks at hand, while your automation chatbot worries about the rest.
9. Try another offer
Sometimes we spend so much time deciding on the small details to improve conversions that we overlook the biggest factor – the offer. If you notice that certain promotions or messages aren’t performing, try rewording them or try a different offer. Sometimes it really just comes down to messaging. Which sounds better to you:
- All shoes $59.99 and up
- All shoes 50% off!
Chances are that option b. sounds more enticing. Why? Because customers know exactly what to expect from the sale. $59.99 and up could mean that 1 pair of shoes could be that price, while the other options are more expensive. However, with the 50% off sale, customers can see how much they’re saving, and they know exactly what to expect from the sale.
Your promotions have the biggest impact on your conversion rates. Learn what types of offers work and which ones don’t. It’s all about testing the waters to see how they perform. The more you test and the more results you get, the better you can get at predicting how your audience will react to your offers. Eventually, you will figure out exactly what makes your audience tick which will allow you to create offers that truly convert to more sales.
10. Offer a money-back/free return guarantee
Some people may be wary of moving forward with your business because there is too much of a risk. Let’s say a customer has a pair of running shoes in their cart, but they don’t know if they want to purchase them or not because of how they will perform. But what if you removed the risk from the equation?
People often don’t want to put their money at stake unless they are sure they will receive exactly what they’ve paid for. By offering a money-back guarantee on a product, a person is more likely to try it. Less risk, more reward.
11. Include a countdown
When you’re running late for work or a big event, your biggest motivator is time. It’s natural to become anxious when your time is running out, so why not apply that tactic to your marketing? If you want to create a stronger motive behind your sales and promotions, include a countdown timer on your landing page which tells the viewer how much time they have until that offer expires.
When customers see that they only have a couple of days, or hours left to make their decision, it gives them more incentive to make that decision faster.
12. Don’t forget about add-ons
While this won’t make a huge difference to your overall conversion, it will make a big difference to your revenue. Before a customer completes their purchase, offer them a similar product or service they can add to their cart in addition to the product they originally wanted to buy. Using machine-learning tools, you can recommend products to your customer that they may interest them so that the experience feels personalized to each user.
13. A/B test your headlines
A headline can make or break a good landing page. A bad headline can actually steer people away from moving forward in your sales funnel. While a headline only contains a few words, it can make all the difference. That’s the power of good copy.
So, test out different headlines to discover which ones perform better. Try out different lengths, tones, numbers, statistics, and so on. The more you test, the more likely you are to find the winning headline.
Need help increasing your conversions? The 3SIXTY Marketing Solutions team is always just a phone call away!
Not sure how to create engaging headlines? Unsure of how to include automation or pop-ups on your website? We have access to countless tools and resources to help you increase the results you are currently getting from your business assets in-store and online. Nothing gets us more excited than discovering that a strategy we implemented increased conversion rates in a measurable way. That’s part of the reason why we measure everything. From what ad was clicked on, to what landing page the person filled out a form on or made a purchase from… You have to track the entire customer journey click to close, review the data and THEN make your adjustments to optimize your results. Let’s unlock the full potential of every dollar you invest in marketing or advertising. Click here to book a free 30-minute consultation to discuss your current marketing initiatives, & together we’ll look for areas that could be optimized to increase your leads in a measurable way. No obligations, just a solid second opinion.
