When we talk about websites, most of the discussion tends to focus on traffic. We’re always concerned with how to get traffic to the site through search engine ranking, social media linking, and so on. But once we get visitors to the site, what happens to them? Really, we need to be concerned not just with the number of hits our pages get, but also another factor called website conversion rates.
This term refers to the percentage of visitors who take an action we want them to perform. In our case, we usually want to turn them into leads, typically by getting them to give their email address in exchange for some information to be downloaded. The statistics in this area may be surprising to some, though seasoned marketers know that these rates in all forms of marketing are quite low. On average, less than 5% of website visitors actually convert, while more than 95% leave without engaging. But what if you’re not achieving even those numbers? What are the factors that could be causing your website conversion rates to be lower than average?
- You’re not providing engaging or relevant content
It’s an essential strategy of inbound marketing to attract customers, and this is done through content which is relevant to the type of customer you’re looking for. Use of the right keywords will ensure that your links turn up in the web searches likely to be performed by the prospective buyers you want. This may actually result in lower traffic to your site, but more of those will be the type of customers who are more likely to convert. You should also be using emotionally charged language, which will get visitors excited and eager to try what you’re offering.
- You’re not using the right headlines
We can talk all we want to about the content of your posts. But many people won’t even get past the headline. It’s the first thing they see when they land on your page, and you want to make sure it entices them to read the rest of the article. Experiment with different headlines and change them frequently, to determine which are the most effective.
- You’re not offering “social proof”
It’s 2015, and people no longer want to buy because the seller tells them to. They want to hear it from peers who have already bought your product. Testimonials will go a long way here. These don’t need to come from celebrities or experts in the field. Positive comments from ordinary people who are now satisfied customers will give you added credibility. Counts of subscribers or social media followers will add even more credibility in this digital age.
- Your landing page is too complicated
You don’t need too much here. A cluttered landing page, or one that seems difficult to navigate, will discourage a lot of visitors and lower your website conversion rates. The old adage, keep it simple, is very applicable here. Keep it down to a small amount of information on your offering, a short, simple form which is easy to complete, and an obvious “submit” button which stands out from the rest of the page.
- Your page isn’t viewable on every type of device
Gone are the days when you can test a web page on Internet Explorer and Netscape (yes, I’m dating myself here a bit) and be satisfied that it works everywhere. More and more users are visiting web pages from mobile devices, and if your page, (including the form and the call to action button) isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re going to lose visitors long before they could possibly convert.
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