Improving the Conversion Rate of a Website

posted by Ted on November 26, 2011

Just what is a web conversion? It’s when you earn money from something, namely a sale. A visitor finds your site, reads, then buys something from you, whether it’s a service, a product, or sometimes even a referral to another company.

The following 10 tips for improving web site conversions will help any business define itself in the online world in the best way: creating sales.

1. The headline draws them in
In business writing, you have a kind of scheme for drawing readers into your prose. On the web, headlines are doubly important as readers can click away immediately. A good headline defines not only things like benefits, but also makes buyers curious enough to read your first paragraph.

2. The opening paragraph makes them curious
This is another form of business writing, where you get buyers thinking of ways your product/service can help them immediately. You must go beyond keywords here, as sales come from the words on your site.

3. The Call to Action completes the sale
Then, after you get them reading with the headline and curious with the opening paragraph, you make an offer. Another tip is to be clear what your price is from the outset. This means showing in big letters how much you are asking, while at the same time reminding customers this is a steal.

4. Your return policy
A good return policy takes the risk out of buying for many. If you don’t have a known brand yet, you can create one with strong customer service, namely with returns.

5. Payment options
You should also make it easy for buyers to pay. You might use Ogone or Paypal, for example, many customers may want to pay via credit card directly, others after delivery etc. The more options you give, the more buyers decide to go ahead. And make sure you note your payments are secure.

6. Easy access for customer service
Some web sites succeed even without strong customer service, but for many, like small to mid-sized businesses, easy access for customer service builds trust and repeat sales. We’ve all been there:a problem with an order and no clear email or number to contact. Making your customer service contact options clear creates trust.

7. Make your site secure
We mentioned saying your site is secure for orders helps conversions, but it should also be secure in other ways, like protecting customer information. You might also note you don’t give out buyer contact information to anyone.

8. Know your audience
We started with business writing tips, and one of the biggest is “know thy prospect.” You need to know who’s buying from you. This can be easily obtained with an order, but staying in touch via emails, listening to buyer feedback, and improving your site constantly helps conversions too.

9. Track everything
Lastly, conversions are a science. to improve a conversion rate, you need to know 1)who your buyers are and 2) what they’re searching for. If you track everything on your site, you get an edge over the competition.

Tags:conversion rate,direct marketing,effective website,internet marketing,marketing strategies,visitor experience,website design,website optimization