There’s no magic bullet to marketing success. Think you need expensive marketing tools to promote your business? Think again. You won’t find a quick fix solution to attract people to your business, and it won’t happen overnight either.
So when SMBs come to us for advice on how to boost their website’s conversion rate, we first take steps in determining the challenges they’re facing and their goals.
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But, first...
Here are some very relevant points to consider before tinkering with your website aimlessly.
- You have 0-8 seconds to make an impression, either with a compelling headline or well thought-out landing page.
- Most of your website’s visitors are not ready to buy.
- A/B testing can drive greater results, which is why more organizations are implementing this method in their digital strategies.
Remember, you can test your ideas to increase your conversion rate
That last point is a particularly important strategy to implement in a lot of your marketing efforts. Take two different versions of a marketing piece, like a headline, CTA or landing page, and see which one performs better. This will help you understand what triggers your audience (and what doesn’t), and optimize the way you deliver your content.
Here’s a great example. Groove designed a second web page when the original was underperforming. They tested the two pages containing different designs, messaging and positioning. The result? Conversions doubled from 2.3% to 4.3%.
Quick wins to boost conversions
1. Make your copy clear, concise and compelling.
Persuasive copy is written with the reader in mind. Obvious, right? Unfortunately, some organizations tend to commit marketing and brand jargon all too often. The following bad copy was found on a site:
“Revenue-focused marketing automation & sales effectiveness solutions unleash collaboration throughout the revenue cycle.”
What makes great copy, then?
Word your sentences in a way that you would use in a conversation with a friend. That means cutting words like ‘utilize’ or ‘enable.’ Instead, be simple and direct. Address your readers in a way that makes them feel involved in your story, using words like “you", "your", "imagine" and "because.”
2. Craft a crystal clear value proposition that tells prospects why they should do business with you.
A value proposition is the primary reason why a prospect should buy from you instead of the competition. If you had just 20 words to explain this, what would you write? Don’t forget to mention the benefits of your products and services.
3. Use short forms on your landing pages.
An infographic by Quicksprout shows how your website can increase conversions by reducing options. One strategy in particular shows that a lead generation form with only 3 fields increases conversions by 25%.
4. Give visitors the option to chat with you.
Adding a live chat button can increase a free signup by 31%. It helps boost a prospect's confidence right before the transaction by eliminating any doubts because he/she has fast and simple access to a staff member. You can apply this strategy to any of your offerings or campaigns.
5. Add social proof and credibility indicators.
You’ve got social media buttons set up on your website and blogs so people can check out your platforms on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, engage with you or share your awesome content. Great! Here’s another thing to add to your site: social proof like customer testimonials, case studies, ratings and reviews, trust seals, certifications and badges.
For example, WikiJob added three short quotes from their customers on their homepage, which led to a 34% conversion increase.
We have more where that came from. Need more tips?
