Boosting Conversions – Maximizing Online Outcomes Series

As we discussed in the introduction to our blog series “Maximizing Online Outcomes,” your website needs to contribute to your revenue in order for it to be deemed successful. One way it can accomplish this goal is to increase website conversions.  Depending on your industry and online goals, your conversion could be defined as an online sale, a completed inquiry form, social media follows/likes, a document download, etc.  Regardless of how you define a conversion, one of your marketing goals is likely to have one or more of these conversion objectives!  After all, more conversions are likely lead to more sales. Yet, even though the goal of increasing your website conversion rate sounds very straightforward (as most marketers will attest), boosting conversions is a tricky task.  Why?  Conversions are a reflection of whether a visitor is persuaded by the message your website presents about your products or services – and if your website fails to sway a potential buyer, he/she will go elsewhere.  We’ve listed a few common website challenges and why they present a barrier to conversions:

1. No credibility.  First impressions matter, whether you’re meeting someone at a party or visiting a corporate website.  Oftentimes, your website is the first place a potential customer will visit in order to learn more about your company.  It follows that if the website looks unprofessional, poorly maintained or unsecure, a visitor will be less likely to complete a transaction/conversion.
2. Confusing layout.  Few things are more irritating to website visitors than the inability to find the information they are seeking because the website lacks intuitive navigation, straightforward page names, logical categories, etc.  If visitors cannot find the information they need to learn about you or your products, your conversion rate will suffer.
3. Lack of focus.  When defining conversions or website goals, it is tempting to encourage visitors to complete a transaction, sign up for a newsletter, subscribe to the blog, follow you via social media, etc.  Yet, promoting so many calls-to-action on your website might distract or even overwhelm visitors.  As a result, visitors will lose interest and leave the site, costing you potential conversions.
4. Too complicated.  In an effort to gain more data about possible prospects, many websites use forms with multiple fields/pages or shopping carts that require a lot of user information.  Most people simply do not have the time or patience to complete such lengthy forms.  The result?  In an effort to better qualify leads, you lose conversions.
5. Unappealing design.  The fashion industry is based upon people liking things that look good, and the same principle holds true for your website.  Much like appealing color schemes, images and interactive elements can improve your visitors’ experience, poor design aesthetics and elements can prompt visitors to exit your site quickly.

You can mitigate many of these website challenges by identifying what goals are the most important and then structuring your website to encourage such behaviors.  Perhaps you might incent particular actions, such as, “Try it for free for 30 days,” or, “Free shipping for orders over $50.”  By defining your most desirable conversions and limiting the focus to only a few items, visitors are less likely to be overwhelmed by choices – and more likely to complete the goals that are truly important. Another tactic could be using technology to guide your visitors’ behavior.  Many of our customers use a CodeBaby Conversation to prompt viewers to complete a form, transaction, etc.  For example, if the visitor is completing a conversion form but having trouble submitting it successfully, a CodeBaby Conversation can provide on-the-fly assistance and coaching.  In this scenario, a CodeBaby Conversation does more than guide visitors to your highest value web goals – it also helps to reduce fall-off during the conversion process.  Talk about maximizing your outcomes! ——————————————————————————————-   “Best Practices: A Guide to Enhancing The Website Experience” This free six-page guide shows you how to overcome the most common obstacles to an engaging website. Click HERE to get your free guide now!

Tagged as: conversion rate, Maximizing Online Outcomes, Online Customer Experience, Web Usability, Website Engagement