No matter what type of business you run, converting site visitors into customers is the root of success. Figuring out ways to optimize your conversion rates isn’t easy. The number of leads collected translates to the percentage of new customers gained from those leads, so the more leads you collect, the better.
When visitors land on your page, you want them engaged, or they’ll bounce away to another site. Around 80 percent of those abandoning a website won’t return a second time. Higher engagement leads to higher conversion rate optimization (CRO) and lower bounce rates.
How do you increase conversions on your website and reduce bounce rates? Here are six web features that lead to higher CRO and follow-through:
1. Offer Incentive to Buy Now
One method to upping your conversions is creating a sense of urgency in the site visitor. Offer a discount if they order within so much time, and it may just put them from the maybe column to the yes column and convert them into customers.
Even in traditional retail, there is a rule of thumb that if a customer walks away, they’re less likely to return and make a purchase. Online, you have the advantage of abandoned shopping carts and collecting an email. Follow up on any abandoned shopping carts with an email offer that provides an incentive for the consumer if they complete the order within 24 hours.
Schwan’s creates immediate sales that are only good until midnight that night, encouraging visitors to order within a few hours and save on sale items. In addition to daily deals, the site also offers various coupons, such as saving $20 on the entire order.
2. Speed up Your Pages
Studies show that slow-loading websites drive visitors away. A mere one-second pause in load time translates into 7 percent fewer conversions. Speeding up your site requires a multifaceted approach that includes optimized images, a fast web host and limited scripts.
3. Provide Printable Coupons
Local businesses should provide printable coupons customers use when ordering services or visiting a brick-and-mortar store. Conversion rates aren’t just about who buys the second they land on your page. There are times when the customer thinks over the purchase and then comes back to your business as their solution.
Add printable coupons to your page and remind customers of your business days or even weeks later. This method works well for service businesses in particular.
Haynes Plumbing uses printable coupons to great advantage. First, it places a coupon in the footer of its page, serving as a sort of call to action for the site visitor. It also has a page devoted to available coupons. The coupons cover different services Haynes Plumbing offers, such as new sump pumps, water heaters and toilets. Print the coupons or simply mention when you call.
4. Test Call to Action Buttons
Your calls to action (CTA) directly impact your conversion rates. About 53 percent of websites don’t have a clear CTA that’s easy to find. In a perfect world, your CTA stands out and grabs the attention of site visitors almost immediately.
One study showed that out of 330,000 CTAs, those with personalized wording converted 202 percent better than generic CTAs.
However, minor tweaks make a big difference in how effective your CTAs are. A change in the wording on the button, its color or placement all works toward better or worse CRO stats. Test your CTAs and do so often. Anytime you make a change on your landing page, test against the previous version and see which CTA performs best with your target audience.
5. Buttons Should Look and Be Clickable
User experience (UX) determines how long users stay on your page and whether they’ll return, which directly impacts your CRO. Make sure any CTA buttons not only look clickable but are clickable.
The button should contrast sharply with the background of the page, so it stands out and the user feels it is something clickable. When the user does click on the button, it should immediately shift to the action you’ve asked the user to take. If the button says, “Get a Free Quote,” clicking on it should pull up a form that gathers information for the quote.
Think through the steps a site visitor goes through to turn into a lead and make each step of the process as simple as possible.
Hulu does an excellent job with its CTA button by creating a burst of green that stands out against the muted blue background. The button is rectangular and easily clickable and states “Start Your Free Trial.” Once the user clicks on the button, they immediately go to a page with several options, including no commercials or adding Live TV to the package.
6. Drive User Trust
Step into the mindset of your site’s visitors. Imagine you’ve never heard of the brand before and you’re not sure you can trust the company. What would sway you toward making a purchase? One way to overcome the doubt of new leads is providing reviews and testimonials showing other people’s glowing praises.
Consumers read about 10 reviews online before feeling a local business is trustworthy. On top of that, 84 percent of people believe online reviews are just as reliable as a personal recommendation. Gain the trust of consumers with authentic reviews from current customers.
Improving CRO
Improve your website CRO takes time and testing. Try different methods and add various features, studying the results of each change and seeing what works best with your specific audience. Even a small increase in conversions improves your revenue and makes your marketing efforts more successful.
Lexie Lu is a designer and writer. She loves researching trends in the web and graphic design industry. She writes weekly on Design Roast and can be followed on Twitter @lexieludesigner.