To optimise a website’s conversion rate, or CRO, the first step is to identify why users are failing to take the desired action on the website (whether that is submitting a form, making a call, or downloading value-added content). Savvy marketers can then use these insights to optimise conversion rates and deliver results, having a substantial impact on business performance.
With this in mind, what are some effective ways to optimise your site and drive those all-important conversions?
- Ensure your website is mobile friendly
In Q3 of 2018, 52.4% of global web traffic came from mobile devices. The prevalence of mobile browsing highlights mobile optimised web design as a real necessity. To optimise your website for mobile, develop a fully-functional mobile menu, allowing users to easily navigate your site.
Moreover, to encourage leads and make it simple for mobile users to contact your business, incorporate click-to-call and click-to-email buttons on your web pages, which will allow users to contact your company in external apps.
If you are eager to boost your conversion rate, it is also imperative that you make your website loading time as short as possible (ideally under 3 seconds). According to HubSpot, a 1 second delay in page loading time can cause a 7% reduction in conversions.
- Optimise on-page forms
Lengthy web forms can overwhelm users and discourage time-pressed prospects from converting into leads. Moreover, prospects are often unwilling to hand over large amounts of personal information, without explicit justification for the request.
To simplify the conversion process and encourage form submissions, you should limit your requests to essential information only and incorporate an option to connect via a social media channel, such as Facebook.
If it proves impossible to include all the information you need in a short form, break it up into sections. Once a user has invested time into completing the first section, they are more likely to proceed through the latter stages of your form.
- Use engaging call-to-actions
When writing call-to-actions for your web pages, remember that website users expect to receive a concrete benefit in return for their personal details. Instead of using bland call-to-actions like “submit” on your web pages, opt for more descriptive phrases such as “get a quote”, “download content” and “request a call back”. To encourage conversions, you should utilise your call-to-actions to remind the user of the benefit they are about to receive.
Moreover, to ensure maximum performance, A/B test your call-to-actions to find out which resonates more with your audience.
- Gain the user’s trust
Often users feel reluctant to surrender sensitive personal information to an unfamiliar website. By gaining the trust of your website visitors, you can boost the chances of prospects converting into leads.
To increase trust, secure your site with HTTPS, which uses SSL encryption to securely link your landing page with the website user’s browser. Prospects are likely to feel more comfortable providing personal information due to the familiar “secure” padlock icon in the taskbar, which reassures them of the site’s security.
Third party validation is another valuable tool to build trust. According to research by Moz, 67.7% of purchasing decisions are influenced by online reviews, so incorporate these testimonials into your website to gain trust and potentially boost your conversion rate. If you hold membership of a well-known trade body, or have been approved by an industry regulator, ensure that this information appears in a prominent position on your website.
- Design is key
The design of your web page can have a considerable impact on its performance. If your web pages look cluttered, or are difficult to read, then prospects are likely to bounce without interacting with your site.
To avoid high bounce rates, condense key information into short blocks of text and separate with bold headers. This makes your website easy to read and allows users to find the information that matters to them with ease.
Experiment with everything from the colour scheme of your website, to the placement of your calls-to-action and your website layout. A/B test your landing pages to gain valuable insights and develop a strategy to improve the performance of your site.
- Get personal
Including a live chat function on your website gives prospects, leads and customers a chance to talk to one of your customer service representatives in real-time, without leaving the web page. By answering customer queries in this way, you can boost conversions and build trust.
There are many things you can do to optimise your website’s conversion rate. Endeavour to understand your prospects and how they interact with your website, before developing a concrete strategy to improve user experience and drive conversions.
Would you like to know more about conversion rate optimisation? Get in touch with the r//evolution team today.
