Conversion rate optimization is not an exact science. It can be a difficult and time consuming task, as you have to figure out what it is that your target audience wants, and what it is that is putting them off from buying from your website. The tastes and interests of one demographic will differ massively from the tastes of other demographics, so there is no one magic formula.

There are, however, some things that you can do that will smooth the research process. Try these tips next time you come to tweak your website.

1. Keep it simple: The biggest leap in terms of conversion rate optimization will most likely come if you strip out any complicated bits of your website. Finding products should be a simple case of searching or drilling through one or two categories (at most). Purchasing a product should be a simple process too. If someone has to go through three or four pages in the checkout process, there is a good chance they’ll change their mind.
2. Target your traffic: If your traffic levels are high, but your conversion rate is low, it could be that you’re attracting the wrong kind of traffic. Untargeted traffic is a waste of server resources, and could be costing you money. Try re-phrasing your ads so that you attract people that actually want your products.
3. Build trust: Reassure your customers that your website is secure. If you have certifications or endorsements, promote them. If you have testimonials or good reviews on consumer sites, link to them. Consumers are understandably wary of buying from small/young companies. You’ll need to earn their trust before you can make the sale.
4. Offer choice: If you sell several similar products, make it clear that you have more than one make/model/color available. This will help you seal the deal with customers that are still shopping around for the perfect product.
5. Discounts and Deals: It’s a bad idea to start with low prices, and then raise them later. If you aren’t sure how to price your products, start with a high price – you can always offer a sale later. Sales have a strong psychological effect, and make your products more tempting to customers that were on the fence about buying.
6. Money back guarantees: Distance selling regulations require you to accept returns for a certain length of time. Go one better, and offer an extra incentive (if you’ve got faith in your product – which you should!). This is an especially effective method of F conversion rate optimization, although you have to be willing to honor the guarantee, otherwise you’ll quickly destroy your reputation.

Designing a website that converts well can be tricky. Try experimenting with different layouts, fonts, and colors as well as making the above changes. Sometimes, it’s the little things that make the biggest difference when it comes to capturing the imagination of buyers.

Be sure to change only one thing at a time, though. Run your site with just one change, and check the results. If you change too much at once, you won’t be able to tell which change it was that made the difference.

This post was written by Crispin Jones of online marketing company, Boom Online Marketing. Crispin writes on subjects relating to SEO and marketing and e-commerce.