Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is optimizing your website to turn more visitors into customers. Many companies have a conversion rate of 10 percent or lower. That means out of every 10 customers, 9 click out of a website without making any kind of commitment to the business owner, whether it be a purchase or a newsletter sign-up.
If this number seems depressing, then you must make some important decisions for your company’s future. There are simple and complex methods you can employ to improve your company’s conversion rate. Consider these tips.
Create a unique call to action
Many websites have unoriginal calls to action, or even worse, no call to action. If your site uses sales-like words that many customers will perceive as pushy or dishonest, they may not purchase your products or complete any other requested action. You must use words and text layouts that are original.
Observe other merchant websites, especially profitable websites. Take note of how they formatted their call to action and make sure to model yours to be different.
Do tests
There are many types of conversion rate tests, including A/B tests, time split tests and multivariate tests. Out of the three, the most popular and effective test is the multivariate test. In this type of test, different types of software are used to determine what the visitors are doing on your website.
Google analytics will tell you what pages visitors are clicking to, how long they stay on your site and what they are not clicking.
Additionally, services like Crazy Egg and Click Tale allow you to see exactly what visitors are doing and how they interact with your site.
Experiment
If your site is not converting, you will want to experiment with your site. This should range from ad placement to product prices. Moreover, give your experiments enough time to see if anything changes with your conversion rate.
If you are using test methods, you should have an idea with what is and is not effective for converting visitors. With this knowledge, you can experiment with the “broken” call to action features on your website, such as newsletter sign-up forms, shopping cart features and social media sharing buttons.
Use persuasive content
No one likes to feel manipulated or coerced, but there is nothing wrong with persuasion. Use the six persuasive techniques: scarcity, social proof, reciprocation, consistency, liking and authority. Each of these six persuasive techniques is effective and can be used in content.
Robert Cialdini’s book, “Influence: Science and Practice,” is a great resource to learn about these six persuasion methods and how to effectively use them in a real-world context.
Conclusion
If you employ these tips, you should see an improvement in your conversion rate. However, always remember that certain tests and experiments take time to completely manifest results from which you can base your decisions.
Eric Wyatt writes on internet marketing, focusing on conversion rate optimization and landing page design.