Sooner or later every owner of the site realizes that conversion rate is of the most meaningful indicator of online business effectiveness. Thus, conversion rate optimization along with the content marketing is the most important priority for online marketers nowadays as it ensures high sales volumes.
Trying to increase conversion rates by random guesswork will not get you too far. That is why in order to save time, finances and efforts and get the data of what exactly one has to work at, software development companies may use funnel tracking and an A/B testing solution (split testing). These tools are assumed to be complicated and time-consuming. However it is a myth. They are quite simple. Funnels provide us with the conversion data for each stage while the user surfs the pages. That lets us:
- Discover what steps baffle and trouble the customer.
- Determine why the emotional behavior of the user might change during a particular stage.
- Detect any browser issues, bugs and other technical nuisances.
- A/B testing is the process which allows us to compare two versions of the page and identify which one yields better results.
If you want to be on top of the game boosting the traffic to your website you should never underestimate the necessity of the visual attractiveness of the latter one. So as to maintain the interest of visitors in a tough competitive environment the website must be both appealing and informative. When it comes to design strategy which determines how the information must be presented and arranged, the following tips must be taken into account:
1. First of all, psychology of website colors must be considered. Color, as we know, is an important source of emotions and is an extremely influential factor which affects both the existing and the potential buyer during the purchasing process. The right choice of the color palette can set the right tone and transmit specific emotions to the visitors. It can even stimulate to a certain kind of action. But be careful to use the chosen colors in the right way, in appropriate time and with the suitable audience.
2. Secondly, the text presented on the site must be an effective one which means that the customer shouldn’t meet any difficulties reading it and he/she must be able to comprehend it easily. Also bear in mind that the text must be able to sell the product or the service. The following requirements to such a „selling“ text should be met:
- The main theme of the organization and its site must be reflected;
- The customer must be able to find the information about the organization, its development and accomplishments;
- A marketing proposal must be written in an understandable form;
- The customer must be aware of all the products and services, special offers and costs;
- The requirements of uniqueness (85% and more), and SEO-copywriting must be complied with.
3. If you use links on your website substitute them with buttons which have proved to be more clickable. Thus, the CTR which stands for „click-through rate“ will increment conversion rates.
4. The next question that arises is „Where to put those buttons and what color should they be?“. The top part of the screen attracts more attention when compared to the bottom. That’s why it will be wiser to place the buttons at the top. The survey held by Chitica company specialists proved that clickability of upper buttons exceeds the clickability of lower ones by 30 per cent.
When it comes to color, there is no one right answer. Some people believe that green action button will bring them profit, the others are convinced that red will attract more visitors. The main rule here is that the button must be noticeable. In such a case a good old squint test comes to assistance. Once you’ve designed the page, take a few steps back and squint your eyes – if you can still see the button that will go. And still, only trying out different options will give you a clear understanding of what works better for you.
5. Using images on your website is also very important. People rarely buy something without seeing it. If you want to improve conversion rates rather than destroy them there are some rules you have to follow. First of all the image must be of high quality. The product should be preferably shown from different angles. In this case the customer seems to get a feel of the product. The context is something that matters. The client should not only see how amazing the thing is but also it will be useful if he will be able to picture how wonderful he will feel possessing it. If there are minute details your customer might want to have a look at, zooming in feature could be very helpful.
6. Users expect it to be simple to navigate the pages. If it is too complicated your website will be a failure. Avoid using non-standard style of navigation. People are used to finding either horizontal navigation at the top or vertical navigation on the left. And although marketing is all about differentiation, don’t recreate the wheel here.
Otherwise, your eccentricity will result in higher bounce rate, less pages per visit and fewer conversions. Another common mistake is using drop-down menus. According to the survey held by NN Group, they are considered to be annoying. Also they encourage visitors to skip high pages. Another moment you’d better pay attention to is the number of items on the home page. As our short term memory can hold from five to seven items only, it’s a bad idea to overload the navigation with myriads of links.
Try to limit yourself to 5-6 and you will notice that websites hits have increased.
7. Loading speed is crucial. The majority of clients won’t wait for the page to download if it takes more than 5 seconds. That is why you have to take care of it.
8. Consider adding such functionality as chat buttons to your website. There are people who find it challenging to buy a product immediately. They need to discuss some moments first. Live chat is rather cheap so don’t neglect this convenient way of turning your visitors into the leads.
9. People usually hate wasting their time filling in long registration forms. Therefore it might be a smart idea to make it possible to sign in by simply pressing one button in Facebook or other social accounts. This button must be visible but by no means annoying.
10. Your website must contain such information as full name of the company, its phone number, its registered address, location map and description of how a client can get there.
The prices next to the product catalog must be effective.
11. Another thing you are to keep in mind is the return policy. Sometimes people want their money back for some reason. It doesn’t happen too often while the guarantee on giving the money back may attract customers.
12. No less important is the privacy policy. People are very sensitive about the possibility of their particulars being used by third parties. Make sure there is a page that includes a privacy statement where you will explain to the visitors what kind of information you collect (personal data, IP addresses, hostnames and other), how you do that and how you store the information.
13. So that a visitor became a client there should be a so-called „social proof“, which consists of customer reviews and testimonials that attest to the fact that your clients are satisfied with the services you provide. It was proved that they appear to be more efficient if being placed in the middle of the page with a photo of the person who left feedback right beside it.
14. All the possible options of payment should be described on your website. In the event you accept Visa, MasterCard, Paypal, that will be helpful to put the logos of the services mentioned above in the sidebar.
15. Imagine the situation. The visitor downloads a page and suddenly hears a sound. What will your first reaction be? An average person will click the X in the upper right corner of the browser or the „Back“ button immediately. Is that what you want your potential clients to do? If the answer is „No“, make sure the site doesn’t play any music without the user’s request. Besides that no resizing of the browser window, opening of additional windows, change of the appearance of the mouse cursor can take place. Otherwise, the visitor will feel as if he/she is losing control.
Experts in direct response marketing say: „Test before you invest“. So make it a habit to constantly test any changes you make on the site and check how it will affect the conversion. You are to test everything: headlines, the offer, captions to images, menu layout, call for an action, prices, bonuses, number of items, size of the buttons, color, etc.
Conversion rate optimization is analyzing the potential buyer thick and thin in order to adjust your offers to their needs anticipating their questions and answering them, appealing to their fears, uncertainties, and doubts. Although this process is not easy and not too fast it’s worth spending time on applying these practical tips as they will definitely let you outrun your competitors and will contribute to the long-term profitability of your business.
Elinext Group software development projects:
EdQuants Web Portal
GoldStar WordPress Plugin
LoanGarage Financial Portal
Custom CRM System
Rescue Game Web
Industries and Technology Areas
Industries: IT
Technology Areas: software development, custom software development
