5 Conversion Optimization Elements your Website Must Have to Succeed

Everyone who has ever created a website wants at least one thing: for it to succeed. No matter what your website covers or why it was built in the first place, you want it to receive website visitors and then convert them into clients. There are always certain ways to set up, manage, and maintain your website in order to ensure its success.

You’ve probably heard that it is important to focus on driving traffic toward your site, but it’s also important that you turn that driven traffic into converted visitors. If you have 100 new people view your page everyday but none of them continue to return and become what is known as “conversions”, you’re not any better off than someone who only has 50 visitors a day but regularly gains 4 or 5 new conversions.

Optimizing your conversion rates and keeping your traffic interested in your website is vital to your website’s success. If you’re here, then you probably already know that. However, there may be a few things you don’t know about optimizing your conversions and that’s what we’re here to cover.

For those who aren’t familiar with conversion rate optimization elements or even what conversion optimization is, let us take you through it.

What is Conversion Optimization?

To start off, you need to know what conversion rate optimization is.

Put simply, conversion optimization is how you enhance your website in order to gain a bigger audience and continue to grow your website base. Conversion rate optimization is directly related to your rate, the percentage of daily visitors who turn into loyal converts.

But what will a conversion look like and how do you know who they are?

A conversion may look different depending on your site, so you should figure out what that would look like for you. If your end goal is to get your target audience to subscribe to your site, then a conversion would be visitor who enters their email address in your subscription form or fills out some type of form.

If your end goal is for someone to buy your service, then a conversion would be a visitor who makes a purchase from you or your site.

It’s important to know what your individual converts will look like so that you can accurately monitor your conversion rates. Without a clear idea of what your site’s target audience look like, then you may accidentally monitor the wrong data and make a mistake when calculating your conversion rates. In order to really take advantage of conversion optimization elements, you have to have an accurate conversion rates.

After you figure out your conversion rates, it’s time you take advantage of optimization elements. No matter how high your conversion rate is, unless it’s 100%, it can always be better. With conversion optimization, you’ll be able to save money for your website or company and increase revenue. Even if conversion optimization may be a bit of a pain at the beginning, it will effectively increase your business and help it grow bigger and better.

Importance of Conversion Optimization

So, you’ve get started looking into conversion optimization and what it is, but you aren’t quite sure why it’s important. At the very base level, it’s important for gaining new conversions and growing your business. However, conversion optimization can do more than just get you a higher conversion rate.

With optimized conversion rates, you’ll be able to lower the costs of customer acquisition and increase the revenue per customer. You’ll receive more value from your current website visitors and customers without having to spend more money in hopes or retaining them while gaining new conversions . The last thing any business or website wants is to spend more money just to lose it.

Even low percent changes can improve your conversion rate drastically. For example, a change from 10% to 15%, you’ll receive 50% more conversions. Optimizing your conversion rate by even 2% can be a big boost as it can bring in up to 20% more customers than before. If it’s possible to optimize a page of your website, it’s definitely a good idea to do so.

5 Conversion Optimization Elements

The Importance of Visual Value

The first thing you might stumble upon when visiting a homepage may not be the text that explains everything in clear detail. Chances are, your eyes will be captured by the most outstanding visual there is on the homepage. It could be a banner, an ad, a cover image, or anything in between on the landing page.

However, this first impression is more than just a beautiful image that sets the tone for your landing page. In fact, it can be an invaluable tool in helping your conversion rates. Consider the graphic your first call-to-action / calls to action for visitors on your homepage.

Whether it’s an oversized graphic or a banner, you already have your visitor’s attention, why not put it to good use? The moment someone visits your homepage, you should already be prepping them for the next step in conversion on your homepage, which is to continue browsing for whatever piques their interest on the homepage.

By tapping into what makes the user tick, you are already making a great start. Combine this with other marketing efforts, and you are looking at the beginning of a well-oiled marketing machine built for conversion on your homepage.

Ease of Use

It is also essential that your website functions as it is supposed to. That means no intrusive ads, easy navigation, and clear directions to whatever the user might need at the moment.

Rather than making the consumer jump through hoops, a clear and transparent direction helps to keep them interested for a longer time. The more they browse, the more likely they would be making a decision.

Especially when it comes to products, having good recommendations, applying great web design principles, clear call-to-action buttons, reviews of user experience, and quick access to all the relevant information will go a long way in increasing your conversion rate. It never hurts to think of the user when designing your homepage for the web design.

Creating Additional Value

The user is, without a doubt, the most important cornerstone of the operation. Catering to them should always be your number one priority. Aside from making things easy for them, we should be looking at generating and web design even more value whenever they visit.

This can come in the form of remarketing efforts that clearly takes the visitor’s preferences into account. Should a user display an interest in a certain product, it would be wise to send some recommendations their way in the same area. Knowing what your user likes can easily lead to a smoother purchase journey down the road.

Creating an ecosystem where the user, as well as their friends, are involved in, can also help boost your numbers. When a website or homepage knows exactly what to deliver to its users, that is a step in the right direction.

Seamless Checking Out

Once a customer has decided to make a purchase, the process should be a smooth and hassle free affair. The last thing you want is to put them off with endless forms and never ending details.

It is important to test out your checkout processes to find the right balance. Show the consumer the essential information as quickly as possible, upsell when the right opportunity arises, and give as much detail needed.

Opportunistic Marketing

As websites expand or web design change, things can inevitably go wrong. Pages or homepage might get lost, and there might be dead links around. Even then, it is a perfect opportunity to market to your users. A 404 error page might be the last thing someone is looking for, but should it happen, you best make sure they have all the right links to continue their browsing.

Design a custom 404 page with links to the latest content or products, allow users to make a report to help you with finding such errors in your site, or solicit feedback as part of the process.

While it is never nice to encounter an error, turn that mistake into an opportunity. Every little bit counts.

Conversion Optimization Elements Your Website Needs

There are many different ways to incorporate conversion optimization elements into your website. Just like there’s no “one right way” to create a website, there’s no “one right way” to optimize it.

Your website or homepage may benefit from certain elements that another website may not see any use in. It’s really a process or trial and error, but with a higher success rate on your homepage and many people testifying in favor of it.

1. User Sign-Ups and Forms

This is probably one of the easiest ways to get your traffic to convert. However, it’s also one of the easiest ways to lose traffic. When you decide you want to put a sign-up form on your site, you need to be careful during the creation.

Just like most people, your customers won’t want to fill out a long, arduous form. If you are asking your potential converts to fill out a five minute long survey or complete a form that has multiple pages or aspects to it, the chances of them quitting part way through are higher than you may like.

Instead, when you make a sign-up form, make sure it’s short and just asking for the basics. A name and email will do just fine in most cases and many people are so used to filling out such forms that they’ll do it without hesitation.

2. Trust Marks

Any business that sells a service or website that requires credit card information should have some form of trust mark. The VeriSign symbol is an easy trust mark to use, but there are others readily available as well. If customers don’t feel like their information will be safe, they won’t convert to your site.

3. Make Clear Steps

No one likes to be confused, especially potential customers who are in search of something. Try to break down your service process into easy to understand steps. If you need potential customers to make a purchase before you provide them a service, then you may mention step one being sign up, step two make a payment, and step three receive your service.

Potential customers don’t like being redirected multiple times or having to fill out long forms. If you require lots of information from a customer before you can provide your service, then you need to be clear about why that is. Selling a plush animal does not require your customer to fill out their phone number, why they want it, and what event they are purchasing it for. However, if you are hiring out choreographed dancers, then perhaps that information is a little more justified.

4. Create an Eye Catching Headline

If your headline is dull and typical, then customers may just scroll right by it. You want to create something that will draw them in immediately and leave them looking around your website for more information. An attractive headline on your homepage is one of the most important things your homepage can have, though every article published on your website should also sound interesting aside from the homepage title.

Headlines are really the first impression of your website and as such, they need to be great! So many other websites offer similar products that may have attention grabbing headlines on their homepage, so make sure yours is at least somewhere in the competition.

5. Use Trustworthy Visuals and Engagement Techniques

Once again, if your potential customer does not trust your website, they are not likely to stick around very long. This is true even for the graphics and visuals you mount on your website. Don’t be caught up in using stock photos on your website pages as people won’t be immediately drawn to them.

Everything on your homepage and other pages should appear trustworthy and engaging. Images should be clear and you show something positive. If your images are of people who look upset or just not happy, customers are less likely to engage in your website, as some studies have shown.

6. Make Your Calls-to-Action Visible

If your customer can’t find your call-to-action on the homepage or anywhere, how are they supposed to convert? One quick way to make them more visible is to add different coloured buttons on your homepage. Making it stand out and easy to find is a quick way to ensure customers can find it.

Another way to make your call-to-action more visible is to put it closer to where your customers are looking or on the homepage. Not everyone will look along the top bar, so keeping a button there at all times may do nothing to help. By putting your call-to-action or calls to action somewhere in the text potential customers are reading, they’re more likely to see it.

7. Provide Testimonials

Particularly for businesses that aren’t as well known, it’s important to add the testimonials of previous customers to your page or homepage. Many potential converts trust online reviews as much as personal referrals, so displaying those 4 and 5 star testimonies can be a great help to your website. Showing new converts that you’ve been trusted before also helps add to the trust elements of conversion optimization.

Where to Start with Conversion Optimization?

It can be difficult to know where to start if you’ve never used conversion optimization elements before. Luckily, there are a few great places you can start with. Almost every website has them and they will give you a great place to practice. Once you’re more familiar with conversion optimization, you can move on to other sections or your website too. You’re certainly not limited to just what’s listed here.

1. Your HomePage

Although it’s not always the first page a potential convert lands on, optimizing your homepage for conversions is a great and easy place to start. It’s typically the first impression of your homepage and if customers aren’t immediately attracted to it, it’s highly likely that they’ll leave.

2. Price Page

If you are selling either a product or a service, your customers are bound to encounter your price page at some point. Don’t forget that they haven’t converted yet. They’re still thinking about another option if they’re only at your price page, so make sure it’s good.

You can change your price page to optimize conversions by adding detailed descriptions about each stage of the pricing. Offer month-by-month quotes or yearly quotes so customers can see their options. If you require individualized price quotes, then put the phone number to call somewhere easy to see.

3. Landing Pages

Any landing pages you have should be optimized for conversion. Draw traffic in to your landing pages and don’t be ashamed about it. Make your landing pages eye catching and provide links on your landing pages that can easily take potential customers right to where you want them. If you aren’t adding conversion optimization elements to your landing pages, then it’s past time to start.

Conclusion

There are many ways your website can benefit from conversion optimization and there are many different elements to try implementing. Test some different elements and watch what it does to your conversion rate. You may see an immediate change, you may not. Just remember that there’s always something you can improve. For more advice with using conversion optimization elements on your website, consult the best orlando web design company for help.