Three Important Tactics To Boost Website Conversions

Does your website attract visitors but not such a great job at converting them to customers?

A businesses website is one of the most important tools in the marketing toolbox. While it’s used for many purposes, one of the key purposes is to convert visitors to customers. When our visitors arrive at our website, they should find content that helps them connect to our business. Our website content is then supported and improved by strategic website design. But now that we have their attention, how do we convert them to customers?

A properly and strategically designed website will follow a conversion path. Common path tactics include clean and uncluttered design, sliders with links to hot topics, and downloadable premium content that requires opt-in. The conversion path works like a road map.  When developing your company’s conversion path, include the following important components to boost website conversions.

1.  Develop and share a clearly defined unique selling proposition.

Every company should have an overall unique selling proposition (USP) that tells customers why they should do business with your company instead of with your competitors. It defines why your company is different.  In addition, products and services may have their own USP, especially if they are unique to a specific audience or the benefits are unique for that product. For example, an auto supply store’s overall USP may be that it offers high quality products cheaper than anyone else. However, the USP for one of the auto store’s specific products might focus on something else.  A cup holder they sell may focus on the fact no drink has ever spilled out of it.

Look at the homepage of your website and see if you can find your USP.  Do viewers know why they should choose you? Tell them why with content and images.

Related: How to Prove your Industry Expertise Using Social Media

2.  Position your opt-in offer in a prominent position on your homepage.

Now that visitors know why they should choose you because of the USP, they’ll move to the next question, “What is in it for me?” Use an opt-in offer to help answer this question.  An opt-in offer is premium content we give our website visitors for visiting the site and taking an important action.  It’s designed to allow us to keep in touch with them.

For businesses that sell a product, the opt-in offer may be a site membership, an online only sales discount, a promotional sale, or another type of offer. For businesses that sell a service, the opt-in offer may be an eBook, a sampling of your service such as a free consultation or assessment, or it may be something else of value that will showcase your expertise and build trust with your target audience.

Whatever your offer, make sure to position it in a prominent location above the fold on the homepage. Test different locations on the homepage to see what draws the most conversions. As your visitors search your website, keep the opt-in offer top-of-mind by placing it in the sidebar on other pages throughout the site.

Related: List Building: Keep your opt-in simple.

3.  Create a sense of urgency in your ad copy and landing page copy.

Our viewers should not see the word “buy” scattered all over our homepage. Asking them to buy is reserved for landing pages, where we have some space to tell the story and move them along the buying journey.  At the end of your landing page is the optimal time to ask them to buy, and creating a sense of urgency can move them to action even faster.

What are the reasons your customers should buy right now? Make sure you communicate these reasons throughout the ad copy and then close with the message of urgency. Some common and effective reasons to “buy now” are a limited-time offer, a discount for buying a certain quantity, or a bonus of getting more for buying now.

Now it’s your turn. Do you have tips to help boost website conversions? Join me in the comments!