Five ways to increase website conversions

One of the main functions of a website is to generate leads.

For those looking to grow their online presence it is easy to become obsessed with increasing traffic and search engine rankings. But unless a website is converting to its full potential, any investment of time, energy and resources will be pointless.

Website conversions is the proportion of website visitors which go on to become paying customers, so it is important to ensure a website is not only optimised for search but also conversions. This will help to maximise the traffic a website receives and will lead to an increase in sales and enquiries.

Here are some simple changes that can help drive an increase in online sales and enquiries.

Understand your business objectives

One of the first steps towards optimising a website for better conversions is to identify the goals of the business, identify who the ideal customer is, what they are searching for and what action you want them to take.

With a clear understanding of the customer, their requirements and the goals of the business you can then start to plan a way forward. Identify potential problem areas of the website which could stop people from taking action. Don’t give a visitor an excuse to leave your website.

Display clear calls to action

One of the easiest ways to improve website conversion rates is to make sure websites have clear calls to action on every page. Simple additions such as a large telephone number at the top of the page or a prominent contact enquiry form can make a big difference. By making sure a website has calls to action you are essentially making it easier for a visitor to make contact without them having to think.

Keep forms simple

Two thirds of people who begin to fill out a website form fail to complete it. Complex forms can lead visitors to prematurely drop out of the enquiry or sales process so it is important to keep forms short and simple, easy to read and complete, and only ask for the minimum amount of information.

Make sure the content ‘speaks’ to the customer

Content should speak to website visitors in a language that will compel them to take action. While getting this right can help to drive sales and leads, poor content can lead to the wrong types of enquiries or a lack of enquiries.

Test, track and report

To ensure the changes are having the desired effect it is important to test and track the changes you make. Tools such as Google Analytics will provide information about visitor activity while other specialist tools will help you test different layouts, colour schemes, forms and even show where visitors are clicking. Navigating your way through the results and options can sometimes feel like a science in itself.

Conversion optimisation is an often overlooked aspect of a website and its marketing strategy. Don’t underestimate its power. Simple changes can make a huge difference in maximising website traffic to its full potential which in turn translates into increased revenue for a business.

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What does this mean for my brand? The world of digital marketing evolves extraordinarily quickly, making it very difficult for busy marketers and business owners to keep pace. Help is at hand in the form of Freshfield’s monthly Digital Bootcamp blog, where our digital consultants answer our clients’ queries in a simple and straightforward manner. If you’ve got a digital marketing question for us, e-mail it to hello@freshfield.com.