Don’t Just Survive, Thrive!

Regardless of whether you have an eCommerce site or a simple landing page, there are some simple questions that need to be asked when looking at how to increase conversions and sales. Here we take a look at the things that can increase your chances of getting your site’s traffic through to the point of conversion.

Is the emphasis on value?

It is important to always focus on the quality of your product and service and, be offering what can be perceived as a deal. If you try to sell a branded product that is freely available elsewhere, not only should you ensure your price is competitive (because people will shop around!), but also provide a clear reason why people should buy from you. Whether this is free express shipping, a money back satisfaction guarantee, or even a ‘buy two and receive a further 20% discount’… the aim here is to ensure that you are not only putting your products forward as being competitively priced, but adding incentives to buy now instead of shopping around.

Are your landing pages relevant?

Whether it is paid or organic traffic, we need to be very clear about what keywords are being used to direct people through to your site – if a user is looking for Men’s T-shirts, and you are landing your site’s traffic on the menswear sub menu… well, you are ensuring that a high percentage of users will disengage. For the above example, having a landing page dedicated to Men’s T-shirts, with an easy-to-navigate menu relating to colours and styles will dramatically improve your chances of a sale. The same applies to services, as an electrician having pages dedicated to each of the services offered will always improve the user experience.

Is your site clear & easy to understand?

This relates to both site design and content – is your menu self-explanatory and easy to navigate? More to the point – is the site content descriptive and easy to read? Educational content or simple sales pitch regardless; try to avoid technical terms that the average user won’t understand wherever possible. If you do need to use technical terms, try to ensure that an explanation accompanies it.

Are you creating a sense of urgency?

Creating a sense of urgency can work wonders – whether it’s a ‘limited stock remaining’, ‘Sale ends Friday’ or ‘Act now before it’s too late’, there is always an angle to encourage users to buy or contact you now. This is something you may want to test from multiple angles depending on your product or service. Always take into account, that if a user is on your site now, it means they are looking for your product or service now… this ties in to the emphasis on value in the paragraph above, but having clear calls to action on every page of your site is a must.

Is your site going out of its way to build trust?

First time visitors to your site are often skeptical – whether your conversion is getting someone’s name and number to organise a free quote or paying you money for a product – we have to ensure that everything possible is done to quell user anxiety. There are an abundance of things that can be done to build credibility and gain users trust… some examples are as follows:

• Testimonials. The more the merrier. User reviews are also great to build trust.
• A contact number, and if you are a solo operator, your name. People are far more likely to react to “Call Dave (as an example!) on 0404 — —”  than to react to “Call 0404 — —“
• Have a clear privacy policy in place, and ensure the applicable terms and conditions are easy to locate. You are asking for people’s phone numbers or credit card details… it’s important to be transparent!
• Clearly visible ‘Satisfaction Guarantees’ and when applicable, returns and refund policies.
• If your site is eCommerce, having the logos at the top of page for Visa, MasterCard & Paypal will assist in building trust
• An up to date, valid SSL (Security Certificate).

Are there unnecessary distractions?

Are there items on your landing pages that could distract your visitors away from the ‘goal’? When there are too many action options and visual inputs within a page, the chances of converting plummet. Minimizing distractions like unrelated products, unnecessary links or irrelevant text will greatly assist your sites users in staying focused on what they came there to do.

While there are many more industry and site specific options that can be applied to sites, if you apply the above questions to your own site and proactively work on ensuring the user experience is as streamlined as possible, your conversion potential will consistently increase. Get in touch with SponsoredLinX today to learn more on 0800 004 672.

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