When the traffic starts to come in from Internet marketing, conversion rates start to get looked at closely. In this post, we cover 12 concepts that we recently applied to a client’s site to increase their conversion rate more than 107%.

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1. Move Content Above the Fold

One of the most important things you can do is ensure that your content can be easily seen. Make sure to move your content above the fold. For example, if you have a category page and all the products are so low that no one can see it that could be a huge conversion issue. It may increase bounce rate and throw off a great deal of users from making a purchase.

2. Go Mobile, and Tablet for that Matter

Mobile is critical at this point. If you don’t have a mobile version of your website, your conversion rates can greatly suffer. It is very difficult for people to zoom in and try to read a webpage with a large amount of text. Make sure you have a responsive design on your site with clear calls to action.

3. Clear Calls to Action

I generally recommend one main call to action that represents your main goal. Additionally, it is a good idea to have other calls to action  that are deemphasized. Make your main call to action is in a bright color and your secondary  ones are in a softer color. Try to keep it to about 3 calls to action total; otherwise you might overwhelm your user.

4. Multiple Types of Conversions Based on Level of Interest

When creating your calls to action, do so based on level of interest. In general, you will want your main call to action highest on the page. However, that call to action may be too much of a commitment for your user. If this is the case, it is nice to have secondary calls to action. For example, your request for a quote would be highest on the page, while the newsletter sign up and a link to your blog might be a little lower. The idea is, the user might not want to sign up right away, but may be interested in staying connected to your company on a small level.

5. Refine the Checkout Process

If you have a checkout process on your website, make it the least amount of steps possible, with the least amount of information collected. Make sure to utilize PayPal and Facebook Connect, as those can be a great way to make conversions easier for people. Also, be careful when you present the request for billing information if it’s a site that offers a free trial. In most cases, it is best to have that as the last step, as it invests people in the page.

6. Trust Symbols

Trust symbols are generally thought of as security logos. But think about it, anything can be a trust symbol. It could be a Better Business Bureau logo, your Yelp reviews, a picture of your company smiling and of course the normal security information. Make sure your website looks inviting, safe and trustworthy.

7. Tell a Company Story

Branding is critical for conversions. People want to know where you come from, who is in charge, how you do business and what you can do for them. You website needs to briefly reveal your main differentiators as soon as the user hits the page. Make sure to take the time to craft this story well. The user may only read two sentences before they decide to bounce or stay.

8. Clear Headlines and Compelling Text

Adding passion and voice to your text is critical. People want to read what you have written and have it evoke an emotion, which compels them to buy. On top of that, no text can survive if it is not broken up properly. Make sure you have subheadings that reinforce your message and help the user skim the page.

9. Look at Top Competitors

It’s a free market, and this may never be truer than in the online marketing world. You most likely have competitors who are larger than you. Take the time to review what they have done and make it your own. They have undoubtedly invested more time and money than you have. There is nothing wrong with a little competitive analysis.

10. Consider your Page Template

Each page has a template. The home page is a template, a category page may be another template and a  product page is usually a template as well. Pay special attention to the template that you use to convert. For example, you will most likely have a much different template on your blog than you will on  the product page. On the blog, the user is interested in content. On the product page, the user wants to buy, see similar products or learn more.

11. Pay Special Attention to your Funnels and Traffic

A funnel is a term to describe the process a user goes through to create a goal on the website. Each website sells certain products in certain categories. They also sell to certain demographics. It is critical to consider this when creating your funnels.

Outside of the funnel, it is very important to focus on your traffic types. Traffic from Facebook, Google Organic, Google Paid Search, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, etc, are all different. The website needs to be configured in a way so that it is driving traffic to a page that is conducive to each of these forms of traffic being pushed into a funnel that will allow them to accomplish a goal.

For example, paid search traffic  generally runs to a landing page created specifically for that traffic. On that landing page, you will often see no navigation, clear calls to action, very compelling text, images that relate to the goal and an easily digestible color scheme.

12. Your Analytics and Multichannel Funnels

All the conversion rate optimization work in the world will not help you if you cannot measure it. Make sure you have goals, ecommerce tracking (when necessary) and funnels in place. Also, make sure to learn about attribution modeling and multichannel funnels. In some cases, traffic does not get the credit it deserves.

Summary

Once you get traffic to your website, you need to convert that traffic. This is an incredibly fun and interesting field, which will continue to grow over time. The tweaks above are simple concepts  that will help those  that are new to conversion rate optimization.