Are you struggling to generate leads and sales on your website? You’re not alone. In fact, about 63% of companies lack a structured approach to optimization.
Meanwhile, only 52% of companies that create landing pages use testing to optimize them.
How do you know your landing pages are actually effective if you’re not testing them? (If you have psychic abilities, consider us impressed.)
With a conversion optimization strategy, you can boost leads and your ROI. A few small changes can have a big impact on the user experience (UX). Improving your website design can push consumers along the user buying journey.
As your conversion rates rise, you can set your business up for long-term growth and success.
Sound like a plan? Give your business the boost it needs with these website design tips today!
1. Design It Right
Nearly 90% of online shoppers won’t return to a website after having a bad user experience. Meanwhile, 70% of online businesses fail because of bad usability.
People even form an opinion about your business based on your website design. They’ll form 75% of their judgment about your credibility based on aesthetics alone.
If your website is messy or difficult to use, you could scare visitors away! Instead, find ways to offer ease and convenience. Ensuring your website is easy to use will improve the user experience.
Start by utilizing user experience design trends. For example, you can:
- Use minimalistic design paired with bold elements
- Shorten your sentences and paragraphs to improve readability
- Organize content under headings and subheadings
- Improve the navigation
- Get optimized for mobile devices
- Remove broken links
- Create micro-interactions
- Improve your website’s security
- Use realistic textures
- Create touchless interactions
- Use AR or VR
- Optimize your website for voice search
- Create 3D and immersive experiences
- Use animations and motions
- Offer dark mode
- Use bold typography
Some user experience design trends ensure there aren’t any disruptions in the user experience. For example, a broken link could frustrate users. They might struggle to find the information they need.
Other UX design trends, on the other hand, are meant to wow your audience. You can draw in customers with 3D imagery and animations. Then, you can use a compelling call-to-action (CTA) to boost conversion rates.
Consider working with an experienced web design and development team. They can help you create wow-worthy designs with your audience in mind.
2. Speed Things Up
Do you ever find yourself sitting around, waiting for a web page to load? No one has time for that! If you ever hear the dial-up tone playing in your head, it’s time for a fix.
Fast web page speeds are essential for conversion optimization. Otherwise, people will leave your website, impacting your bounce rate. A high bounce rate can have a negative impact on your search engine ranking.
Most people don’t scroll past the first few website links. If you’re not ranking at the top of the page, you’re missing a chance to draw website traffic. Without traffic, you’re not generating leads!
Instead, use Google’s PageSpeed Insights to determine what’s causing your site to lag behind.
A one-second delay in mobile load times can hurt your conversion rates by up to 20%. People who have a negative experience on mobile devices are 62% less likely to make a future purchase. It doesn’t matter how beautiful your marketing campaigns are after that.
They’ll remember getting frustrated with your slow website and take their business elsewhere.
Speeding up your website can streamline the user buying journey. Consumers don’t want to wait for what they need. Instead, you can give them fast, easy access to what they’re looking for.
People will have an easier time exploring your shop, helping you boost conversion rates!
3. Create Compelling Copy
People who visit your website often skim through your copy to find the info they need. Punching up your copy can help you grab their attention. You can use compelling, action-driven copy to boost conversions.
If your web copy is poorly written, however, you could lose a chance at sales.
Instead, you can improve your copy by:
- Using a unique voice and tone that’s consistent with your brand guidelines
- Appealing to the user’s pain points by offering them a solution
- Using suggestive, provocative copy that draws people in
- Entertaining the reader (especially if the topic is a little dry)
- Remaining professional
Try to avoid using too many exclamation points. If you want to convey excitement, try a strong verb instead.
Don’t write off the cuff, either. You don’t want to fill your landing pages with fluff. Instead, focus on communicating your unique value.
Highlight the features and benefits your products can offer. Then, use a strong CTA to give visitors that final nudge they need to start shopping.
4. Persuade With Your CTA
When crafting your CTA, it’s important to keep it short and sweet. A concise CTA will keep readers focused on a specific action. Otherwise, you might confuse them instead.
As part of your conversion optimization strategy, a strong CTA is essential. You don’t want people turning their attention elsewhere.
With eCommerce websites, you might see simple CTA language such as “Buy Now” or “Shop Here.” Try to get a little more creative with your CTA. For example, you can focus on a particular product to drive sales.
Try offering an incentive, too. For example, you can offer a discount or promo code. Using an incentive can help you drive conversions.
5. Make It Easy to Navigate
Do you ever feel like you need a roadmap to navigate someone’s website? Don’t let your visitors feel that way when they visit your site, too. Instead, improve the user experience by ensuring your site is easy to navigate.
If people can’t navigate your website with ease, they could leave. They’ll turn to a website that immediately responds to their needs instead.
First, take a look at your navigation bar. Make sure it’s easy for visitors to find basic information, including your:
- Home page
- Services page
- Contact page
- eCommerce store
You can also add a button to the navigation bar for conversion optimization. For example, you can create a button that directs visitors to your store or form. For an eCommerce store, you can add a cart button.
Try adding a search bar to your website, too. Then, analyze the searches. What are people looking for on your website?
You can use their search queries to find new ways to improve the user experience.
6. Build Functional Forms
Forms are one of the most important components of a strong conversion strategy. After all, no one wants to spend 15 minutes filling out a form! Instead, make sure your forms are optimized for conversions.
First, try to limit the number of fields you create. Ask for only essential information, such as the user’s name and email. Shorter forms will encourage visitors to quickly provide their information.
Then, you can generate more leads!
If your form is long and complicated, people could bounce.
Consider where you place your forms, too. You can use a heatmap to determine the proper placement. Otherwise, try to place your forms above the fold.
If your form is positioned too low on a page, visitors might not scroll down and see it.
Make sure your forms are optimized for mobile devices. No one wants to pinch, scroll, and zoom to fill out a form.
Take the time to test every form you create. If there’s an error, people might give up halfway through.
7. Establish Trust
Establishing brand trust can help you draw in prospective sales. As part of your conversion optimization strategy, give people a reason to trust your business. Otherwise, they might not want to enter their credit card information on your website.
First, make sure your website has an SSL certificate. You should see “HTTPS” at the beginning of your URL. Then, add elements to your pages such as:
- Customer reviews (including five-star reviews from your Google My Business listing)
- Badges (PayPal, antivirus, etc.)
- Customer testimonials (get permission from the customer first!)
- Dynamic social proof (such as automated tools that read “John Doe just bought this product!”)
About 95% of customers read reviews before making a purchase. In fact, products with at least five reviews have a 270% higher chance of being purchased. Reviews make customers 71% more comfortable purchasing a product, too.
Adding social proof can help you generate brand trust. Once people trust your brand, they’ll become more likely to shop.
8. Run a Split Test
You don’t have to make assumptions when improving your conversion optimization strategy. Instead, use split testing (A/B testing) to determine which elements work to boost conversions. You can test different:
- Headlines
- Copy
- Page layouts
- Images
- Button colors
- Forms
- CTA language
You can use tools like Google Analytics or a heatmap to determine which elements drive conversions. Then, you can optimize future landing pages based on that information.
9. Actually Use Your Data
Once you start generating data, actually use it. Continuously optimize your conversion strategy over time. You might find that the consumer’s online behaviors change year-over-year.
Use data from your advertising campaigns, email marketing, and social media, too. The more you learn about your customers, the more likely you’ll appeal to their needs.
Kick Up Conversions: 9 Tips for Successful Conversion Optimization
Give your conversion rates a major boost this year! With these conversion optimization tips, you can improve your website design and generate fresh sales. Get leagues ahead of the competition with these nine easy tips today.
Need help simplifying your marketing strategy? We can help your website stand out from all the noise.
Avoid all the DIY headaches. Contact us today to get started.