5 Ingredients for Better Website Conversion
Here are 5 tips for fine tuning your website conversion:
1. Fast Loading Pages
Online shoppers are impatient. You'll only have a few seconds to convince them that your site has the information they need. So if your page takes a while to load, you can wave goodbye to many paying customers.
What makes pages load too slowly? Common culprits can be sloppy code, too many images or un-optimised images, and extras like videos which play automatically when the page is loaded.
2. Effective Headlines
Most visitors don't read web pages, they skim them until they are sure that the information on the page is interesting. That means that headlines are instrumental to deciding whether to read the rest of the page. By using sharp, effective headlines, you can capture a reader's interest and make sure that they get your company's message.
Good headlines should be short, snappy, and should convey the point of the web page. You should use frequent sub-headers as well, to break up the page and keep the reader's attention from beginning to end.
3. Clear Calls to Action
All too often, websites use bland links like "Click Here" to convince readers to continue through their pages. It's far better to use enticing text that shows the benefit of continuing. Remember that every click is a small expenditure of your reader's time – they have to know ahead of time that the information on the new page will be worth it!
Replace any bland calls to action with compelling copy that includes clear direction and a benefit for clicking. For example, "Sign Up and Learn How to Make More Money Online" will have a better effect than "Join Now."
4. Optimised Web Forms
Web forms are used to buy a product, sign up for a newsletter, ask for a quote, download a white paper, and other critical actions. However, people dislike sharing unnecessary information online, especially if the value isn't clear.
In order to boost reader response, consider what information you absolutely need to make the form effective, and ask for no more (and no less). If you need a lot of information, make sure that the visitor knows where he is in the process, and how much time it will take to continue.
5. Fresh Copy
Website optimisation is not something that you can do once and forget about. Your visitors change, your products change, information gets outdated and stale. Make sure that you are always testing the effectiveness of each step of your site and making improvements as needed.