Introduction to Website Conversion Rates 100+ Tips - 2

Introduction to Website Conversion Rates 100+ Tips - 2

1. Color is important. 

Be sure you choose an appealing color theme for your website. This should be universal throughout the site, and look appealing to the eye. Psychologically speaking, colors really do influence how people perceive things. Do a little bit of research and look for colors that will go with your overall business type and the attitude you’re trying to project. This is not limited to just the font and background colors. It also applies to graphics and wallpaper that you might use on the website. In some cases, white is better so decide which pages need extra background color and which ones do not.

2. Logos say it all. 

When you create your website, think about a company logo first and foremost. This logo will be an absolutely invaluable part of your conversion rates. Good company and website logos enhance the feel of your site, and create brand recognition. When people recognize the brand or product because of your logo, the odds are they will have better faith in your goods and services, which results in a sale.

3. Make the website easy to use.

Be sure your website is easy to navigate, and products are clearly described and thoroughly explained. Divide the site into sections based on item type, and make each page look professional. People will want to buy your products only if they get a complete description of them. Otherwise, they may shy away and turn to another site.

4. Shopping carts should be easy to use. 

Choose your shopping cart software carefully. Include an area for promotional codes, sales tax, and make choosing shipping options easy. This really helps so that customers can see the total amount of their order before they check out, and can easily add or delete items from their cart as they shop around.

5. Security is number one. 

Ensure that your website’s SSL Certificate is up to date. The small lock at the bottom of the website ensures people that you are secure and that their information is completely safe. This will not only instill confidence in the visitors, but will protect you from liability in any potential cases of fraudulent activity.

6. Headlines, headlines, headlines. 

The headline of your site is usually the first thing people see when they click on the home page. You want the headline to be catchy and something they will easily pass on to other people. Make sure the headline is snappy, intelligent, and unique to your site.

7. Incentives help increase conversions. 

Tantalize people with free gifts, or free months’ supplies of your products can help convert that hit over to a sale. Free shipping, or a coupon code that allows for a certain percentage off of their total purchase are also both good incentives to offer. These encourage people to buy something since they get a freebie or a discount so they can save money. In today’s economy, free shipping is a huge bonus and will almost always encourage sales.

8. Affiliate programs work. 

Come up with a good affiliate program. Affiliate programs offer people incentives for directing visitors to your site in order to get sales. The affiliate can get revenue from the sale, free products, or other things that will get them to promote the website. A good affiliate program can help your conversion rate increase quite significantly. Remember to keep in touch with your affiliates on a regular basis and encourage them to get those sales! Affiliates can do wonders for your business, and hit the ground working for you. Come up with a good template that affiliates can use to publish on their own websites and include in their own emails.

9. Customer service can keep them coming back for more. 

Be sure you offer thorough and efficient customer service. People will not return

and will tell others about the website if they are not receiving top notch customer service. This includes technical support as well. Make sure you are able to answer all customer questions and help people in a timely manner so they will want to buy from your website. People who get less than stellar service often never return.

10. Make your return policy clear. 

Customers want to know they have 100% satisfaction guaranteed, and that they can return items they are not happy with. Be sure your return policy is very clear and shown somewhere where people can easily find it. Some customers will not make an online purchase if they are not assured that it can be returned. Let people know in advance if your company will pay for the return shipping, or if they are responsible for paying to get it back to you on their own dime.

11. Privacy is important. 

Aside from the return policy, you also need to include a good privacy policy. Make sure people know their information is protected and will not be sold to a third party. A privacy policy should be easy to find and easy to read. You can use several different  templates, as long as the company name is changed, and you revamp some sections of it to fit your business.

12. Having sales creates more sales. 

Come up with creative sales so people will want to buy something from the website. Use promotional emails, forum postings, and banner ads to attract the attention of customers who are looking for a good deal. Forum links can encourage people to check out your website.

13. Advertise effectively. 

Use banner ads, flash movies, and other forms of Internet advertising to attract new people to your website. Think of some unusual ways that will grab people and force them to click onto the site. Teaser ads and colorful flash are great ways to attract new visitors that will hopefully become sales. Talk to affiliate websites, and other businesses who sell products in the same niche as yours, and see about perhaps swapping your ad on their site for their ad on yours. Look for advertising discounts, and only advertise in places that will attract real buyers.

14. Describe your products fully. 

Be sure every item you sell has a thorough description about it and good, clear, professional pictures. Every single thing you are selling should be easy for the customer to see and understand. This includes color, size, and detailed descriptions such as materials used (i.e. if you sell shirts, let customers know the material like 100% cotton, etc). The more description included with each item, the better. Remember, people cannot actually hold these items in their hand and look at and touch them, so they need to be able to get a sense of everything they look at on the site.

15. 800 numbers really matter. 

Website surfers and e-commerce shoppers want assurance that they can contact anyone at any time if they have a concern with your website. Adding a 1-800 phone number can actually increase your conversion rate by a few percent each

month. If customers can call and get in touch with someone if they have questions, they will most likely continue shopping and make the sale. If they have a difficult time getting a hold of someone, then they will probably move on to another website.

16. Enlarge the photos. 

As previously mentioned, good clear photos can really make a difference. Having the enlarge and zoom option make it even more appealing. If people can get a clear view of the items they might buy, they feel much more confident in making that final purchase without holding the item in their hand.

17. Add in FAQ’s. 

Frequently Asked Questions are a great tool to help encourage customers to get the help they need simply by clicking on your FAQ page. Come up with the most common questions people would ask, and add them on a dedicated page along with answers. Of course, people can always email or call your 800 number, but having FAQ’s really does help.

18. Be upfront with all pricing. 

Don’t try to hide pricing, especially shipping. Make it easy for potential customers to know just how much their total purchase will be with shipping right from the outset. A lot of times, Internet shoppers will turn away at the last minute if the shipping cost is unexpectedly too high.

19. Use Heat Map technology. 

This new technology allows you to see what your visitors are hovering or clicking the mouse on. You’ll then be able to optimize or tweak any particular area that’s getting a lot of attention and areas which aren’t. www.CrazyEgg.com is a heat map service you can use.

20. Live chat is effective. 

Include a live chat option to your site if possible. The 1-800 number is great, but some people prefer to just email or chat online. Adding in a live chat feature is a good way to show your business is sophisticated, and concerned about its

customers’ needs. While you probably won’t have Live Chat online 100% of the time, it’s good to have operators on staff during regular business hours, or during your particular website’s peak hours.

21. Prove you’re real and physical. 

A real, physical address is definitely a reassurance for people when they look at the website. It also encourages them to correspond via regular mail (or snail mail) as well as email. A physical address ensures that you are legitimate and shows them that you have a business address.

22. Customer testimonials matter. 

Use your satisfied customers’ kind words as testimonials on the website. Put them in a prominent place so people can clearly see them. Customer testimonials make people feel better about buying from you since there has been a past history of others who are happy with your products or services.

23. Inform people about you. 

Include an “about us” section on the website. Give a company history, as well as more detailed information about what it is you’re selling. You can tell people the year you were founded, where you’re located, and what ideas you came up with to start the business. An “about me” section is always helpful and attracts people to your site.

24. Always check your work. 

Whenever you add, delete, or make any kind of changes to your website, make sure you check the spelling. Product descriptions often change, so it can be very easy to make typos. Be very careful of all text and ensure that everything is spelled properly the first time. Misspellings tend to scare people away, especially when it comes to spending money.

25. Be realistic. 

Use compelling text that convinces people to make a purchase, but stay away from melodramatic or overly exaggerated words. Sounding too unrealistic does not appeal to most logically thinking customers. They want the facts and want to hear or read more, but don’t need too much.

26. Display stock status. 

If you only have a few of each item, consider showing the number of items in stock somewhere near the product. This usually gives people the idea that the items are limited in quantity, and it may entice them to buy more than one. It also helps you to track your inventory a bit better.

27. Keep it fresh. 

Try to rotate your items as much as you can. If something has been on your website for a long time and it is not getting any bites, consider removing it and adding something new. Changing up your inventory entices people to see what’s new.

Coming Soon Next article Part 3...