At this very moment, your website is in the midst of hosting users who are exploring its pages, assessing the content, and regrettably, some are departing due to various pitfalls that significantly influence both the website's conversion rate and average conversion rate. These pitfalls may involve the absence of a responsive website design, hindering user experience, as well as the utilisation of low-quality images that prove insufficient in effectively engaging visitors. Addressing these issues will contribute to enhancing the website's overall performance in terms of both its conversion rate and average conversion rate.
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The thought is enough to bring a fully grown marketer to tears. And you know what? It should. But only up until the point when you finish reading this article.
Because, at this very moment, potential sales are bouncing off your web pages. However, the fixes are easy. The oversights and temptations to deviate from best practice conversion rate optimization (CRO) principles can be rectified effortlessly. These principles encompass crucial factors like website speed, site performance, and considerations for search engines. By addressing these aspects and optimizing your website's speed and performance, you can enhance user experience, attract more organic traffic from search engines, and ultimately improve your conversion rates.
- Check out the following articles to learn more about conversion rate optimisation:
- Top 3 Tactics to Supercharge Your Website Conversion Today
- 3 Great Design Tips to Increase Website Conversion Rate
- Conversion Rate Optimisation: 4 Saas Sign-up Issues
To boost conversions, it is important to A/B test every tweak. This includes testing different designs and layouts for mobile devices, analysing website traffic, and optimizing web design.
Slowly, one adjustment at a time and with tried and tested methods, you too could come closer to the enviable conversion rates of our clients.
So, without further ado, let’s look into how to boost your sales through best practice CRO strategies that have stood the test of time.
Section 1: Information structure
First up is information structure.
Your pages must be laid out in such a way to make them as digestible as possible for your visitor.
When someone sits down to read an article or blog post, they’re committed to the content. They’re investing their time to be educated in the subject, because they want to learn more about that topic.
Information structure is important for blog posts. But when it’s a landing page or sales page with an offer, people have less patience and so it’s even more crucial. Your visitor’s ultimate question is:
“Is the offer being sold to me on this page worth my time and attention or not?”
1. Make copy easy to read
A “wall of text” scenario with dense copy that resembles a page from an academic textbook won’t convert well, because it’s tough to read.
Having white space in between paragraphs means digestible content that’s more likely to get read and, consequently, gives you more opportunity to convert your reader.
That means you should use:
- A headline that stands out from the main text
- Subheadings between logical points
- Blank white lines in between paragraphs
- Bullet points or numbered lists for features and benefits
Question to ask yourself: Does each line or paragraph of copy stand apart so it’s easy to scan over and isn’t too dense on the page?
2. Relevant image
Images convey information too, so we’ll cover them in this section.
Encountering businesses that incorporate visually appealing stock photos of nature into their sales pages is a common experience. Despite the aesthetic appeal, these images introduce a level of ambiguity to the website's design. This ambiguity can have detrimental effects, particularly for mobile users who expect a smooth and intuitive browsing experience. Furthermore, it may impact the delivery of high-quality content, potentially diminishing the overall effectiveness of the webpage. Striking a balance with engaging visuals is essential for capturing and retaining the interest of website visitors, contributing to both the enhancement of the average website conversion rate and the success of conversion optimization efforts.
What’s on offer here? A product or service? Or a walk through an autumnal forest on a foggy morning?
If you’re matching a title or headline that ties in with the image, that’s fine. But don’t use a great photo purely for aesthetic reasons.
An image that’s relevant to the product or service removes ambiguity and is more likely to convert.
Question to ask yourself: Is the image I’ve chosen relevant to this web page? Does it convey some kind of information? If not, does it bear any relevance to my headline?
3. Direction cues in images
Whatever image you choose, it should be loosely pointing towards the call to action (CTA).
If you have a model, either their hand gesture or line of sight should face or point towards the CTA because the page visitor’s attention will naturally go in that direction.
If you have a model facing the opposite direction and to the CTA, conversions can drop. A classic, website conversion rate mistake.
Question to ask yourself: Is the image I’ve used focused on the direction of the CTA or am I diverting the visitor’s attention away from it?
4. Important bits above the fold
Don't let your visitors waste time scrolling for crucial info. "Above the fold" content is key for website success, especially in ecommerce. It encourages the desired action by placing important elements upfront, streamlining the conversion process. This impacts credibility and reinforces your site's presence, offering a clear overview without extra steps. Plus, it's easier to measure the conversion rate, gauging how well your content prompts the desired action.
All of the most important information should be available in this area, especially the CTA.
Test your layout on different sized screens for both mobile and desktop to ensure your page is above the fold, regardless of device.
Question to ask yourself: Have I tested to ensure the CTA and key info is above the fold on different screen sizes for mobile and desktop?
5. Does it pass the blink test?
When you have the information structure ready, your page should pass “the blink test”. With a relevant image and headline and information that’s easy to scan, it should be immediately clear what the offer for the landing page is.
If not, you’re confusing the reader and your bounce rate will go up.
Question to ask yourself: If I show this page to someone who’s never seen it before, do they immediately understand what’s on offer here?
6. Landing page & traffic source congruence
One landing page does not fit all.
If you create a landing page and send traffic to it from all kinds of different pay per click (PPC) campaigns and traffic sources, your website conversion rate will suffer.
It is important to have a clear website strategy to ensure that your landing page aligns with your PPC ad messaging. Using real-life images on your landing page can help to establish credibility and connect with site visitors. It's crucial to use relevant images that support your messaging and avoid confusing visitors. If your landing page fails to align with your ad messaging, it can lead to a high bounce rate and low conversion rate.
Because of this, create many landing pages and match your headlines as closely as possible to the ad that directed traffic there in the first place. That’s what we call congruence.
Question to ask yourself: Have I made lots of landing pages that match up with my ads clearly, so visitors receive what they expect when they arrive on my webpages?
Section 2: Copywriting tips
Broadly speaking, there are several approaches to increase your website conversion rate through your copy.
One good thing about defining different categories like this, is that it gives you a concrete baseline to start with. Rather than arbitrarily choosing what you think will be compelling copy, you can try one approach and then another.
Also, with time, you often find a correlation between the type of copy and your different buyer personas. When you discover one, it gives you the kind of major head start for future landing pages that makes serious money with a lot less A/B testing.
Let’s look at the different types and then we can look at other copywriting tips.
7. The empathy approach
The empathy approach aims to speak directly to the pain points felt by your target customer. By letting them know you feel their pain, it both reminds them they need a remedy and builds rapport by showing you understand their needs.
One example might be:
“Dreading the prospect of integrating yet another API when you get your next marketing tool?”
To which the prospect might reply by nodding their heads and thinking:
“Yes! This person understands my pain! Can they show me a way to deal with API integration nightmares more easily?”
Congratulations. You just grabbed your prospect’s attention with empathy.
Question to ask yourself: What pain points do my product or service solve and how can I stir them up in the visitor?
8. The direct approach
The direct approach states clearly and unambiguously what’s on offer. For example, it might say something like:
“Affordable managed services designed to help your SMB scale faster than you thought possible.”
The value proposition is clear, and that’s a good thing for the short attention span of your readers.
Question to ask yourself: How can I most quickly convey the enormous benefit my product or service makes to people’s lives?
9. Time-sensitive offers
If you’ve bought items from Amazon and seen the section that says “buy this item before X time and get it delivered by X date”, that’s not just for your convenience.
It’s designed to add a time-sensitive element to the sale that increases the chances of conversion. There’s something about that clock ticking down at its seductively persistent pace that just seems to get our wallets open.
You don’t want your time-sensitive element to sound cheesy like something from a tacky shopping channels on satellite TV. But experiment with the idea to see what works for you.
Question to ask yourself: How can I add a time-sensitive element of this offer without sounding like QVC?
10. The fear approach
If you use the fear approach, you have to be careful, because negative connotations can be quickly absorbed by someone scanning over a page and you want to increase, not reduce your website conversion rate.
For example, something like this can work well:
“Are you staff really safety checking your production line machinery? Ensure they were there with this app for court-proof evidence…”
Question to ask yourself: Is there a potentially scary downside to someone not opting in that I could leverage?
11. Mixing it up
Something else that often works well is combining these approaches, one for the headline and then another for explanatory copy or features and benefits.
So for example, try mixing the empathy approach in the headline to stir up that pain and then the direct approach in the body copy to offer a quick, clear solution.
Question to ask yourself: How could I combine these different types of copy in my A/B tests for better results?
12. Power words
Over the years, a lot of tests have been done to discover effective words that just demand our attention. Examples include:
- New
- You
- Because
- Free
- Instantly
- Improvement
- Amazing
Remember, it’s not like you can just use the words everywhere and expect miracles. But try incorporating more of them in the copy as it can have a direct impact on results. You can find a complete list of the words here.
Question to ask yourself: Where can I drop power words into my copy to see if it boosts our website conversion rate?
13. Actionable verbs
You probably remember your secondary school teacher describing a verb as a “doing word”. Keeping that somewhat oversimplified lesson in your head will serve your conversions well.
Whenever you get a chance to include “actionable verbs” (sometimes referred to as “tangible action verbs”), make sure you use one. Examples include:
- Reserve your place now
- Grab your copy
- Take your test drive today
Examples such as these paint a picture for your visitor and are more likely to convert.
Question to ask yourself: Have I used action verbs and, if not, where can I directly request such action from my visitors?
Section 3: Page features
So you’ve got your information structure sorted and have a solid direction to begin testing your copy to increase your website conversion rate.
Now it’s time to look at everything else on the page. Some people refer to other aspects of the landing page as the “furniture”.
Call it what you may, it needs your attention if you want to increase your conversion rates.
14. External page navigation
As much navigation to external pages as possible should be removed to stop your prospect from wandering off. The most obvious example is something like a “recent news” or other typical components of a sidebar.
Question to ask yourself: What’s on the page right now that’s taking attention away from a conversion that can be removed?
15. Social sharing options
While a lot of superfluous page features can be removed, some things are exceptions. Social sharing options are one of them.
If a page visitor isn’t going to convert, they might know someone who’s better suited to your offer. Social sharing buttons are an easy way to spread the message. Just make sure they open up in an overlay rather than take the visitor away from the page, just in case they change their mind.
Question to ask yourself: Have I got social sharing buttons on my page so my offer can be spread via social media?
16. Form optimisation
Okay, this is a big one. Time to hit the money note.
We’ll break forms down into different subheadings, as they have several parts. Firstly, are your form fields requesting information? There are two main components to these:
- There’s a sweet spot where you get just enough information without asking for too much. Too many fields can actually scare people away.
- Use, and experiment with different placeholder text to let people know what to fill into each field.
Question to ask yourself: Am I asking for more information than I need and can I try different copy to boost our website conversion rate further?
17. Privacy policy link
Make sure you have a privacy policy on the form. This one’s pretty obvious. But something fewer people seem to know about is that using positive language is better.
Here’s what we mean:
- (Negative example) “We won’t send you spam.”
- (Positive example) “We respect your privacy.”
Even though both have the same implication, studies have shown the negative connotations associated with the word “spam” have a negative impact on conversions, despite the context being positive.
Question to ask yourself: Do I have a privacy policy clearly added to the form and does it use positive language?
18. “Submit” or “buy” button
Your button should be as enticing as possible, so test different colours, different sizes and test with different text. Just remember to change only one thing at a time so that when you’re going from one iteration to another you know what’s actually making the difference.
Question to ask yourself: Have I tested different designs for the most important button on the page? How can I make pressing it simply irresistible?
19. Thank you page optimisation
After someone’s taken the action, that doesn’t necessarily mean your job is done. The Thank You page is an important part of your marketing and a great opportunity to build both rapport and generate referrals. Examples of components to include:
- A genuine thank you message from you and the team
- A CTA asking your new conversion to share the offer with others on social media
- Other offers your prospects may be interested in
A good bit of advice here is to “think circular”. This is not the end of the line, but an opportunity to start a new funnel.
Question to ask yourself: Is my Thank You page optimised. Is there room for improvement? Is there a way to make it circular?
20. Consider heatmap testing
Depending on the resources available to you, this one is more for your most important webpages.
Heatmap testing is a way to see to see where people’s attention is going when they land on your page. Is it going to the CTA? Or are they getting distracted by misplaced “furniture”?
This is the way to find out. And, if you need a tool for the job, Crazy Egg is a great place to start.
Question to ask yourself: Once my web page is sufficiently optimised, can I use heatmap testing to get an understanding of what’s getting people’s attention and fine-tune things further?
21. Social proof
To increase your website conversion rates, social proof testimonials from customers, third party review websites such as Yelp! or even tweets and other social media posts have a big impact.
Can you imagine a sales page with a headline that stirs pain, sales copy that’s super direct with a clear solution to the problem and then social proof from satisfied customers to prove that it works?
It’s powerful combinations like this that make money.
Question to ask yourself: Do I have plenty of social proof from happy customers to show that this product or service really works? If not, where can I get some to post on this page?
22. Offer guarantees where possible
The bottom line is, money-back guarantees are great for conversions.
Horrifying though the thought may be of all your converted cash rushing from your company bank account should the guarantees get invoked en masse, that's very unlikely to happen, especially if you're offering an excellent product or service to potential customers. However, to ensure continued success, it's important to consider factors such as loading speed, which can impact user experience and potentially deter conversions, particularly on mobile devices.
Test to see what this sales page addition can do for your website conversion rate. You’ll probably be surprised by the results.
Question to ask yourself: Is it viable to test run a money-back guarantee?
23. Add more payment methods
You’d be surprised by the number of people these days that use transaction systems such as PayPal and Payoneer.
Just imagine that some people bouncing from your page without converting right now are doing so because they need an alternate payment method.
Question to ask yourself: What other payment methods could I easily add to my offer to convert more people into happy customers?
The bottom line
Yes, the bottom line is that there's a lot to take in when it comes to website conversions. A/B testing is the key to finding out which of the myriad of CRO best practices work for you, including addressing issues such as slow loading time, which can negatively impact conversions, particularly on desktop computers.
Try one thing at a time, set up those tests, find out what works for your product, service and customers and you’re sure to increase your website conversion rates and revenues.
Feeling overwhelmed? Want a team of marketers with combined decades of experience under their belts to steer things in a profitable direction for you? Incisive Edge is here to help.
Feel free to give us a quick call, and let us know what you want to see converting like you never thought possible.
