introduction
If you are asking why so many websites get thousands of visitors every month, but don’t seem to be able to make a sustainable income from those visitors, you’re not alone! The truth is that simply having traffic does not lead to success; it’s converting that traffic into customers that brings success. The reality is that in today’s highly competitive online environment, many companies spend a lot of money on marketing to bring people to their website, but most do not put as much time and effort into converting those visitors.
Converting website visitors into paying customers is vital. Even small improvements to your conversion rate can lead to significant increases in your bottom line without requiring you to invest additional money in driving traffic. In this article, I will discuss three primary components to convert visitors into customers: building trust and communicating you clearly, optimizing the user experience, and leveraging data to create conversion strategies.
Trust is the foundation of conversion; Without establishing trust with a visitor to your website, it’s unlikely they will make a purchase. Studies conducted by the Nielsen Norman Group show that trust and credibility indicators (such as professional design, social proof, and transparency), are among the top three determining factors in whether or not someone will make a purchase. In addition, Trust is also the barrier that will separate interest to consumers making purchases.
If a visitor does not clearly understand what your company provides, the company itself, and how it will benefit them, they will typically bounce off your website—most times within seconds.
How do you earn trust?
User Experience -Recent research by Google shows that even the most compelling user experience design can still be a barrier to sales conversions. The more seamless the online shopping experience is, the higher the potential revenue.
- Visitor journeys should be seamless, and not made difficult or confusing for the user to figure out.
- Conversion-Focused UX Design Elements
- Effective UX designs that focus on conversions remove friction and simplify the path to purchase for users.
Critical areas to optimize to maximize conversions are:
- Page Load Speed and Mobile Compatibility (the ability for visitors to access your site instantly);
- Effective Navigation (users can quickly find what they want without getting lost);
- Compelling Call-to-Action (action-oriented).
Utilizing Metrics to Drive Marketing and Conversions
The Importance of Data in Driving Conversions
Guesswork is costly to businesses. By relying on statistical research and analytics, companies will know exactly what works, what doesn’t, and why. Sites that measure and test their performance through the use of analytics consistently outperform sites that rely solely on guesswork and assumptions.
- Optimizing Conversions is a Process, Not a One-Time Initiative
- There are Several High-Impact Data-Driven Methods for Optimizing Conversions
- To convert visitors into buyers, companies must Measure, Test, Optimize Converting Strategies
- Some of the most commonly used Methods for Optimizing Converting Strategies Include
CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization): Measuring and Analyzing Customer Journey (Funnel) to Determine Where Your Customers Drop Off
- A/B Testing: Testing headlines, CTAs (Call To Action), layouts, and offerings to find the best converter
- Behavioral Analytics: Tools such as Heat Maps and Video Session Recordings can provide critical insight on how Users are Internally Connected to New Sites with Pages
- Personalization: Providing Tailored Content and Offers Based on Visitor Behavior, Geography, and Traffic Origin
- Retargeting Campaigns: Using Retargeting to Steer Traffic That Did Not Convert Back Into a Conversational State
- Example: A B2B Company Utilized A/B Testing to Create Landing Page Personalization Based on Visitor Traffic Source. This Company Achieved a 40% Increase in Leads Generated through A/B Testing
The Difference Between Today’s Marketing Funnel Model and a Traditional-Market Perspective
Traditional Funnels Assume That Customers Progress Linearly Through the Marketing Structure. However, Today’s Data-Driven Customer Research Practices Identify Behavioral Patterns That Can’t Be Predicted. Using Real-Time Data and Personalization, Businesses Can Change Messaging on the Fly. Creating a More Engaging Customer Experience.
calculation
In order for website visitors to become paying customers, businesses must implement a thoughtful and strategic approach to converting their visitors. There are three key areas that should be addressed by any business that wishes to be successful in converting traffic into revenue.
- Creating a Trusty Relationship with Your Audience. Establishing Trust with Your Customers. Creating a Relationship Between Your Audience and Your Brand.
- Enhancing Your User Experience. Enhancing Your User Experience to Remove Friction and Guide Visitors Toward Conversion.
- Implementing a Data Obtaining Marketing Strategy. Implementing a Data Obtaining Marketing Strategy on a Continuous Basis to Personalize, Test, and Improve Performance.
In the future, those businesses that incorporate Conversion Optimization into their overall marketing strategy will be able to significantly outperform their competition. As digital competition grows, the ability to convert traffic into revenue will take on greater importance than simply attracting traffic.
Call to Action
Conduct an audit of your website. Identify one trust signal to enhance, one barrier to user experience that can be eliminated, and one data-driven test to perform. Converting visitors to customers requires a commitment to deliberate action and the outcomes from those actions can alter the direction of your business.