It is important to monitor certain metrics when you are attempting to grow your business on the internet. One of these metrics that you must pay attention to is website conversions. Conversions determine whether or not your digital marketing campaign is successful.
That leaves us with the question, “What is a website conversion?” Knowing what it is, and how to improve the conversion rate of your website will help your campaign succeed. Keep reading for 5 tips on improving your conversion rate.
What is Website Conversion
A website conversion is when someone makes the desired action while they are on your website. The action is pre-determined, like Sharing blog posts, buying a product, or signing up for your website’s newsletter. The percentage of people who complete one of these actions is considered your conversion rate. Here are a few examples of different actions a user could take to become a conversion:
- Buying a Product
- Clicking The Right Button
- Filling out a Form
- Sharing Blogs and Other Content on Social Media
- Signing up for information or an E-mail list
- So Much More
A website conversion is when someone takes one of the above actions. It is up to you to decide which action(s) are suitable for your campaign goals.
Conversion types are different for each business. E-Commerce sites are going to focus more on sales to be conversions, whereas a service provider (like an electrician) may have their focus on generating new leads. Businesses differ, as do their conversion types.
Calculating The Conversion Rate Of My Website
Now that we have defined what a website conversion is let’s figure out how to calculate the conversion rate of your website.
The good news for you, it is a simple task to calculate your website’s conversion rate. Here is a formula to help you out:
[Total Converted Visitors/Total Site Visitors] x100 = Conversion Rate
Put simply, say you have 4000 visitors to your site, and only 400 buy a product from you; you use the formula to calculate the conversion rate of this, [400/4000] x100 = 10%.
The conversion rate equals out to be 10% in this scenario.
What Conversion Rate is Considered Good?
Now that you know what a conversion is and you know how to calculate your conversion rate, it is time to talk about the ideal rate. Many businesses ask for a magic number on the conversion rate to measure their success. However, there isn’t a magic number. In fact, your rate is dependent on a number of factors, Such as:
- Sales Cycle
- Costs
- Industry
- Products
- Services
- More
These factors are influencers of your conversion rate. Pinpointing the exact rate you need to have for success is very difficult. The best way to find a number that is successful for your business is to research the conversion rate of other businesses in your industry.
The Sales Funnel & Website Conversions
Often times, when you inquire about what a conversion rate is, you will hear someone mention the sales funnel. The most common statement being to move people through the sales funnel to turn them into conversions. But that still leaves the question, “How do the sales funnel affect website conversion rates?”
With the sales funnel, prospects are transformed into conversions. They need to first travel through the four stages of the sales funnel. These four stages are:
- Awareness
- Interest
- Desire
- Action
Awareness is the stage where people are just beginning to discover your brand. They will browse your website, hoping to learn more about you, your services, and/or your products.
Interest is the stage when people start to deeply consider your products/services. They are most likely still researching your company, learning as much as they can, but they haven’t counted you out yet.
The stage of desire is when people are on the verge of making a decision because they want to fulfill their needs. A last-minute pitch here could show them that you are the wisest option.
Lastly, we have action. As the name of this stage suggests, it is when a viewer becomes a conversion and takes action on your website. Whether it be signing up for something you prompted or purchasing a service/product.
Your desired action is taken as people work through the different parts of the funnel. What steps you decide to take early into the sales cycle will determine whether viewers reach the final stage (Which is the goal).
The sales funnel is crucial to successful conversions on your website. It acts as a guide to people to become the conversions you need. If you require a good conversion rate, make sure to nurture people through the different stages of the sales funnel.
How Do You Increase Conversion Rate?
Now that we have explained conversion rates, website conversions, and how the sales funnel impacts the rate, let’s touch on the subject you have been waiting for; Increasing your conversion rate. For starters, you may have already crunched the numbers and found out your rate is less than desired. Don’t let it get you down. These 5 tips will help you raise the conversion rate of your website.
Analysis of Audience Interactions
In order for your website to produce conversions, it must be designed to pander to your audience. Low conversion rates are often a sign of the site’s design. It is all about the user experience (UX). The user experience is a critical factor in figuring out the reasons why people remain (or leave) your website. It could be time to improve the design of your website if your conversion rates are lower than you wish.
The interaction of your audience can be analyzed to see where you are falling short with your attempts. It could be the format that causes these leads to move to another site, or it could just be a lack of a button that points users in the right direction.
When you perform an analysis of the audience interactions, you are gifted the opportunity to make needed changes and improvements to your site, this will help you get the conversions you would otherwise lose. With improvements, your audience will stick around longer, learn more about your business, and with the right design, they will convert.
CTA Buttons
CTA stands for the call to action. When you have a CTA button on your website, you are increasing conversions. These buttons are fundamental in guiding users to the next process of the sales cycle. They give users a direction while offering them some insight on what to expect next. CTA buttons should be one of the first things you need to review when you find yourself struggling with your business’ conversion rate. Remember, a good CTA will pop off the page.
The CTA button on your page should be easy to locate for traffic. Make sure the color stands out. The visual appeal of the button means a lot. It should be distinct from the rest of the page, catching the attention of the users. However, though distinct, it should also fit the design of the website.
Make sure the call to action is straightforward, such as “Buy Now!” or “Sign Up.”
Navigation Simplification
Making it easier to navigate through your website, allowing people to find information easier will help your website conversions. If a user isn’t able to find the information they are looking for quickly, they are most likely going to go somewhere else. That is not what you want.
Over 80% of online shoppers will do business with your competitors after having a poor experience with your website. If the navigation isn’t giving the best experience to users, it could be the reason your conversion rate is low. So, to fix this, simply focus on organizing the navigation on your website. If the navigation is straightforward and organized, it will be more helpful to people looking for information they need on your business/industry or service/product.
Make It Mobile Friendly
One of the best ways to improve the conversion rate is to build a website that is mobile-friendly. It is common knowledge that mobile-friendly sites see more conversions. When you combine that knowledge with the statistics that 40% of all online transactions happen from mobile devices, you can understand why a mobile-friendly site can be beneficial.
Let’s take a look at how you can improve the ‘mobile-friendliness’ of your website.
- Responsive Design
- Large Font Sizes
- Thumb-friendly
For starters, you want to integrate a responsive design. This will ensure that your website is able to adapt to the device that your audience is using. With a responsive design, it will support mobile shoppers, providing a better overall experience.
Larger font sizes make it easier for users to read your site from a mobile device. Audiences tend to struggle with smaller font sizes, unable to retrieve the information they are looking for. Test out different font sizes to find one that works the greatest with the mobile functions of the website.
Lastly, you want your site to be thumb-friendly. Mobile users tend to use only their thumb to navigate through content. Bigger buttons, and a proper layout, will accommodate the thumb using visitors.
These are only but a few of the best ways to improve your website for mobile use. A mobile-friendly site will keep leads on your page longer, making them more likely to become conversions.
Easy Conversion
You need to make it easy for people to convert. You can’t just expect them to do all the work, so making sure that there is a clear path to the conversion process is helpful. Don’t over complicate things with too many steps or asking for unnecessary information. The more simple it is, the better the results.
If your conversion rates are less than desired, following these 5 steps will help you increase that percentage. Make sure you are reviewing the process of conversion, constantly looking for ways to improve. Remember to cater to your audience, as they decide ultimately whether or not they convert.
A poorly designed site will not get conversions. A site that isn’t mobile-friendly will not get the desired results. Make sure it is thumb-friendly, and the font is the right size. Last but not least, think of the UX. The overall user experience determines whether or not your conversion rate will rise, so make sure that the user finds what they need on your website without issues.
