Is your website generating new leads and converting browsers into buyers for you? If it isn’t, something needs to change—fast! After all, what’s the point of having a website if it’s not helping you grow your business? I’ll answer that question. None. There is no point whatsoever in having a website if it’s not generating new leads or converting into sales for you. If people aren’t clicking your buy now button, giving you their email address, signing up for a free trial, emailing to set up an appointment with you or things of that sort, you’re leaving money on the table. Big money. Your website is one of the most powerful sales and lead-generating tools you have. Want to make the most of it? Here are 6 of my favorite tactics for increasing website conversion.
Tip #1: Make Your USP Crystal Clear
Your USP, or unique selling proposition, is your brand promise. It needs to be in big, bold letters front and center on your homepage so your site visitors can decide in two seconds or less if they want to stay on your site to learn more about what you can do for them.
Tip #2: Use Call-To-Action Links
If you want your site visitors to make a purchase, sign up for your email list, complete a survey or convert in any other manner, you need to tell them—and you need to tell them frequently. Pepper call to action messages throughout your site—in the middle of the page, on the sidebar, at the bottom. It’s also important to use different types of call to action links. Some should be graphic links that actually look like buttons. Others should be text links. Experiment with different colors and shapes for optimal results. When all is said and done, you’re trying to appeal to all different kinds of people in all different kinds of ways and you want to make it super simple to take action with you.
Tip #3: Use Benefits-Driven Headlines
When you have a website that has weak headlines, you are at super high risk for people jumping on and jumping right off because they simply aren’t finding what they’re looking for at a glance. People are busy. Show them you can meet their needs fast and they’ll hang around. Be sure to use benefit-driven headlines—meaning tell the reader how they’re going to benefit if they read more, click your link or buy now. Your headline needs to promise what they’re going to get and then of course, you’ve got to deliver!
Tip #4: Make Your Website Scannable
People are busy. They don’t have time to read lengthy copy and they’re probably just not going to do it—even if they do have the time. Long blocks of copy are BORING. Unless your readers are totally and completely captivated with everything about your product or service, most will simply scan your site to see if you can solve their problem. To make your site scannable:
- use big headlines, sub-lines, and then little bits of body copy and paragraphs.
- incorporate lots of bullet points
- break text up with color
Tip #5: Make Your Site Mobile-Friendly
You have got to make your site mobile friendly. Did you know 51% of internet usage is through a mobile device compared to 42% on a desktop? Yep, mobile is the majority now so if your site doesn’t look good on a mobile device, you’ve got to do something about it—quickly. If you’ve got a WordPress site and you/your developer did not use a responsive theme when you were building it, consider temporarily installing a plug-in that will make it responsive. I say “temporarily” because while the plugins I’ve reviewed are better than nothing, they still leave a lot to be desired. Ideally, you’ll start over with a new theme that’s responsive. It doesn’t have to cost you a lot of money—there are tons of responsive themes that are actually completely free! It’s just a matter of choosing one and then adding your content and you’re good to go!
Tip #6: Use Social Proof
If people write testimonials for you on Facebook, LinkedIn, wherever it might be, get screenshots and put thos
e on your website. You can honk your own horn all day, but people are accustomed to tuning out your own sales pitch. Prospects trust reviews from your actual clients far more.
When it comes to testimonial formatting, know that people eat up video testimonials! Get those whenever you can. A video testimonial taken on your mobile phone is far more valuable than nothing at all. If you don’t have the opportunity to grab video testimonials, take the testimonials you’ve received via email or even document those received on voicemail. Then, grab a picture of the person that said it and pop it up on a page of your website (be sure to ask the client for permission first.)
There are loads of other tactics you can use to make your website generate more leads and convert more browsers into buyers for you, but this is enough to start! Implement these six ideas and when you’re ready for me, holler and I’ll pass along the next set of tips. Happy converting!
Need more guidance on how to increase your website conversion rate and grow your business? Uncertain of where to even start? You’re not alone. We know how difficult it can be for non-marketers to learn to grow their business online, with confidence. The team at SizzleForce Marketing would love to help! Just schedule a call today for your free 30-minute consultation.