19 Simple Conversion Rate Optimization Tips for Business Websites

What Exactly Is Conversion Rate Optimization?

A few days ago, a client told us he gets several thousand hits a day. Ouch, that must hurt! But seriously, website hits don’t hurt, but they are not a good indication of having a useful business website. Since ‘hits‘ include ‘bounces,’ they are not an accurate tracking indicator. A much better option is to evaluate how many website visitors convert and take action. To help you improve your conversion rate here are a few simple conversion rate optimization tips any business or product brand can easily implement.

A website’s conversion rate is the percentage of the site’s visitors performing an action deemed desirable, e.g., making a purchase, calling a telephone number, submitting an inquiry form, or engaging with a live chat function. Conversion Rate Optimization is the method of using analytics and user feedback to increase a website’s conversion rate.

How To Measure Your Conversion Rates

Inquiry Forms

A “Destination URL” goal can be set up in Google Analytics to record a conversion each time a user lands on the “thank you for submitting your inquiry” page.

E-Commerce Transactions

E-Commerce tracking in Google Analytics can record each sale that takes place as well as the monetary value of the purchase.

Telephone Calls

Many telephone tracking companies can record a goal in Google Analytics every time your phone rings. Each visitor to your website sees a unique number, thereby facilitating the telephone tracking company to tag a call to a particular session in Google Analytics.

Post call options (Press 1 for lead, 2 for sale, etc.) facilitates even more granular telephone call tracking, such as separate goals for leads, sales, or non-event calls.

Engagement Through Live Chat

Typically this is tracked with an event goal in Google Analytics.

Avoid Conversion Leakage!

Watch out; this is frequently mistaken for conversion rate optimization! Including an email address on your website’s “contact us” page facilitates people to send emails to that address. You can not track conversion leakage in Google Analytics! This shortcoming results in your data becoming distorted as conversion rates are understated. Make sure to replace email addresses with contact forms that you can track.

Conversion Rate Optimization Basics

While conversion rate optimization (CRO) is an in-depth subject, a business website needs to include four things to convert at high rates:

Great Design

Research has shown that most people judge a website’s quality and trustworthiness mainly on design. Investing in great design pays off! Here are some simple landing page optimization tips that will help you increase your conversions.

Clearly State Your Offering and USP

Ensure that visitors to your website understand clearly what your offering is and what is your unique selling proposition (USP).

Build Credibility

To be believed, you must build credibility in the eyes of users who have never heard of your company before. Here are a few tips for building a trustworthy website for your business or product brand.

Have a Clear and Compelling Call To Action (CTA)

Once you have handled points 1-3, leave the user in no doubt as to what the next step is. In this case, people like being told what to do!

Do not have more than two calls to actions (CTAs) per page. They will dilute each other and confuse the user.

Conversion Rate Optimization Tips

Conversion rate optimization is not a simple task; it requires time and diligence. Here are some tips to get you started!

Design

Use Images, Video + Bullet Points

Users hate lengthy reams of text. Use images, video, and bullet points to convey the essential aspects of the page quickly.

Utilize Landing Pages

Most businesses have more than one product or service. Make sure to have highly targeted pages for each product or service so that users looking for that product or service are not distracted by other offerings.

Learn from The Best!

Analyze the websites of the most successful brands in your industry or field and take inspiration from what they do.

Great Imagery | Videos | 360 Degree Rotation

Users need to be able almost to touch your products. Including multiple, high-quality professional images, 360-degree rotation and image zoom, and, where possible, your product’s video will dramatically increase conversion rates.

Use Models

When selling clothes, present them on real models instead of hangers or mannequins. See how Abercrombie & Fitch and similar brands rely on models to sell their clothes.

Cross-Browser Testing and Mobile

Ensure your site works as it should on all browsers as well as on mobile devices. Remember that many sites receive more mobile than desktop visitors.

Promote Competitive Advantages

If you offer free shipping, next day delivery, lowest price on the market, etc., make sure to promote this. Yes, Virginia, in this case, it is OK to blow your own horn!

Credibility

Testimonials + Case Studies

If at all possible, make use of video. A video of a happy client speaking positively about your company is always worth an increase of a few percentage points in your conversion rate.

Keep Your Blog Up to Date

When your last blog post is from six months ago, it looks shoddy and if you have gone out of business. A post from less than a few days ago has the opposite effect.

Promote Your Social Presence

If you are active on social media, let your visitors know! Social plugins showing your aggregate follower data, as well as feeds of your latest posts, add credibility.

Trade Associations | Third Party Verification

Promote your membership in trade associations, awards, and award nominations to build further credibility.

Promote CSR Initiatives

If your company “gives back” to the community with a CSR initiative, be sure to promote this on your website. Giving back creates goodwill towards your brand.

Leverage Credibility

Your conversion rate optimization should include leveraging the credibility of your suppliers and customers. Promote their logos on your website in an “Our Clients” or “Our Brands” section.

Resources

If you have free resources like white papers and webinars, use them! Give some content away for free and then gate the rest behind a “sign-up for more” form.

Calls To Action (CTAs)

You simply can’t have conversion rate optimization without calls to action (CTAs). Here are some tips for creating your CTAs:

Don’t Have Too Many!

One compelling and straightforward CTA beats having several. Always give the user the obvious next step.

Don’t Ask for the Sale Right Away!

Effective conversion rate optimization includes putting forward your offering, unique value proposition, and build credibility with your user BEFORE pushing your CTA.

Exit Popups

While many companies shy away from these, they are proven to increase conversions. What have you got to loose; the user with leaving anyway! But be aware you don’t run afoul of Google’s Mobile Interstitials Penalty!

Don’t Ask for Unnecessary Info!

Keep your contact forms short as in only ask for essential information. Typically all you need is a name, email, and telephone number. You can get everything else from those.

Use Live Chat!

You can convert many “on the fence” users with a live chat widget.

Incorporating Conversion Rate Optimization on Your Business Website

Now that you understand how the elements of a business website affect conversion rate optimization, you will want to incorporate them on your business website. For some of you, this will simply involve a better CTA. But there may be cases were more extensive measures are required; in that case, it may be faster and cheaper to start with a new website. This is especially true if your website contains any of the common website conversion killers.

Some of you may need to talk to a professional search engine optimization (SEO) specialist to determine if and how your website is tracking conversions. If you do not have Google Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools installed already, this would be the place to start.

In some cases, you may require some actual upgrades to your business website’s design and functionality. For the sake of this post, we based all recommendations for conversion rate optimization on a standard WordPress business website. You can make these recommended updates to your business website on your own or with the help of a web designer or developer.

We Can Help You Improve Your Conversion Rate

Of course, you can save yourself a lot of time and trouble and just have our team design a useful business website for you. Here at PixoLabo, we offer a full range of mobile-first business website consulting and design services, including mobile-first web design and development, e-commerce solutions, search engine optimization, brand strategy, and design, and business website hosting and maintenance.

And if you are still not sure how conversion rate optimization affects your business website, don’t worry! Simply reach out and contact us. Our expert team will listen to you, answer your questions, and determine if your business website is all ready for conversion rate optimization. Or how to optimize it in the most time and cost-effective way. That is one of our specialties, after all!

Are You Converting Your Target Consumers?

Do you have anything to add to our conversion rate optimization tips? Feel free to add your comments below so our audience can benefit as well, and grab our feed, so you don’t miss our next post! And feel free to share our conversion rate optimization tips with your audience!

Thank you! We appreciate your help to end bad business websites, one pixel at a time!

By Gregor Schmidt
Co-Founder / CXO
@gregoraschmidt