Conversion Tips

Get started on making some small changes today and starting seeing big results tomorrow

A funny thing has been happening lately. It used to be that all anyone could talk about was about how to drive more traffic to their websites. Nowadays, it seems everyone is way more interested in improving their site’s conversion rate. Credit Google for this Industry shift, as the reintroduction of the much improved FREE Google Analytics tool has people finally talking “performance” over rankings.

Below are some ideas on how to get better mileage out of your website now:

Brochure site

1) Credibility – how “professional” is your site? Would you do business with you? Turns out web site design does matter and if you are not transacting ecommerce over the web, your site had better look good. Here is where a cheap, inexpensive template site can destroy the integrity of a company. If you must (and you must) hire a professional web designer who will customize your site and tailor it to your unique strengths.

2) Content – Is your site all about you or do you actually set out to meet your prospects needs. Reread your site today and find out. If you say “we” more than three times per page, you should think about rewriting your site immediately. Remember, people are coming to you to get information or to solve a problem. How can they do that when you don’t provide them with any dialogue except the one about yourself?

3) Ask for the business – Do you ever wonder why people are not contacting you? Perhaps it’s because you haven’t asked them. Adding “calls to action” on every page of your site (both written and in graphical form) can improve your results quickly and inexpensively. Furthermore, make sure your contact information is on every page not just your contact page and you should see improvements right away.

Ecommerce site

1) Add a Gift Center – Many shoppers do not have time to browse all of the pages of your site. By adding a gift center, you’ll take all of that work out of the equation and provide them with gift options at a glance. Allows customers to browse for suggested gifts by gender, price, occasion, or category (think Red Envelope). Doing so will make an immediately impact.

2) Suggested Items - Lets you list multiple pieces of merchandise on a page specifically for cross-selling (complementary products). Chances are if your customers are interested in one product, they may be happy to hear about other similar or relevant items. Amazon built an empire out of this one simple up-sell feature and you can too.

3) Bargain Shopping – Online shoppers are savvy and will leave all loyalty behind to save a buck or two. Adding a clearance section is a smart thing to do to keep these shoppers feeling smart about buying from you.

4) Featured Sale Items – A featured sale item is a great way to sell merchandise at a discount without relegating these items to the bargain bin. When used in conjunction with special sales like seasonal merchandise, featured sales items eliminates the stigma of closeout items and keeps your shoppers happy.

A final thought.

Before there can be any conversions you must have site traffic. So, if you aren’t participating in any online marketing initiatives, we ask… why not? Online marketing is the most efficient and cost-effective way to bring quality, highly targeted traffic to your website. Then and only then can you begin to make improvements in your conversion rate.

Ron Weber is currently the President of SD Interactive, a San Diego Internet Marketing Agency.