Conversion – From Latin convertere to turn around, transform, convert, from com- + vertere to turn

One of the cornerstones of Internet marketing is the idea of conversion. What is conversion, you may ask? Conversion is a visitor taking an action that you designate on the page. There are several types of actions available to the user, ranging from filling out an online form, buying a product, or as simple as clicking on a link.

Eight Truths of Conversion

  1. If you offer a link make sure it works – There is nothing more frustrating to your visitors that a link that, when clicked, goes to a page that the user didn’t expect or worse yet doesn’t work at all. Check your links and make sure to deliver what you promise.
  2. Don’t distract your visitors – When users come to your site they come for a reason. They are looking for something specific whether it is an article, information about a product or service or calendar of events, don’t distract your visitors, from taking the action you want them to take by overwhelming them with too many options on your site.
  3. Create Specific Landing Pages – Don’t adopt a one-size-fits-all approach for directing traffic to your site. Create specific landing pages that address your keywords/phrases that drove the user to the site in the first place and use those pages to reinforce your message. Users are 60% more likely to take an action on a page if it is directly related to the content they were searching for.
  4. Keywords Must Rule -The very words your visitors type into the search engines must also be the words that appear on your landing pages. This not only improves rankings in the search engines, it reinforces your message to your visitors and validates their coming to your site. The most effective way to use keywords is to place them in obvious areas; your headlines, calls-to-action and hyperlinks.
  5. K.I.S. & S. it (Keep It Short & Simple) – This mantra should be kept at the fore front of your mind as you write your website copy. The great majority of your visitors WILL NOT READ YOUR SITE’S COPY! No matter how compelling it is. The web is a medium designed for scanning; make it easy for your visitors to find what they are looking for by breaking up your copy into small digestible bits of information, highlighting keywords and phrases, making them obvious to your visitors.
  6. Provide reassurances – These small phrases placed strategically on your site are invaluable to influencing action: We value your privacy; Shop with confidence; Exchanges are easy. Just because you think that these ideas are presented on the site, that isn’t enough. They must appear in the places where visitors are going to take the action. Ask yourself what questions your visitors may have and how you would answer them in order to help drive the action.
  7. Make your site stand out – What differentiates your site from your competitors? If you both offer them same products for the same price, what sets you apart? Do you offer free shipping, a generous return policy, special discounts for returning customers? Make your case for your site over your competition. Tell the visitor why you are the better choice.
  8. Be available for questions – even the best websites can’t answer everything that may come up. Give your visitors a way to contact you either by phone or email. You will be amazed by the questions that come your way and the opportunity to emphasize your company as the place for your customer to get the information/products they need.

Contact us for a free analysis of your website and put a plan in action to get more sales and leads through the door today!