March 29th, 2010

Possible reasons for low conversion rates

Plenty of visitors but no conversion?

The process of improving your goals conversion rate is known as Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO). It can be tricky to identify the reasons for a low conversion rate as there could be several contributing factors. However, a good way to measure your success and identify how you could improve your site is to compare your website against similar sites. If you sell bicycles for example, you need to know your conversion rate and the conversion rate of your most similar competitor. If your conversion rate on a product is 7%, and the average conversion rate for a similar bike 15%, then you have some work to do on your website. However, if your rate is above average already your website is not likely to increase your sales. Have you thought about adding another model or type of bike to your portfolio which may attract more interest? Most websites convert less than 2% of their visitors into customers (i.e., people who do what you want them to do - buy a product, make an enquiry, call, click through, download a document, signup for newsletters, etc.)

Reasons why your conversion rate could be low and how to improve it:

Headline: A good headline can make a huge difference in conversions so spend time thinking about how it could be improved.

Call To Action Buttons or Links: Decide on the best possible location for your call to action button or link and make it easy for your visitors to click.

Call To Action Message Test the message itself to find out whether your "Sign up Free" button is going to convert more highly than a link which says "Learn more about Raleigh bicycles now."

Testimonials If you don't already have testimonials on your main page, one of the first things you need to do is to include them - when these are placed in a prominent position they can have a very positive effect on your conversion rate.

Top Landing Pages One of the most important factors when looking at your conversion rate is your landing page, which is the page your website visitors arrive at after clicking on a link. It could be your home page, or any other page in your site.This gives your potential customers an overall first impression of your business and your products. Ensure your copy is as descriptive as possible and include some promotions. The best way to do this is to think about where the person has come from, and who they are. By supplying a good match, you are more likely to engage your visitors and increase your conversion rates. Well designed landing pages also result in higher conversion rates than simply directing people into the home page of your site (which in effect, is like suddenly deserting them and taking a risk they might click their back button to move on to you competitor). Give your visitors exactly what they were looking for and you will be far more likely to make a sale.

Five Tips on Landing Page Design

1. Really think about your headline and make sure it's as appropriate as it can be
   
2. Position your most important elements in the upper 300 pixels of the page
3. Study the landing pages of your competition and pay special attention to the design and organisation flow of their pages
4. Keep it simple and use standard conventions
5. Ensure your page loads quickly

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By Onika Staas | Posted in: Web Design Tips , Statistics and Analytics | 0 Comments