If you have set up your own website, soon enough you will be checking your analytic reports to see how many visitors you are attracting to your website, what areas of the site your visitors are drawn to, and how long are they spending on your site. Analytics can be a great way to see how popular your website is, where your visitors are coming from, and whether they are being directed from a search engine, visiting directly, or bouncing off a social media website link.
However your conversion rates are just as important to consider. Conversion rates refer to the amount of visitors your website manages to convert into actual paying customers, or to put it another way, how many of your website visitors are attracted enough by your website presentation and products to actually make a purchase.
If you visit a website begin to think about how it is presented, would you buy from it? If so why? If not why not? Visiting a wide range of websites can really give you a good understanding of the difference between a good successful website, and one that is not so attractive to buyers. You can then model your own website on your research results.
How to convert your visitors:
Present your website well…
You might have great products and a great business behind you, but your website has to have a good easy to use design. If your homepage lands on a minute long intro with strange graphics and irritating music, the chances are visitors will leave your site after a few seconds and go elsewhere. Be straight to the point, show what you have to offer and make it easy to navigate so your products can be found. Your website is not the time to be over the top and ‘arty’.
Invest in some user testing…
User testing is a great way in which to get non biased and varied feedback about your website. There are different companies you can use. Simply apply to have your website tested, send your user some tasks either to find a certain product, add a product to the basket, or find your terms and conditions for example, pay the small fee, and you will receive a video showing a user tester going through your site completing your challenges. They will give you tips along the way, so if something isn’t clear, they will suggest ways in which to make it better, or if they don’t like a certain aspect of your site, they will let you know. It can be a great way to get some honest feedback which could give you some good site improvement ideas.
Make your terms and conditions clear…
Your customers will trust you if you are clear and up front about your terms and conditions. Have a section on your website dedicated to this, so people can establish your returns policy, your delivery service information, or packaging details. The will make people trust you and also make your business appear more professional. You may answer some of their questions and prevent any excuses for not ordering something.
Think about your photography…
Considering your images or videos are the only way in which to present your stock, make sure they are clear. Good photography can be a huge deciding point for a customer. Is there a zoom button or a way in which your customers are able to see closely the quality of the product? If you are selling something such as fabric, could you offer free samples? Do your photographs give an idea of scale?
If you sell jewellery add model shots as well as still life shots to show your customers how the jewellery would look like when worn. If you sell furniture, take a photograph showing the product within a living space so the customer doesn’t have to imagine how it would look. Ideally you need to remove all doubt from a customer’s mind. Providing all the information you can is the best way to do this, and in turn start making money.
Is your checkout system easy to follow?
Your customers might love your products, but if your checkout system is difficult to navigate and involves endless pages of entering information, you are likely to lose a customer half way through making a purchase. Make it simple, clear and easy, that is all a customer wants.
Generally, conversion rates require common sense, an understanding of the psychology of a buyer and the budget to make changes. Go through your website and analyse each section of it. Would you want to buy products from your website? Is it easy to follow? Could you find everything you needed? Be honest with yourself and pick out any faults you think could turn potential customers off. Friends and family are also a good resource, ask them their opinion on your website, or send them a challenge to find a product on your site, and listen to their feedback.
About the author: Kirsten works for whoishostingthis. They are a web hosting review site which allows businesses to asses which hosting company could be a good option for thier site. More information can be found on their company site.
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