Building a great website isn’t just about design. Of course you want it to be appealing for the user. But unless you increase conversions, your website has poor return on investment and does little for your overall marketing strategy.

Digital marketing agencies build websites that convert. But how do they do it? How can a website convert someone from a visitor to a customer?

Here’s what we recommend when our clients want more people clicking “Buy Now”.

HOW MARKETING TEAMS IMPROVE CONVERSION RATE

Load Pages Faster

If your pages don’t load fast (and I mean within milliseconds), people will lose interest and navigate back to Google. With slow page loads, the chances of return visitors are slim to none. Load speed also impacts your search rankings. So improving page speed is a great way to optimize for search as well as conversions.

How do you get around that?

• Test pages using the Google Page Speed tool. You’ll learn current page speeds, how your page speed compares to top performers, and recommendations for improvement.
• Don’t forget to check mobile: Test mobile pages on Google, too. More and more people are using their phones to access the internet and do business there. And it’s a costly mistake to leave them out.

Make it Easy to Contact You

Most people don’t buy on their first visit to a website, but many call for more information or drop a message. And those actions improve your conversion rate. That’s why it’s so important to include site elements that make it obvious how to contact you, and very easy to do so.

• Put more than one contact method “above the fold” on your website so users don’t have to scroll down to find it.
• Place them in the header or top navigation menu for your website, so it’s visible on every page.

Make Forms Simple

You don’t need to get lots of information from a potential client or customer to start the conversation. Simplify your forms so they can be completed in as few steps as possible.

While you may not need forms on every page, start by including them on your home page, service pages, and contact page, where they’ll be most useful to people visiting your site.

Invite Them to Chat

Live Chat is a great feature that’s easy to set up, and it can have a positive impact on conversions. Your chat should appear in the bottom left corner of your home page with a welcoming message like, “How Can We Help You?”.

Some chat platforms have options users can select to answer frequently asked questions, others just have a small instant message box allowing people to type whatever they’d like. While you want your chat to remain visible, be sure users can minimize it, and that its placement doesn’t block other key elements of your page.

Remember: It’s Not About You

One of the biggest mistakes we see companies make is to tell their story, and only their story, and expect customers to buy.

Effective conversion websites change things up. A website that converts does so because it connects with the visitor. Try these steps to make your web copy more conversion-friendly:

• Mention a problem that your product solves
• Show them how you solve it
• Encourage them to solve it with your help

It’s okay to be direct, especially when you’ve shown people you care about their problems and want to share your solution. Make direct appeals throughout your copy, varying them slightly, so that it’s clear how people can take action.

Get Help When You Get Stuck

It’s not always easy to get more website conversions. Sometimes it seems like you’re doing everything right, but still nothing is working. GoEpps can help with a website audit that identifies how you can better optimize for conversions and get more customers through online marketing. Reach out today and start getting results.