Business owners and marketers across all industries want better website conversion. Conversions are one of the very few factors that determine the success of your online store. You could have 10,000 visitors, but if none of those visitors become customers, you’re in the same position you were when you started.
But if 500 people visit your website and half of them sign up or purchase something, it could change the trajectory of your business forever. This one small example demonstrates the importance of conversions, but knowing that you need sales and engagement isn’t enough to succeed.
You have to position your website and marketing channels in a way that helps you reach more potential customers and grow your brand. Today, I’m going to share six core elements you can use to meet your website conversion goals and build rapport with first-time visitors.
Let’s get started!
The speed and performance of your website can have a massive impact on your conversions. If your website takes too long to load or doesn’t work how it’s supposed to, most people will leave before they ever get a chance to engage with your brand.
According to Google, the best page load time is 2 seconds or less. For context, research shows that a one-second delay beyond that point results in a 7% loss in conversions. In other words, if your WordPress website takes 5-6 seconds to load, over half of your visitors will likely leave before the page finally loads.
Obviously, this isn’t an ideal situation. There are a few quick and easy ways to optimize loading times and improve the performance of your website.
Common strategies include:
Did you know that by the end of the year, it’s estimated that 6.5 billion people will own smartphones? This startling statistic shows the power of optimizing your site for mobile. On average, people spend close to four hours on their smartphones every day. Often, these people look at products to buy or engage with brands.
If your online store isn’t ready for mobile users, most users will bounce from your website before they get a chance to convert. In some cases, you could be missing out on over 50% of all conversions!
Optimizing your site for mobile is quick, easy, and certainly worth your time. You can use Google’s free Mobile-Friendly Test to check the status of your site. This tool can help you identify opportunities to improve and create a better experience for mobile users.
I also suggest choosing WordPress themes and plugins that work well with mobile. Some plugins are great, but they only help with desktop users. If you want to improve your mobile website conversion rate, you need tools catered to these visitors.
You’ll also want to test your site on a range of mobile devices when you make an update or introduce a new feature. Real devices work best here because you can see how your site looks on your customers’ devices.
Publishing blog content is one of the best ways to improve your website conversion rate. Most of the people who make it to your site are there because they want to read about a specific topic or learn about one of your products.
You can anticipate these needs by creating content based on your target audience’s goals and pain points. The more you know about your visitors’ interests, the better. I like to find clever ways to bridge the gap between our blog posts and our product.
For instance, the product I sell is lead generation software. So, a lot of our content is about growing email lists, engaging with subscribers, and sending valuable content. These various topics come back to one premise: you should work to get more email leads.
The content you create for your blog will vary based on your industry and product selection. Ask your existing visitors for feedback if you’re unsure where to begin. Find out what type of content they would like to see in the future and publish it on your website.
Surveys show that blogs are the 5th most trusted source of information online. So if you’re looking to keep on-site visitors engaged and turn them into customers, a top-notch content marketing strategy is the way to go.
Speaking of user engagement, let’s talk about social media and your website. Social platforms like Twitter, Tik Tok, YouTube, and Instagram are more popular than ever before. Research shows that over 4.5 billion people use these platforms, and that number is growing.
There are a few smart ways to tie your social media and website together.
From your site, include social share buttons on your blog posts and landing pages. You want to make it as easy as possible for people to share your work with their friends, family, and peers. You may also want to consider the benefits of adding a social wall plugin to your site.
A social wall will allow site visitors to see what’s happening on your social media in real-time. This strategy is an excellent way to convince first-time visitors to follow your social channels and engage with your brand. You can show your wall as a small feed on the sidebar of your website or on a standalone page. For example:
On the flip side, you should share all of the helpful content you’re writing across your social media accounts. When it comes to visual content, turn to platforms like YouTube and Instagram, which are based on visual media. It’s also worth asking your audience to share their thoughts. I like to pose industry-specific questions and then read and respond to the responses throughout the day.
I also suggest you incentivize users to go to your WordPress site from your social media. You can do this by announcing limited-time promotions or events that require users to sign up on-site. If you’re persistent, you will get more sales from this strategy. We found that 59% of people turn to social media sites when they want to buy something online but need a little inspiration first.
Another element that can help you create a website that converts is email marketing. When a user completes your signup form and joins your list, they are showing interest in your product or service. The thing is, 96% of people who make it to your website are not quite ready to make a purchase.
Email gives you a chance to build rapport with new visitors and show them why your product and brand are superior to the competition. You can send newsletters featuring your top posts, personalized discounts on future orders, questionnaires, and more.
These engagement opportunities will help you learn about your customers and build robust buyer personas, which makes connecting with your audience across all platforms easier.
The key to growing your lead list is actively asking customers to subscribe. For instance, you could use an opt-in pop-up to ask users to join your list before they leave your site. You can also create promotional pop-ups where visitors can get an exclusive discount or gift with their purchase. These incentives are an excellent way to get visitors to become subscribers and, eventually, customers.
Did you know that 63% of online shoppers say they are more willing to return to a website if it features live chat? This startling statistic shows why investing in a strong, multi-channel customer support system is crucial.
If someone has a question on our site, they can talk to a live agent or our self-help portal. Our social media team is always available to help users with industry-specific problems. If users prefer to drop us a line through email, they can do that too.
I believe that giving consumers these options means we have a style of customer support for everyone. Including these additional options means we are more likely to connect with visitors who otherwise would have forgotten about our brand without a second thought.
The best way to maximize conversions through your customer service channel is to anticipate what kind of problems or questions might come up for your visitors. If your team is ready to tackle these issues and guide users down the right path, many will decide to buy a product from your website.
There you have it! The following core elements will help you improve website conversions on your site and build a stronger brand. It’s worth mentioning that significant changes do not occur overnight. You have to work hard and track the progress of your changes. With plenty of time, energy, and patience, you, too, can create a perfect website that converts.
For more on this topic, check out our articles on converting leads into paying clients and making a killer home page that converts.
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