How to increase your Conversion rate

So you've worked hard to attract potential customers to your business with great marketing but how do you close the sale? We see a lot of businesses get great traffic to their stores and websites but they don’t make many sales. What is stopping potential customers from taking action and what can be done to fix it?

Conversion Rate = Number of Visitors Who Make a Purchase / Total Website Traffic

We will discuss 32 ways to increase your conversion rate, turning browsers into buyers.

1. Add testimonials and reviews

Testimonials are a great way to help build trust in your product or service. Research suggests that 92% of consumers are more likely to trust a non paid review or testimonial over paid advertising. As humans, we look to other people for support when making decisions. So when it comes to purchasing decisions the same applies. Including testimonials on your sales pages, in your advertising and your social media posts is a great way to build trust and increase conversions.

2. Remove distractions

Some websites have so many flashing pop-ups and banners that they actually can distract the potential customer. Pop ups and banners have their place but ensure that you don't have too many that could cause needless distractions. As much as I love shopping at Shein, their site is, well, a bit crazy. Keep things simple and focused on the outcome you want from the viewer.

3. Add pop-ups

Speaking of pop-ups, as we mentioned earlier, make sure they aren't too distracting. They need to have a clear message, offer or outcome. Direct people to a particular sale, get them to sign up to your newsletter or download an ebook. Also, think about the timing of the pop-up. If it appears too quickly, it is likely to distract from the main message of your sales page and the viewer will probably close it.

4. Reduce the number of form fields

Depending on your desired action, try to make it as easy as possible for an individual to sign up, purchase or download something. Don’t make them fill out a huge form to get started. Stick to the bare essentials, you can always collect more data later down the track. 

5. Make the initial steps easy

If your website is clunky to navigate and the purchasing process is long and complicated, you will lose potential customers. Make the purchasing steps simple and easy to follow. Some websites have express checkout options for repeat customers. Check your analytics to work out exactly where people are dropping off and work to fix the issues.

6. Call to action (CTA Buttons)

Make sure you customers know exactly what is going to happen when they click on the call to action button. Try swapping out boring words like “enter” or “submit” for more exciting terms like “get this course” or “reserve your seat.” 

7. Add a live chat to your site

Adding a live chat bot to your site can help someone who needs to talk to someone before they can make a purchase. A chat bot allows you to answer a few basic questions that often come up.

8. Add an offer

If you think potential customers are unlikely to convert straight away, add an offer to sweeten the deal. Think about what offer your target market is likely to respond to. Are they money conscious? Offer a discount. Are they time conscious? Offer express shipping.

9. Retargeting

Once a potential customer has landed on your website or engaged with your business, you need to keep the conversation going. Reminding them of the product or service they enquired about. Retargeting can take many forms including retargeting ads on social media or the old school methods of following up with your leads via phone or email. Stay tuned for a blog digging deeper into retargeting soon. The main point is to help keep your business in the minds of your target customers. Let's face it, we are all busy and forget about that item we added to the cart. So retargeting is a gentle reminder to help someone re-engage with your business.

10. Offer a guarantee

If you are in a position to offer a guarantee, they can definitely increase your conversion rate. Just ensure the guarantee is something that you can actually follow through with. Make sure it is financially viable and won't hurt your business.

11. Answer an objection

What are some of the barriers that might prevent a person from buying your product or service? Are they concerned about warranty or the longevity of the product? Alleviate their concerns and include answers to those questions. 

12. Add a countdown timer

A countdown timer is a great way to add a little urgency to the purchase. This will need to be included with a particular deal to drive the person to take advantage of the offer that is only available for a limited time. 

13. Include stock numbers

Including the amount of an item that is left in stock is a great way to increase urgency. If the customer assumes there is an infinite amount of the product they will sit on the decision for a while. They might put it in their cart and think about it some more. If they can see that there are only a few items left they will finish the purchase to secure that item.

14. Write compelling copy

The key first to writing compelling copy that converts is to talk about features and benefits. What are the fundamental features of your product and how do they benefit the customer? Help them to see how that product or service will make their life better. What problem is it solving for them? The second is to empathise with your audience. Remember that you are selling to real people and your product will help solve real problems. But how will it make them feel when you solve their problem. 

15. Test your headlines

Do you know what headlines or copy will help encourage your audience to buy? Without testing it's hard to know what actually works. A/B testing is a great way to find out. Many web and social media platforms offer options to A/B test headlines, copy and images. Giving you actual data to make decisions with. 

16. Unique selling points

In order to increase conversions you need to make your value proposition clear. Why is your product or service better than others? What do you do differently? Tell them what makes your business unique and why they should buy from you. Is it your customer service, your locally sourced products or your desire to reduce your environmental impact. Whatever it is, make sure your potential customers know about it.

17. High converting sales pages

A sales page must answer a few basic questions in order to move the buyer through from the awareness stage to the conversion stage. Have a think about what questions your customers have as they contemplate buying your product or service. A few basic questions include: what do you do, why should I care, why do I believe you, and where do I begin? This can vary depending on your product but it is a good starting point.

18. Offer different payment options

Make it easier for people to purchase by providing different payment options. PayPal, ZipPay, ApplePay and AfterPay. Is your business the type of business that can offer accounts or post/pre paid plans? Find out which payment methods suit your target audience.

19. Improve page speed

A slow loading website is the number one reason people will leave your site. If it takes too long or crashes and you haven't done enough to build their trust - it's all over. If your site is loading slow, it could be due to clunky plugins. Consider moving to a web platform that is fully integrated for ecommerce businesses and get some advice from experts. 

20. Show your credentials

Consumers are always on the lookout to ensure they don't fall victim to a scam. Show your credentials on your site. Awards, qualifications or membership/accreditations by approved bodies.Anything that will provide evidence that you are a trustworthy business. 

21. Make it easy for people to contact you

If it's not easy for a potential customer to get in touch with you they might be worried you're not a real business. Listing a physical address, phone number and email address builds confidence.

22. Keep your website updated

Update your site and content regularly. This includes your blogs and social media. Nothing says out of business more than an abandoned blog or social page.

23. Don't force a user to sign up in order to purchase

Potential customers might be put off if they have to sign up before they can purchase. You will still get their email from the order anyway, so don't force them to sign up. 

24. Free shipping

Free shipping is always a great way to seal the deal. Make sure it is financially viable and account for it in your cost of goods sold. 

25. Add incentive to take action right away

This comes down to creating a sense of urgency. What will they miss out on if they delay taking action? An offer, deal. Give them a time limit or tell them there's only a limited supply. Also help them to see what they are missing out on by not taking action. Highlight the pain points your product solves.

26. Product descriptions and images

If you are selling online, make sure your product photos and descriptions are clear and detailed. Include size, weight and colour availability. For clothing stores, sizing guides are very helpful. 

27. Build relationships

People are more willing to buy when they have an established relationship with the business. Also known as a warm lead. Keeping those leads warm requires communication and nurturing. If the potential buyer has this relationship with the business it makes the purchase feel more of a partnership than a transaction. 

28. Conversion content

Make sure you have content that answers frequently asked questions, objections and helps readers to see why they need your product or service. Remember conversion content is for people who already know about your business but need an extra push to get them over the line. So the way you write it and the topics you talk about will be more targeted towards making the sale.

29. Train your sales team

Since your sales team is on the frontline, it's important that they are adequately trained to handle customers effectively. If you notice that your leads are high but conversions are low, you might need to invest more time into training your staff. 

30. Sample pack

This is a great idea if your product is something new to consumers. I like the way Shampoo with a Purpose does this. A shampoo bar is a relatively new concept for some people. Offering a sample pack, which you can charge a lower amount for, can help to alleviate any fears that the potential buyer might have. 

31. Free trials

The same goes for free trials. They help alleviate any concerns someone might have about a product or service. Many software or streaming services use trials. Often, the way they set them up, once the trial ends the subscription will automatically commence unless cancelled before.

32. Trade- ins

Trade-in can assist conversions because you are solving two problems for the customer. At this stage the consumer is likely comparing you against other similar businesses. So offering a trade-in could give you an edge over your competitors.

Increasing your conversion rate is imperative to growing your business. If you notice that your sales are dwindling you might need to take stock and find out what's going on. The good news is that you can turn things around if you start to apply some of the techniques above. 

If you would like to grow your business but aren't sure where to start, our Business Success Map is designed to do just that. It's a free resource (no email address required) which helps business owners to focus on the right things at the right time.