In this fast-paced, information-rich age we live in, it’s hard to keep anyone’s attention for long. The internet is an incredible resource that offers an endless amount of content, tools, services and more. Going online for our wants and needs has become second nature, and – honestly – we might be a little bit spoiled. People don’t have a lot of patience – they want to find exactly what they’re looking for quickly and easily. What does this mean for a small business owner like you? Well, if you get someone to land on your homepage, you better make it obvious what you want them to do. In a word – conversion. Read on to learn more about conversion and how you can audit and enhance your site architecture to get more customers.
A conversation about conversion
What is conversion? Conversion simply means getting your visitor to take a desired action. The nature of that action depends completely on your business. Are you a retail company? The action is probably purchasing a product. Do you offer a service? The action might be scheduling an appointment or consultation. Own a restaurant? Maybe you’d like them to make a reservation. Trying to grow your audience and maintain a loyal customer base? Perhaps your priority is email signups. The action you want your customer to take should inform your website design. The architecture of your site – the way it’s structured – will affect your visitor’s experience and whether or not they do what you want them to.
It’s time for an autumn audit
Autumn is upon us, and the changing season is a perfect time to refresh your website with some strategic updates. Ready to enhance your site design to optimize conversion? The first step is to audit your current website.
Put yourself in the shoes of a potential customer visiting for the first time, and answer some key questions.
Is it clear what your company has to offer? Is the content presented in an appealing, inviting way? Is the information concise and easy to understand? Is there a prominent call-to-action? Would you know how to navigate the site to find what you’re looking for? Are the steps to complete your desired action obvious?
Simplify your site
Sometimes the easiest solution is the simple one. If the nature of your business allows, keep your website minimal – it could even be a single landing page or just a few pages for different categories (About, Portfolio, Contact, etc.). Convey what you do and what your company has to offer right off the bat. Your homepage makes the first impression, and you don’t want to lose your visitor before you’ve converted them to a customer. The more pages they have to wade through, the more likely they are to give up. If you have too much information for a single landing page, create easy-to-use navigation for different categories.
Good, clean, fun
Keep your design clean – if the layout is chaotic, they won’t know where to look.
Simple is good, but make it eye-catching and attractive too. High quality images show you’re professional and trustworthy. Make sure your copy – the written content on your website – is easy to understand and persuasively explains why your customer should choose you. Your headlines and supporting content can be clever, entertaining and ideally attention-grabbing, but your first priority should be clarity. Keep it short and sweet, and find a good balance between building your brand personality and making your customer’s experience convenient.
Heed the call-to-action
Make sure it’s clear what clicking on your call-to-action will result in – “Buy Now,” “Sign Me Up,” etc.
Make it as obvious as possible what you want them to do and what they get if they do it. Perhaps the most important element of conversion is a strong call-to-action. Make it prominent – don’t be afraid to go big. Make it obviously clickable (a button icon does the trick). Consider placement – does it make sense to have a call-to-action near the top of the page to convert your customer right away? Or do you want your visitor to spend a bit more time looking at your content first?
Another effective way to get the click is to incentivize the action – spend a certain amount to get free shipping, get a coupon code for signing up for the email newsletter, call to get a free consultation.
What’s next?
If your business requires a more complex architecture, or you just want to take your conversion efforts to the next level, here are some more advanced techniques to consider:
- Segment your data. By asking your customers to take a few extra steps – say, filling out a short survey when signing up for email – there’s a higher risk of losing them, but the reward is valuable insight for future marketing efforts.
- Customize the experience. Keep in mind where your customer is coming from, and tailor the landing page accordingly. Did you send an email featuring new fall boots? Make sure they see that product right away.
- Inbound marketing. Offer valuable content to create brand loyalty without paid advertising.
- A/B testing. Conduct a test with the old and new versions of your site to see which produces higher conversion rates.
- Optimize your site for mobile. Don’t lose potential customers because of a buggy mobile experience. If you use GoDaddy Website Builder, optimization happens automatically.
- Track the success of your efforts using an analytics tool.
GoDaddy is here to help
Take advantage of the changing season to make some positive, potentially profitable changes.GoDaddy Website Builder makes it easy to create and update your professional website. Start by auditing your existing site for areas of improvement. Analyze the architecture to ensure it’s structured in a simple, intuitive way, and create concise content with a clear call-to-action. Convert visitors into happy customers, and watch your business grow.
