The answer is simple. You get to hire professionals from top user experience design firms. On the other hand, the whole process only begins at that point.
So let’s make one thing clear – just because your website generates a lot of traffic doesn’t mean you’ll end up with a lot of customers.
This is something most businesses get wrong. In their effort to increase their revenue, companies start playing the numbers game and focus on increased traffic to the point where quantity overshadows quality.
In this article, we’ll explain why you can have millions of visitors, yet a bounce rate of over 70%, and how to save your business from that fate. Let’s go!
Start with Intent-Based Keywords
If you’re trying to drive traffic to your website, that means you’re already doing some SEO optimization on it.
SEO helps boost your rankings in the SERPs (search engine results pages), thus making your website more visible to potential visitors and customers, so, naturally, you’ll be interested in it.
Now, everybody knows how much Google loves blogs. Websites that feature a blog produce up to 67% more leads than those that don’t, meaning they get ranked a lot higher in the SERPs.
Notice, however, we said they generate leads, not just traffic. Leads are people that are interested in your product rather than simple visitors.
So, how do they do it? Through Intent-based keywords, of course!
The reason for this is that people browsing the web using intent-based keywords are ready to make a purchase. They are usually scanning the web for something specific – a product or service that answers their needs.
Thus, by introducing intent-based keywords in your posts, or any kind of content you have going on, you not only make yourself more visible but also show that you’ve got what people are searching for, making it more likely they’ll shop with you.
Focus On Your Landing Pages
Your landing pages can make a great first impression and when it comes to digital marketing, first impressions are everything.
People live fast, and their time is precious. If you don’t convince your audience immediately, then you probably won’t get another shot at it.
This is where landing pages come in. They’re designed to explain what your company is all about and what it can offer the person getting to that page, with only a few words and a memorable image.
Now, here’s the thing – landing pages need to be very concise because your audience has already had enough of reading. They’ve probably already been doing their research, and they followed a link that landed them on your page.
So, let’s go to this website, for starters. See how this company has a very distinct, memorable image, coupled with a title that expressly states what they’re all about. Note below the very clear and enticing call to action, coupled with an educational video.
This is what a landing page is supposed to look like. A page like this has been designed for a lead that’s already been researching web design companies and is looking to hire one.
By saying:” Hey, we do web design, come talk to our experts,” this company makes a clear statement and a compelling case when it comes to purchasing their services.
These websites focus on creating landing pages for every business aspect, thus respecting their leads’ time by getting straight to the point.
One final thing about landing pages – create as many as you can. It is no secret that websites with more landing pages generate far more leads – 7 times more, to be exact!
Create And Test Your Calls to Action
CTAs and landing pages go hand in hand – the one just can’t live without the other.
A call to action is a marketing tool designed to entice a lead to perform the desired action. There are many kinds of CTAs, ranging from lead generating to lead nurturing, social sharing and product/service discovery.
The thing with CTAs is that they’re all about wording and positioning. A good call to action not only compels the lead to interact with it, but also offers something of value.
Going back to that website we showed you, you can see that the company is not only telling you to pursue their services but also that they’re experts in their field.
Positioning matters a lot when it comes to CTAs, as does their design. You want the CTA to be visible and recognizable so that your lead has a clear indication as to what should be their next step.
When it comes to positioning, you want your CTA to be on your landing page right below your title.
In general, you want your call to action to be below your fold, as customers prefer to learn about your offer before deciding to proceed. Not doing so nets you a 17% decrease in lead conversions.
Naturally, the only way to know if your CTAs work is by testing them. A/B testing has become increasingly popular with most companies, as it is a quick and easy way to establish whether your CTA works.
Remember that a call to action is your final act – the last button your lead has to push before deciding to make a purchase.
Keep Your Forms Short
Do you know what really grinds people’s gears? Long forms. If you want to disrespect your leads’ time and effort, this is the way to do it.
Whether it is about creating an account, downloading a PDF, making a purchase or leaving contact information, a long form with dozens of fields and questions is the one worst way you can deny yourself a conversion. And the most tragic – because at that point you’ve literally missed a slam dunk.
So, the best way to go about this is to keep those forms short and sweet. No asking for additional security questions, no asking for a birth date, the family dog’s name or a blood sacrifice – when all you need anyway is just the basic information; that’s it.
Now, there is no de facto, sure-fire number of questions and fields that you should strive toward. Creating a form is a case-to-case scenario, as it depends on what kind of information you need.
If you need your customer’s contact information, the best things to ask would be their name, email and, perhaps, phone number.
If they’re making a purchase of some kind, you might need their credit card number, or any other info that ties into their payment method. Just remember to keep it short, sweet and concise.
Final Words
And, with that, it’s time to put a pin on our little article about engineering a conversion-driving beast of a website.
We chose to present to you these few points not only because they cropped up regularly in our own research, but because they helped us with our website as well.
In the end, what’s important for you to remember is to focus on quality and stop playing the numbers game. Sure, a website that gets tons of traffic might generate more leads and have more conversions than a less-visited one, but that’s not guaranteed.
What is guaranteed, however, is that quality content and shrewd implementation of conversion strategies increase your odds substantially.
The last point we’re going to make is to take care of your bounce rates – they’re a much better indicator of your conversion efforts than the sheer volume of visits.