Website conversion optimization is a very strategic practice of improving the overall functionality and usability of a website to facilitate greater conversions or sales.
Most all websites have different conversion goals. For eCommerce sites, conversion goals are typically immediate product sales or sign-ups to build an email list. For a locally optimized website, a conversion goal might center on driving leads via a contact submission form or direct phone call.
Website Conversion Optimization Tips
Regardless of the nature of your website and its conversion goals, there are several universal components that makeup the foundation for conversion optimization. Below I share with you five powerful tips for website conversion optimization.
1. Simplify Your Website’s Navigation
It’s very important that your website’s navigation is cohesive and logical to average users. You might have to “dumb-down” your perspective a bit and pretend you’re targeting an elementary student to ensure your site is not a maze for visitors. Think of organizing your website like a textbook. Each chapter (or primary website categories) can be broken-down into relevant sections (sub-category pages.) In short, optimization = organization. Structure your website’s navigation simply and intuitively.
If you’re doing any mobile website optimization, simplifying the navigation is critical. Not only is there less screen space on mobile devices, but the motives of mobile Internet users is typically different. These users are often times seeking information on the fly, or they want a concise summary of what you do or provide.
2. Cater to Your Target Audience
Much of your website optimization efforts should be empathy-driven. That is, your strategies should focus on you target audience and what elements that appreciate in a good website experience. This tip is simple good for thought, for the possibilities here are virtually endless.
Some elements you may want to consider when catering to your target audience are: social media accounts, how-to and tutorial-based content, easy points of contact, business location information, or easy product/service navigation.
3. Optimize Your Landing Pages
Landing pages are perhaps one of the most important elements to address for website conversion optimization. For you landing pages, you want to be very engaging with your visitor. Whether that’s through you page copy, a video, or a graphic – be extremely relevant and empathy-driven. Another good tip to ensure you landing pages convert visitors is to simplify or completely strip the navigation from these pages. This will narrow the options that users have on the page, thus promoting action that’s most aligned with you conversion goals.
4. Maintain a Uniform Design and Layout
The visual elements on your website can have a big impact on both the credibility and attractiveness of your online brand. When it comes to the layout of your website, it’s important to maintain consistent formatting and design elements. Any inconsistencies in your website’s design elements can confuse users and may instill feelings of untrust worthiness.
Maintaining a uniform design is also very important if you creating a mobile version of your website. Mobile website optimization must utilize a similar layout to ensure the design elements remain consistent across your entire web presence.
5. Implement On-site Search Functionality
Aside from having a sitemap, which many visitors will never think to use, on-site search functionality can make it easier for visitors to find what they are looking for on your website. For deep eCommerce websites with thousands of pages and robust inventories, this can be a powerful addition to you conversion optimization strategy. Just be sure that the search functionality performs well and does not feed users inadequate results. This can results in high bounce rates that reverse you website Conversion optimization efforts.
