Conversion Rate Optimization – What Makes Your Site Effective?

Maybe you think you are doing a good job with search engine optimization (SEO), but you don't see enough conversions; online sales, subscriptions, downloads, or newsletter sign-ups. Incoming traffic is finicky, and if yours is like most ecommerce sites you have a high bounce rate or low conversion rate. Like most conscious e-marketers you may be burning to know how your website visitors view your products and services, and you are probably wondering whether there are techniques to help visitors spend more time on-page and actually take the desired action converting them into customers.

The good news is, yes, there are ways of measuring and best practices for optimizing your online sales performance so that it actually produces results. This is accomplished through conversion rate optimization, or CRO, where experts run split tests to see how users respond to one version over another.

Basically, conversion optimization is adjusting your website to the habits of your target users, considering a number of factors. Here are just three pillars:

First, you should look at the fundamentals, such as having a Why. For conversion optimization, be sure that you can provide benefits, advantages and value add for your target audience. Bring a unique message or product to the market that people can only get from you and nobody else.

Next, look at the What. Your product or service should be attractive, appealing, and competitive. Conversion optimization tests have constantly shown that if you get your What across in the best possible and clear manner, with good product images and descriptions, preferably providing your visitors with a comparison tool, you can count on your conversion rate to go up dramatically.

Last, but not least: the How: Make your website is easy to navigate and give clear instructions on what you want visitors to do. The internet is an anonymous place - for conversion optimization you must create trust, and guide clients securely through the checkout process. Do not stop here, but also describe the after-sale facts, such as return policy, customer service, etc.

These are common-sense conversion optimization tactics on the macro-level that you can implement to help you optimize your website and see results in conversion. Conversion optimization is an ongoing process, and for constant results and improvement, it is recommendable to have someone in charge of CRO as a job full time.

If you would like to receive tips about micro-level optimization to make your website conversion-friendly please go to our website Convert.com and download the 86 tips of conversion optimization for free. There you will find tips related to site architecture, functional aspects, page layout, user centric design, visual appearance, content and more.