Websites that Sell! How to Boost Your Conversion Rates

By Colin Scotland

Your website is perhaps one of the most powerful tools in your marketing toolkit. Designing, hosting and running a site can be costly too.

So you want to make sure that the website you’ve poured so much care, attention and perhaps money into, does an exceptional job.

In simple terms, the role of your website is to convert leads into customers.

And there’s a lot of talk around website conversion rates within marketing circles in today’s business world.

10 Step Marketing Checklist to More Leads and Sales

As a business owner, rather than a marketer, understanding website conversion rate techniques may not be your bag. And there’s no reason it should be. But you owe it to yourself to make sure that your site is doing that job.

Even if it’s a case of working with an expert to get the best results. And to do that, a grounding in why conversion rates are so important to your business is a must.

So kicking things off, I’ve created five top tips for making sure your website works hard, and delivers new customers, just as it should. Sound interesting? Then read on.

conversion rate optimisation

Go to town on your CTA

First, read through your current website. Do you have a call to action? By that, I mean a simple, persuasive nudge to contact you (or whatever your next step may be)?

Surprisingly, there are still websites out there without one. If you have a call to action, is it an effective one? Would it make you want to reach out?

The most important thing here is to remember that it should prompt a potential customer to contact you. To do that, it needs to create some urgency. Be completely jargon-free.

And it should neatly say what it exactly is you want people to do.

Make it easy for the customer

Think about this logically. Would you fill out a long, complicated form to get further information on a product or service? It’s probably safe to say that the vast majority of us would answer no to that question.

While data capture is a vital element of online interaction, and an important way of using your website to gain more insight into your client base, you also need to encourage people to engage.

An overly complicated process will put people off.

So make it nice and easy for your prospective customers.

Keep it to a simple step, so you know who’s asking for more information, what their contact email is and their name. Perhaps their job title (if it's relevant). And leave it at that.

Add testimonials

Client testimonials aren’t a new way of boosting your credibility. But more and more studies are proving their worth in real terms.

The reasons testimonials work so well are easy to grasp. Ultimately, people will feel more comfortable committing to a service, or making a purchase if they read positive feedback from other customers.

The key with testimonials is to make sure they feel real. Putting photos next to them has been shown to boost conversion rates even higher because it adds to that human touch.

But at the least encourage people to commit their name to their good review. And keep those testimonials in obvious line of sight. They’re there to do a job and belong in a prominent place on the website.

Don’t forget your sales funnel

It’s safe to say that most businesses are looking to convert more leads. The problem is, you may not know where you’re losing customers.

If you’re not converting many leads, those potential customers are being lost somewhere in the journey around your site.

Designing a sales funnel that’s bespoke to your business is key here. Every product or service is unique and will demand various consideration time from your customer. It’s about understanding what information, and how much time people need to commit for your product.

And remember not to rush it.

People feel much more comfortable making a purchase if they feel informed beforehand.

A Simple Sales Funnel Example

Sales Funnel

Get expert help

My final tip is to remember that testing is key, and you need to use the latest technology for this. Split or A/B testing is one of the most effective ways to check out what works best.

Essentially, it’s a way of setting up two landing pages to see which one performs better. But if you’re too busy to do this yourself, or if budgets are too tight to invest in expensive software, call on a conversion marketing expert to help - shameless plug 😉

Remember to think about ROI here.

Check out your options to ensure the person you choose has all the right conversion marketing qualifications and significant experience in the field.

And you will see your investment pay dividends once your website has been optimized to perfection.

10 Step Marketing Checklist to More Leads and Sales

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