9 Best Practices to Follow For Conversion Rate Optimization

Changes You Should Make to Your Website to Boost Conversions

While many brands and marketing professionals focus their efforts on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to drive people to their websites, it’s important not to forget about what comes after – making sure that these new visitors are actually converting to paying customers. This process is known as Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO). 

In this article, we will explore the topic of conversion rates and what exactly the CRO process entails.

What is a Conversion Rate?

Conversion Rate is a metric used to track how many people visiting your website are completing a specific action. 

In this case, a conversion doesn’t necessarily have to be a purchase. It can be any action that is valuable to your business, such as: 

• Filling out a form
• Downloading a PDF
• Making a purchase
• Signing up for a service
• Requesting more information

How Conversion Rate is Calculated

The conversion rate can be calculated by dividing the number of site visitors that performed a certain action by the number of total visitors, then multiplying this number by 100.

Here is an example: If you had 300 people fill out a form to receive more information about a service and had 12,000 total site visitors, your conversion rate would be 2.5%.

What Is Considered a Strong Conversion Rate?

There is no definitive answer as to what constitutes a “good” conversion rate as it depends on numerous factors such as:

• Your industry
• Your niche
• Your business goals
• Your target audience
• Your demographics
• And more

However, the average conversion rate in the US is 2.57%, and 2.17% globally.

What Is Conversion Rate Optimization?

Conversion Rate Optimization refers to the process of making improvements to your website in order to boost conversions. 

Below, we will outline some of the improvements you can make to your website as a part of a comprehensive CRO strategy.

How to Improve Your CRO Strategy in 9 Steps

1. Understand Your Target Customers

The best way to get web visitors to convert is to understand their mindset, behaviour, and why they are seeking out your business. It’s not enough to have a basic understanding of who your target customers are. Do a deep analysis and develop different buyer personas based on your website’s visitors and tailor your content and UX based on these personas.

2. Optimize Your Homepage

First impressions are everything. Your homepage is typically the first thing a user sees when they visit your website, so it’s crucial that you make a great impression and make visitors want to stay on your website and eventually perform some kind of action. 

Some ways you can use CRO on your homepage is to add a chatbot to the home page to respond to inquiries, include clear Calls to Action (CTAs), and links to different product and service pages. The goal is to make it as easy as possible for visitors to convert. 

3. Optimize Your Pricing Page

Your pricing page is also incredibly important and can make the difference between a visitor converting or exiting your site and never coming back again. Some ways you can optimize this page to boost conversions are to add a pricing breakdown and add a CTA for visitors to obtain a free quote within a specified timeframe.

4. Utilize Landing Pages

Landing pages are designed specifically to get people to perform an action – typically filling out a form to get more information. Therefore, it makes sense that they have an incredibly high conversion rate. Some of the best ways to optimize landing pages to get the most conversions include using video, creating strong, action-based headlines, and promoting a free resource or special promotion. 

5. Focus On Producing Strong Content

Content is the best way to help guide people throughout different stages of the buyer’s journey, especially when it comes to the conversion stage.

Your blog is a great place to start and offers many conversion opportunities. Focus on publishing high-quality, informative articles with relevant CTAs that are crafted with the intention of getting people to take action. 

6. Improve Your UX

Poor User Experience (UX) is one of the easiest ways to drive people away from your website. To avoid visitors from exiting your site before they had the chance to convert, make your website as easy to navigate as possible. Here are some UX best practices to follow:

• Simplify your site navigation
• Make your website mobile-friendly
• Use a clean and simple design that is visually appealing
• Avoid long lines of text
• Avoid using too many pop-ups

7. Make Your Message Clear and Concise

People don’t want to give you their business if they are unsure of what kind of value you offer or don’t know what kind of action you want them to take. Use very clear headlines and CTAs to make it easy for visitors to convert, like “Download Our Free Product Guide,” “Get a Free Quote,” or “Start Your Free Trial Now.”

8. Post Reviews On Your Website

When researching businesses, customers rely on reviews from other customers to help them make informed decisions. Include a section on your homepage and other pages on your website for positive reviews you have received from satisfied customers. This is a great way to convince people who are already considering giving you their business to pull the trigger and convert. 

9. Avoid Copying Your Competitors

It’s normal for brands to research their competition and sometimes even take inspiration from them. However, it’s important to avoid copying their content and design because chances are your target customers are researching other brands and will be able to spot the duplication. 

Work With an Experienced CRO Agency

When it comes to improving your conversion rate, the best way to set your business up for success is to work with a digital marketing agency experienced in CRO. 

Consultus Digital is a Toronto-based performance marketing agency that has helped countless brands generate leads and convert them to paying customers using different CRO techniques. 

Ready to get started? Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you.