What Is a Conversion-Optimized Website? A User-Centric Approach
One of the major marketing agendas of 2021 is to increase conversions and create conversion-optimized websites. However, many business owners are still not familiar with this term. Their lack of information is the biggest hurdle in their success. Conversion optimization is more commonly known as Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO). It involves numerous psychological and marketing techniques to convince the web visitor ethically and lawfully to make a purchase.
However, the process of conversion optimization is more challenging than it seems, and that’s why It’s a subject of interest among top-tier digital marketers and business owners. Conversion rate optimization involves a combination of different subjects besides digital marketing. Below, I have shared the definition of a conversion-optimized website and how it can be helpful for your business. So, keep reading to learn more.
What Is a Conversion-optimized Website
In the most basic sense, a conversion-optimized website is one designed to help buyers through the sales process. It is a website that has elements of psychology, consumer behavior, and other principles of persuasion to influence the web visitor in making a purchase. These are the duties of a conversion rate optimizer who knows SEO and other principles of marketing as well. In summary, a conversion-optimized website is a sales web page that affects the cognitive process through various elements to drive sales.
However, conversion-optimized websites aren’t entirely designed for sales. Instead, the appropriate definition of the term “conversion-optimized” is to trigger a desired action on the website. This desired action could lead to better conversion, or acquiring client details (lead generation).
CRO is a User-Centric Approach
The conventional definition of conversion rate optimization or a conversion-optimized website places its focus on percentage, benchmarks, and averages. However, there is more to conversion optimization than what meets the eye. As most businesses only focus on the sales side, conversion-optimized websites are often confused with sales-oriented websites or landing pages. However, a conversion-optimized website is designing the entire user interface in a way that promotes the desired action.
CRO is an extremely user-centric approach that mostly focuses on using the elements of neuromarketing. A numeric approach has several downsides. For instance, your website might be getting a lot of attention, and your web traffic is at an all-time high, but this doesn’t mean you will get the “desired action” from the web visitor.
A CRO’s user-centric approach enables businesses to drive the action they desire from the user. For instance, a website’s home page might be designed to help the user navigate to the “Portfolio” or “Product” page. Maybe the business is looking for appointment generation or gaining new clients or even blog subscribers. Whatever the reason might be, a conversion-optimized website is built to achieve business goals.
7 Elements of Conversion-optimized Website
A conversion-optimized website is based on several elements that enable the user to take the desired action of the webmaster or business owner. This influence is possible by adding certain elements to the website that tap into human psychology and win trust. Here are a few major elements of a conversion-optimized website.
1. Content
As you already know by now, content is king; it’s the source of all web-based actions. However, content has different types. Blogs, articles, and press releases have tones and vocabulary that are different from each other. As a result, the content for a conversion-optimized website is different from different styles of writing. For instance, conversion-optimized content is driven through psychology, such as FOMO (Fear of Mission Out). The FOMO technique telling the reader that they might be missing out on something that’s working for others. This type of content is related to sharing information about your industry and how it has influenced other consumers. Here is a breakdown of how you can write a conversion-optimized website copy.
- Headline
The headline is the first thing your web visitors see. In fact, according to copy blogger, 8 out of 10 people will not see past your headlines. Therefore, writing a compelling and welcoming headline is the best way to engage your web visitors.
Moreover, you need to write your headline in a way that triggers your readers to continue reading. For instance, if a fitness website has a straightforward headline like “workout,” the reader won’t be interested in going through other pieces of meticulously crafted content. Instead, you should be a little creative and write headlines that sell like crazy.
- Writing Style
Your writing style should be based on the principles of persuasion. For instance, you should ask a question within your website content to increase your web traffic’s interest. Moreover, when you share credible data, users are more inclined to read all the way through.
2. Scarcity
Scarcity is the element of showing clients that your product is limited and is being purchased in high volume. Buyers have a tendency to trust things being purchased by others. Therefore, including an order counter on your website will facilitate new customers in purchasing from your website. Moreover, when we see a product being scarce, we have an immediate reaction to purchase it. Our brains are wired to stockpile things, and when we see a product running off shelves, it’s in our nature to buy it. Therefore, scarcity triggers customers to make impulsive buying decisions. For instance, a discount code with a timer will have more impact than a code without a timer. Here are a few ways you can create scarcity:
- Limited-time offer
- Countdown timer on your website
- Limited-time discount
- Festive offers
- Giveaways
3. Reciprocity
By now, you might have understood that most elements of a conversion-optimized website are based on Robert Cialdini’s book “The Power of Persuasion.” Reciprocity is the act of exchanging things for mutual benefit. However, you might be wondering why you would exchange something and how it will help in generating more business.
The answer is simple when you give something for free, the other person is interested and inclined to make a purchase. Websites that offer a free ebook with information related to their product or service tend to see higher sales than their competitors.
For instance, if you are selling a service and your target market is unsure of buying from you, include an ebook of your service guidelines and how it will benefit the consumer. This ebook will facilitate sales because your web visitors are now aware of your services, and they know the benefits of buying from you.
4. Call to Action (CTA)
CTAs are the most important part of your conversion-optimized website. These are small snippets of texts that motivate the buyer to take your desired action on the site. CTAs are also based on principles of persuasion to convince the web visitor that your product or service is worth buying. Moreover, CTAs support the information mentioned above, such as reciprocity and scarcity. In addition to this, Calls to Action also need to be in-tune with your content. For instance, if your content is swift and creative, you can’t expect to get good conversions with boring CTAs.
Furthermore, CTAs have a 5.3% conversion rate, meaning a considerable number of conversions depend on a good Call to Action. CTAs are not only limited to texts and can also be pictorial ones. For instance, if you have a picture with text integrated into a particular page on your site, you can score higher conversions.
5. Reviews
One of the strongest elements of a conversion-optimized website is reviews. These are small customer testimonials that explain how you treated them. Moreover, reviews also explain your product or services and the overall customer experience.
Reviews also help other customers buy your product. In today’s world, reviews are considered to be the number one source of information about an online business. Perhaps, that is why online businesses have boomed in recent years. Regardless of the prior reasons, it’s an established fact that we all check reviews before buying anything online.
Most businesses fail to place their reviews in the correct place on their website. This is because business owners have a firm belief in the power of reviews, and they place it on the top of their web page. This confuses customers because the information on your website is not symmetric, meaning no one will be interested in reading reviews before knowing what you are selling.
Therefore, the place to put the review tab on your website is at the bottom of the page. At this point, your web visitors have collected all the information they need to make a purchase.
6. Page Speed
Page speed is a technical element of a conversion-optimized website, and most conventional web owners don’t pay attention to its importance. However, page load speed is a tipping point for your business, meaning it could make or break your online business. The ideal page load speed is between 1 to 2 seconds, and it takes a second more to drive away potential customers. Customers have a plethora of options to choose from, and if your website doesn’t load fast enough, all the conversion-optimized elements are useless.
Optimizing your page speed is relatively easy, and with a few clicks, you can learn about your page performance. Try Google’s website speed tester to see whether your online business loads fast enough on your target audience’s device. There is a separate section for mobile websites, and you’ll get a complete report of your website performance via email. Moreover, Google’s speed tester will also highlight places where you can improve, so don’t be shy in making some big changes on your website.
7. Trust Marks
As online businesses grow at a tremendous pace, cybersecurity threats are surfacing more than ever. According to Purplesec, cyber-security attacks have increased by 600% during COVID19; this is primarily because an overwhelming number of businesses are moving online with less secure payments.
This information is easily available to the average customer making purchases online, and this causes them to hesitate from making online payments. Still, you can convince your web traffic to buy from you and build trust by sharing trust marks. In simple words, trust marks are all the payment methods your website supports and the level of security they provide.
The more options you accept, the better because you don’t know which payment method your customers are using.
Therefore, keeping your doors open to all the channels of sales is very important. Having limited payments options defeats the purpose of a conversion-optimized website. Moreover, you need to show your customers that your payment methods are safe with high-end security. This will help cultivate more trust and higher sales.
The Bottom Line
Conversion-optimized websites are becoming increasingly popular as more and more businesses realize their importance. On the other hand, the rapid increase in online business after COVID-19 has increased competition for existing online sellers, and they need to up their game for profit maximization.
A conversion-optimized website not only increases sales but also serves your business goals. For instance, you can set up a lead generation campaign and use the elements of conversion to target leads, interviews, or meetings; there are many opportunities once you understand how to use your website.
As you learn more about digital marketing and its trends, you will understand that there is a huge chunk of buyers you aren’t targeting because your website is not optimized for conversions.
If you enjoyed reading this blog post, you could find more on my website for digital marketing, Amazon marketing, and personal growth.
