Inbound marketing has gained such popularity in the last few years because of a simple truth: brands are beginning to realize that getting visitors to your website is only half the battle. If your visitors don't convert into paying customers or at the very least leads, your brand and website awareness efforts will not lead to revenue and business growth. Here are 5 reasons why your website conversion rates are low, and what you can do about it.
1. Your Design Is Confusing
A cluttered design is among the most common reasons for unsuccessful business websites. It's tempting to throw as many visuals and types of text on your home page as possible; however, too much will cause user confusion. As a result, your bounce rates rise, and your conversion rates stay low.
The solution to this problem is easy: simplify your design. Research has shown that internet users consistently rate visually complex sites as less beautiful, so a straightforward layout will work better to convert your visitors.
2. You Don't Offer Incentives
If your visitors have no reason to convert to leads, why would they? Effective inbound marketing relies on the reciprocity principle: users who feel that they are getting something of value will be more likely to give you something in return.
In optimizing your website for conversions, that 'something' should be their contact information to enter your database as leads. Offering them incentives with clear benefits of doing so can do wonders for your conversion rates.
3. There Are No Natural 'Next Steps'
You may think of your audience as groups of independent users who will find their way to the content and information they need on your website. In reality, though, they need to be guided to the right areas to even have a chance of converting.
Our online attention span is now at 8 seconds, which means that your website needs a clear path for users to get to the conversion before they get bored. Frequent and relevant calls to action can do wonders to getting your visitors on the right path.
4. You Divert User Attention
The above point can lead to website design that tries to account for all possibilities. Trying to offer 'next steps' for every possible interest, however, can actually depress your conversion rate. If you give your visitors a choice between multiple options, the chance they will choose none increases dramatically.
Conversion expert Oli Gardner of Unbounce first advanced the concept of Attention Ratio, which describes the number of links on your website in relation to your conversion goals. Ideally, that attention ratio should be 1:1, which means that your visitors should only have one place to go when entering your conversion pages: signing up to become a lead.
5. Your Claims Are Unbelievable
Finally, a simple reason your visitors may not convert at high rates is that they simply don't believe your claims of the benefits they'll receive. Sometimes, a content offer just seems too good to be true.
Fortunately, there is a simple solution to that reason: social proof. Testimonials and reviews by current customers and experts in your industry allow you to convey the same message in a more powerful way. Independent affirmation of your claims will significantly raise your conversion rates.
A website with low conversion rates can be worrisome. Without a consistent flow of leads, your sales team will not have the ability to do their job as consistently as possible. Fortunately, it can also be fixed. This post only looked at a few ways to increase conversion rates but there are so many more. Start with these suggestions, but know that it is a continuous process that takes strategizing and adjusting as you go.
