Conversion Optimization Basics

Improve your website’s conversion with four foundational elements

It’s tempting to view conversion optimization as a checklist of things to test or things to tweak on your site.

And while optimization does largely depend on your attention to details, knowing what to change requires a more foundational understanding of conversion optimization basics.

Why do certain strategies increase conversions while others turn people away?

When you can answer this question, you are well on your way to discovering what needs to be changed on your site, with or without someone else’s checklist.

Let’s take a look at four conversion optimization basics that will revolutionize your approach to online success.

1. Great designs are invisible. The goal is to give people what they while making it as easy as possible to get where they want to go. When your design elements get in the way of the visitor taking a desired action, they have become hindrances to conversion. Bad designs include things like confusing navigation, distracting animations, misleading headlines, poorly written copy, and poor placement of essential elements like the call to action. Good designs place elements in intuitive places, communicate clearly, and make it easy for the visitor to get where he wants to go.
2. Conversion is psychological. Conversion happens in the mind before the customer clicks. That means your goal must be mental persuasion, not merely techie gimmicks. Make an emotional connection with your reader that places an emphasis on urgency, need, and benefit.
3. Simplicity is KeyThe more complex your design, the more engaged a viewer will have to be to accomplish his goal. And in the fast-paced world of web browsing, that can be a fatal mistake. Focus on the three kings of conversion: readability, clarity, and usability. Make it easy to read and assimilate information, make it clear what you want the reader to do, and make it easy to accomplish that action.
4. Test, test, test.No conversion optimization strategy is complete without testing. In fact, testing may be the most important of the conversion optimization basics, because without it, you have no way of knowing how effective your website is. Could you be converting at a higher rate? What elements are standing in the way of conversion? Testing is the only way to know for sure.

One you have a solid grasp of what you’re trying to accomplish, you can move past these conversion optimization basics and begin evaluating some of those best practice lists you’ve been poring over. But never forget, a checklist is only beneficial insofar as it accomplishes the goals listed above.

We’re testing call to action buttons at the moment.  The wording that drives me crazy when I see it on a call to action button is  “submit” which always brings up images of having to kiss the ring of a king or something equally silly … what wording on a call to action button drives you crazy?