Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)
If you run a website and you like to do research online, you’ve probably run across articles that discuss ways to improve your conversion rate. If you are new to internet marketing, however, you may be asking yourself “Just what is a conversion rate?”
Simply put, your website’s conversion rate is the number of visitors who take the plunge and perform the action you want them to perform, whether that is filling out a form, making a purchase, or signing up for a newsletter.
How do you determine your website’s conversion rate?
You can calculate your conversion rate by dividing the number of sales you get in a day (a week or a month) by the number of visitors your site receives for the same period. For example, if you get 1000 visitors to your website and 20 of those visitors perform the desired action, you have a 2% conversion rate.
Many experts consider 2% to be a decent conversion rate, but conversion optimization experts will tell you that you can reasonably set your expectations much higher by taking steps to design your website around the goal of conversion.
Factors that influence conversion rate
With the answer to the question “What is conversion rate?” in mind, the next logical question is “What can I do to increase conversion rate?”
There are many factors that play into whether a given visitor will convert on your website, but you can take some steps immediately to encourage your visitors to take the next step.
- Usability—If your website is difficult to navigate, confusing, or simply doesn’t work, your conversion rates will be low. Make sure you have corrected any broken links or dead ends and structure your navigation and content to be easy for your visitors to understand and use.
- Clarity—A visitor should know immediately upon arrival what action you want him to take. Ask people who are unfamiliar with your site to take a look at your most important pages and tell you whether they can immediately understand what they can do/buy/or get on your website and whether you have given them enough of a reason to choose to do business with you.
- Urgency—Does your website create a pressing need for visitors to act? You can create urgency by including sales event information, posting order deadlines, and creating compelling calls to action.
- Readability—People read differently online than they do when looking at printed copy. Your visitors will be more likely to scan and skim than to read every word on the page, so make it easy for them to do so by including headlines, bullet points, and small chunks of information rather than long flowing paragraphs.
- Design and layout – Is your message clear and consistent? When the images and graphics don’t support the message your site is trying to convey, you make your visitors uneasy and your site loses credibility.
If you’ve ever asked yourself “What is a conversion rate?” then it’s time for you to dive a little deeper into the world of online marketing. Effective web designers must pay attention to conversion optimization in order to make the best use of their online real estate and give their customers the best possible online experience.
You can get started by getting a free idea to improve the conversion on your website.
Or if you’re looking for a more comprehensive review of your site, get a Website Review for only $325.
