Last week’s blog was all about helpful tips to convert more visitors into paying customers. But what if you did all of that and still didn’t see any improvements? In today’s blog we will talk about common mistakes people make that can actually hurt your conversion rates.
Getting your target audience to your website is only half the battle. If none of them convert to leads (and eventually customers), all of your SEO, social media, and other digital efforts will be for naught.
Of course, we’re not telling you anything new. Every marketer looks for the conversion. But are you actually working against your own goals? Here are 10 mistakes that could seriously hurt your conversion rates.
1) Not Understanding Your Conversions
Do you know what a conversion actually means for your audience? If you not, you have little chance of improving your conversion rates.
In other words, what do you want your audience to do once they visit your website? What is their natural ‘next step’ that inches them closer to contributing to your bottom line? You must answer these questions in order to build a solid, conversion-focused strategy.
2) Lack of Focus
Understanding your conversions is not enough. In addition, you have to make sure that your web visitors know their next step, as well.
Keep your landing pages simple, with a single call to action that follows up and expands on the reason they clicked on your website link to begin with. Avoid autoplay, and adhere to the attention ratio principle.
3) Lack of Consistency
Chances are that you get most of your web visits from either SEO or PPC efforts. You can optimize the heck out of them, making sure that you get every last click when a member of your target audience comes across your brand on Google or social media.
But if your website doesn’t follow through and fulfill the promise you make, you have a problem. To avoid it, make sure the keywords and other targeting methods you focus on actually match what your website (and conversion bait) has to offer.
4) Abundance of Jargon and Buzzwords
Your potential customers are people. They won’t respond to the latest industry buzzwords or jargon.
Instead, they would much rather be approached as humans, with simple sentences outlining exactly why they should convert. Make your audience feel welcome, and included.
5) Lack of Credibility
How can you make sure that your audience actually trusts you? If you want them to hand you their contact information, you better know how to answer that question.
Building credibility is key to increasing your conversions, and you can only achieve it by offering plenty of evidence why you’re trustworthy. Testimonials, case studies, certifications, and simply being honest about your expertise can all contribute to building that credibility.
6) De-Emphasizing Value
To entice conversions, your website should become a go-to resource for your audience. In other words, it needs to be chalk-full of content your audience just cannot wait to read. The more helpful your content is in answering your audience’s pain points, the more likely they’ll be to convert – and remember your brand when it’s time to buy.
7) No Opportunity for Interaction
In 2017, your website should be far more than a one-way street for you to push your message. Instead, it should offer plenty of space for engaging your visitors, from subscription opportunities to comment sections and sign-up forms. The more opportunity your audience has to interact with you, the better.
8) No Social Media Integration
If your website is not integrated with your social media presence, you’re doing something wrong. Every page, particularly your value-adding pages mentioned above, should be easily shareable by your audience.
In addition, make sure that they can easily follow you on social media for further help and information. Your goal should be to build a relationship with your audience even before they become customers, which will make them more likely to eventually convert.
9) Selling too Hard
A first-time visitor to your website is probably not yet ready to actually make a purchase. In fact, trying to get them with a sales pitch might actually be counter-intuitive.
Instead, try your hands at a soft sell, emphasizing the value they get from becoming a lead. You can always use your lead nurturing efforts for more direct sales pitches as needed.
10) Confusing Content Library
All of the above tips are great. Except for one thing: if you build too much content, you could actually hamper your conversion rates as well. If your audience cannot find what they’re looking for quickly and easily, even the best content will be worth little.
To prevent that problem, make your content searchable. Offer clear paths for your audience personas to find exactly what they need with just a few clicks. That way, you can get the most out of your content creation efforts – and maximize your conversion success.
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