Creating a website that converts: Essential elements and practical tips

Conversion optimization

In this blog post, we’ll take a deeper dive into conversion optimization. We’ll discuss the essential elements of conversion and offer practical tips for building a website that converts browsers into buyers.

Understanding your target audience

To create a website with effective conversion, understanding your ultimate customer is your first step. Your website should demonstrate an understanding of your target audience, speak to their specific needs, and motivate them to take action.

Here’s what you’ll need to examine:

1. Demographic data:
   Collect some basic demographics on your target audience such as age, gender, location, income, education level, and occupation. With this information, your website messaging can be crafted to speak to your desired customer directly.
2. Pain points and needs:
   Identify the pain points and typical needs of your target audience using surveys, customer feedback, and market research. Understanding your client or customer’s most common complaints will help you develop a website which addresses those very concerns.
3. Desired outcomes and motivations:
   Determine what your target audience really desires. Are they looking for information, a solution to a problem, or a product to buy? Knowing what your customer wants, you can design a website which effectively spurs them to act (subscribe to your newsletter, fill out your contact form, make a purchase, etc.).

Crafting a compelling value proposition

Once you’ve gained a solid understanding of your target audience, your next step is to craft a compelling value proposition. This is a statement which clearly communicates to potential customers the specific benefits of your product or service. An enticing value proposition helps distinguish your website from any other and keeps your target audience engaged.

Here’s what to focus on:

1. Your unique selling point (USP):
   Your unique selling point or USP is what differentiates your product or service from the competition.  Identifying your USP will be the key to designing a website which speedily hooks your desired customer.
2. Benefits-Driven messaging:
   This type of messaging emphasizes the enticing benefits of your product or service as opposed to only listing features. For example, simply noting your product has “a large screen” is not nearly as exciting as: “Enjoy a brighter, clearer picture on our large screen!”
3. Customer empathy:
   Expressing sympathy for your target audience is a powerful marketing tool. By speaking directly to their pain points, needs, and desires, your website will resonate with potential customers and motivate them to take action.

Design and user experience (UX)

Design and user experience (UX) are critical components in developing a website that converts. A smooth, intuitive experience on a great-looking website is what turns casual visitors into clients and repeat customers.

Here are the elements to include:

1. Easy navigation and layout:
   One of the most important aspects of your website is how simple it is to navigate. It should be intuitive, guiding users to the desired outcome with ease. The layout should also be optimized for conversions. Calls-to-Action (CTAs) should be placed prominently, and the overall design should be clean and uncluttered.
2. Effective color psychology:
   Research strongly supports the idea that colors influence human behavior and emotions. This information can be used not only to create a visually appealing website but one that is optimized for conversions as well.
3. Visual hierarchy:
   Visual hierarchy refers to the arrangement of elements on a website page (headings, subheadings, and body text) as to guide the user’s eye toward the most important information. This is key to converting a browser to a buyer.
4. Mobile responsiveness:
   It’s obvious mobile devices are an extremely popular tool for browsing the web. So, it’s essential your website be easy to read, scroll, and use on any style phone. It also must include touch-based navigation designed for a small screen.

Optimizing for conversions

Conversion optimization is all in the details. For your website to convert visitors to customers, it may come down to small changes and considerations.

Here are some strategies:

1. Calls-to-Action (CTAs):
   CTAs are buttons or links that encourage users to take a specific action, such as making a purchase, filling out a form, or signing up for a newsletter. CTAs should be visible, clear, and actionable. For example, a “Submit” button is not nearly as effective as a CTA that declares “Sign Up Now!”
2. Landing page:
   A landing page is a separate web page designed to accomplish a very specific goal: making a sale or capturing a lead. A landing page should be optimized for conversion, with a clear, compelling value proposition, a prominent CTA, and few distractions.
3. A/B testing:
   A/B testing divides your website’s traffic between two versions of a web page, helping you determine which version is more successful. This is an effective tool for helping you make decisions based on data rather than on assumptions.

Maintaining and improving conversion rates

Maintaining and improving conversion rates on your website requires constant monitoring, testing, and tweaking.

Here are some helpful strategies:

1. Use analytics and tracking:
   To maintain a website with high conversion, you’ll want to follow its performance over time. This is possible with web analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics) which help you track key metrics such as page views, bounce rates, and conversion rates. This data helps you focus on what changes might be the most effective.
2. Update and refine website elements:
   You want to be sure your website evolves as your business does and make revisions accordingly. This might include tweaking your value proposition, redesigning your landing page, or repositioning your CTAs.
3. Keeping current with industry best practices:
   Make a commitment to staying current on the latest best practices and trends. Attending industry conferences, reading relevant blogs and articles, and networking with other digital marketers are all possibilities. In this way, you can continuously improve the performance of your website, and thus, drive more conversions.

Matching the conversion strategy to the website

For a customer browsing the web, choosing a private school is a different endeavor than deciding on an interior designer. Selecting a contractor to build their dream home is quite unlike picking a pair of new shoes. Every web search is different in nature, and your website needs a conversion strategy to match.

Here are a few examples:

1. Emergency services or products:
   If you are offering a service or product for people who are in a panic or desperate for help, your website should quickly assure them you are the one for the job and readily available to solve their problem. The higher the urgency, the more aggressive you can be with your Call-to-Action.
2. Personal services:
   Customers who are choosing a CPA, financial advisor, interior designer, personal trainer, or another long-term relationship are interested in just that: the relationship. Your website needs to appear friendly, trustworthy, and easy to work with as opposed to heavy-handed or insistent.
3. High ticket services or products:
   Private schools, luxury vacations, and the like often require a great deal of research, comparison, and careful thought. Customers may want a face-to-face meeting, multiple emails, or personalized support over the phone before making a decision. Your website will need several easy avenues for a potential parent, customer, or client to get in touch and ask questions.
4. E-Commerce:
   The name says it all. The customer is there to purchase a product. Make it easy for them to find what they want on your website. And then focus on highly appealing offers to prompt a sale.

In summary, building a website that converts is critical to the success of any online business. Make sure you understand your target audience, craft a compelling value proposition, design a website with excellent navigation, and refine your website regularly to maintain and improve conversion rates. You should also match your conversion strategy specifically to the nature of your business.

Want a website that successfully converts browsers into buyers?

We’d be happy to talk with you! Schedule a free 30-minute call with us. We’ll answer your questions and share ideas. Following the call, we can design or refine a website for you that turns those visitors into leads and loyal customers!