10 Things Every Business Website Needs To Convert Visitors Into Customers
Your website is your most important marketing tool. It's where you show prospects and customers who you are, what you do, and why they should buy from you. And the more visitors see that information, the better chance they have of buying from you. But if your site doesn't convert visitors into buyers, it could be costing you business. In this post we'll look at 10 things every business website needs to convert visitors into customers—and how to make sure your site is doing them all effectively.
1. Optimized copy
Optimized copy is essential for conversions. People love to read, but they hate spammy, poorly written content that ignores their needs. That's why the most successful businesses invest in copywriters who can write optimized content that converts and helps them reach their audience.
If you don't have a copywriter on your team yet (or if you're a writer looking to improve your craft), here are some tips from Copy Hackers on how to write better web content:
Write for people first: Tech-savvy internet users are often more willing than others to accept jargon or incorrect grammar when other sites do it too — but if yours is full of spelling errors and bad grammar, readers will leave quickly without reading anything at all! You want them engaged enough in what they're reading (and not just scanning over it) that they'll stick around long enough for those valuable purchases and signups which will bring you sales or other benefits like leads or subscriptions.
Write as though no one else could write this content -- because there's absolutely no reason why anyone else would be able to do so! You need only look at sites like Reddit; while many companies struggle with creating engaging content (or even keep up with current trends), users themselves create thousands upon thousands of posts every day - many of which are very good indeed!
Be honest and sincere: People can tell if you're being fake, even when it's just on the internet.
2. Clear call-to-action
In the simplest terms, a call-to-action (CTA) is an instruction that tells the user what to do next.
This can be as simple as a button that says “Buy Now” or “Add To Cart” or even just an image of someone looking at an item with a price tag on it.
The goal is to make it as easy as possible for visitors to take the action you want them to take—whether that's buying something or signing up for a free trial.
It's also important to note that not all CTAs are created equal: some CTAs have been shown in studies to have much higher click-through rates than others.
3. Contact details.
Contact details are very important. Customers need to be able to contact you if they want to ask a question or talk about a purchase. Make it easy for them by including your phone number and email address on your website, along with any other relevant contact information.
If you have a physical location where people can come in person, list an address and directions for getting there. This can often lead customers who are looking for local businesses to find you if they're unfamiliar with the area around you or don't know how to get there without asking someone else (which could take several minutes).
4. A unique value proposition.
What is a unique value proposition? It’s a concise way to explain the benefits of your product or service, in a way that makes your business stand out from the competition.
Let’s say you run an online clothing store—you want to sell clothes, but why should people buy from you instead of any other store? Why should they buy from you instead of going to their local mall and finding what they need at Macy's (or wherever)?
You have access to cool new designs that aren't available in stores yet (aka "exclusive products")
Your prices are lower than other online retailers because there's no overhead costs associated with physical retail locations
Your customer service is excellent: if someone orders something and doesn't like it once they get it, they can return it for free shipping back to us and get their money back
5. Video content.
Video content is one of the best ways to explain your value proposition and show how your product or service works. Because it's more engaging, it can also increase engagement with other content on your site.
For example, if you sell a product that helps people sleep better at night, you could create an explainer video showing how the product works and why it's valuable to customers who want a better sleep routine. You could also use video to showcase testimonials from happy customers talking about how much they like using your product (and maybe even show them using it in their own homes). And if you're selling individual products that are meant for personal use—like pillows or socks—you might consider creating videos showing them being used by real people so new visitors see exactly what they're getting when they purchase those items from you.
6. Mobile design.
You need a mobile-first design. Your goal should be to make sure your business website looks great on any device, including smartphones and tablets.
How? Here are a few ideas:
Use responsive design. In a nutshell, this means that your site will look different depending on the device it's being viewed on—and so will its content. A good example of this type of design would be Zappos' website; as is evident in their "mobile" section, they have content optimized specifically for smartphones and tablets:
Use a mobile-friendly template or CMS (content management system). You can find templates designed specifically with mobile users in mind all over the web; many CMS's also offer options like responsive designs that let you customize how your site looks on different types of devices by selecting them from dropdown menus within the CMS itself.
7. Social proof.
Social proof refers to the idea that people will see other people doing something and think it is a good idea. It can be used to encourage your visitors to buy your product or service. People like being part of something bigger than themselves, so you should use social proof in order to motivate them into taking action.
Social proof can come in many forms, but here are some ideas:
Testimonials - In the testimonial section on your website, include a small video clip or photo of each person who has written one for you. This shows visitors that there are real humans behind what you're offering them and makes them feel more comfortable about putting their trust in you.
Reviews - Let customers review your products or services on Google. They will automatically show up on Google search results. For example, Amazon does this well with its "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought" section at the top of every single product page. This gives shoppers confidence when buying things from Amazon because it looks like other people have already purchased this item and liked it enough for their opinion about it to matter!
Case studies - Use case studies where satisfied customers share how they overcame challenges using the solution provided by your company or product/service line up until now."
8. Clear site navigation.
In order to convert, you need to make it easy for people to find what they're looking for. This means that you need a clear site navigation that's easy to follow, with breadcrumbs (or some other method) showing where the visitor is in the site.
You should also make sure that your menu is visible on every page of your website so people can easily get back up-to-date if they happen to leave the page or lose their place on the site.
If you have hundreds of pages on your website, consider using filtering tools such as dropdown menus or search bars so visitors can more easily find what they're looking for without having to sift through all those pages manually. This will save them time and help keep them engaged with you longer!
9. Reviews and testimonials.
Reviews and testimonials are important to conversions.
Reviews are the lifeblood of modern commerce, and they’re consistently one of the top ranking factors in search engine algorithms. If you have an ecommerce website, they’re a must.
You can get reviews by asking for them after purchases or providing incentives for them (e.g., “leave a review and get 10% off your next purchase!”). If you sell products or services that don't lend themselves well to reviews (e.g., dental work), make sure your business has a positive reputation among its customers so that when people think about leaving reviews it's not a big deal because everyone knows how great you are anyway!
People trust reviews more than anything else when making purchasing decisions—even if most reviewers aren't experts, as long as there is some consensus among them all then people will feel confident about what product/service to buy from which company selling it online!
10. Credibility signals.
When it comes to building trust, credibility signals are your best friends. These are the little things that help you demonstrate your expertise and authority, so that visitors can feel confident in the quality of your products or services. Credibility signals can also be used to show that you're trustworthy—that is, they can be used as promise keepers. Here are some examples:
Testimonials (from clients or third parties)
Case studies (with client testimonials attached)
Social proof (such as awards and certifications)
You need to optimize all of these elements on your website to convert more visitors into customers
Your business website is the most important tool in your marketing arsenal. You would be surprised at how many businesses don't have a proper website, and even more who don't optimize it correctly. This can be a major problem for any company looking to increase conversions and profits online.
You need to optimize all of these elements on your website to convert more visitors into customers.
I hope this article has given you some great ideas on how to make your website convert. Remember that there are many factors that influence a visitor’s journey, but if you follow these tips and implement them on your website, you should start seeing results within a week or two!
If you're interested in developing a website for your business or need a small upgrade, make sure you visit this page for ideas and services I offer on this topic.
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