There are any number of issues that may get in the way of successful website conversion such as a long load time or a design that is not particularly user-friendly. The internet is loaded with websites which users may easily browse. A boring website that lacks persuasive language and well-defined products and services will lose visitors moments after they access the site. The six biggest reasons websites do not convert well can be remedied with a little extra time and effort.
Website is Visually Unappealing
Website visitors will decide in just seconds whether or not to stay on a site based on the quality of the site’s design. Poor quality design tends to make websites unappealing to users and also gives the impression that the products or services represented on the site are of poor quality as well. Spending a little extra money to develop a professional looking website will help improve your website conversion so that you can sell more of your products and services.
Title and Meta Description Need to be More Action-Oriented
Effective conversion of a website is in part driven by a title and meta description that clearly defines the benefits users will get from visiting the site and purchasing the products or services. The language in both the title and meta description needs to liberally include action words. Descriptions like free offers, deep discounts, amazing returns on investment or money back guarantees tend to capture the attention of web surfers.
Unengaging Copy on Landing Page
If you do not grab your target audience’s attention in the first paragraph, they will leave the website. It is usually best to lead with the strongest benefit your business has to offer customers. Break up your copy with action-oriented subheads and keep paragraphs to 5 or 6 lines of engaging content. Choose keywords carefully and fit them in after the content is written for the best website conversion optimization.
Target Audience is too Broad
When the website is written for too broad of an audience, it may be unclear as to who will benefit from the products or services offered by the company. It is a much better idea to narrow the target audience as much as possible and write to them. For example, a dance school that has several former ballet company stars among their slate of instructors should capitalize on that fact rather than simply stating that they teach dance classes.
Ineffective Calls to Action
Calls to action should be powerful and should be at the end of every page for maximum website conversion. Do not assume that the reader will know what to do. Spell it out. Including a link at the end of each page along with instructions to follow the link and an explanation of the resulting benefit is an example of an effective call to action. Offers for a free sample or a discounted initial service are effective calls to action too because the benefits to the customer are clear.
Inadequate Contact Information
There is little more irritating for a reader than to want to contact a business or visit that business only to discover that the phone number and address are either virtually impossible to locate on the website or not even there at all. Do not forget to make contact information prominently displayed on each page of the website. Often users who have a question but cannot find a phone number on a website will just move on to the next site in the organic listings.
Other reasons websites may not convert well include prices that are higher than what the market will bear or something as simple as poor photography that gives the user a bad impression of the company. Successful website developers put forth extra effort to avoid these pitfalls while still optimizing for search engines and leveraging social media.