Conversion Optimisation: Best Practices

Conversions can be divided into two categories: macro conversions and micro conversions. The distinction between these two types of conversions is important to understand because it helps to analyse and optimise the different steps in the customer journey.

Macro conversions

Macro conversions are the most important and valuable actions visitors can perform on a website. These actions are directly related to the primary goals of the website and contribute significantly to the business objectives. Some examples:

• Making a purchase
• Request an offer
• Contact by phone

Microconversions

Micro conversions are smaller, intermediate actions visitors take on their way to a macro conversion. These actions indicate that visitors are engaged with your website and moving closer to achieving a macro conversion. Microconversions help measure and understand visitor behaviour so you can optimise the customer journey. Examples of microconversions are:

• Subscribe to the newsletter
• Add product to cart
• Perform a search on the website

Obstacles to Conversions

Visitors may encounter various obstacles that keep them from performing a conversion. Some common obstacles are:

• Unclear value proposition: If visitors cannot quickly understand what you offer and why it is valuable to them, they are likely to leave the site. A clear and concise value proposition is essential.
• Poor user experience (UX): Confusing navigation, long loading times and unresponsive design can frustrate visitors. If users struggle to find what they are looking for, they will drop out.
• Lack of confidence: Users want to be sure they are dealing with a trustworthy and secure website. Missing contact information, a lack of reviews and certifications can undermine trust.
• Too much or too little information: Too much information can be overwhelming, while too little information leaves questions unanswered. Both scenarios can prevent visitors from converting.
• Complex or long forms: Forms that have too many fields or are complicated to fill in can put visitors off. Simplicity and user-friendliness are crucial here.

Conversion optimisation?

You can increase conversions by attracting more traffic to your website or by getting more conversions from the same number of visitors. The latter is called conversion optimisation.

Step 1. Understand your Target Audience and Goals

Before making any changes to your website, it is crucial to understand who your target audience is and what your specific goals are for conversions. This will help you develop targeted strategies. Some questions you can ask:

• Who are your typical visitors? What are their needs and interests?
• What are the most important actions you want visitors to perform? (e.g. make purchases, contact, register)

Step 2: Analyse Current Performance

Use analytics tools like Google Analytics to understand your website's current performance with regard to conversions. Important metrics to look at are conversion rates, bounce rate, and the steps users take before converting.

Step 3: Optimise the User Experience (UX)

A positive user experience is essential for conversions. Make sure your website:

• Fast loading
• Mobile-friendly
• Has clear and intuitive navigation
• Visually appealing and professional-looking

Step 4: Improve Call-to-Actions (CTAs)

CTAs are crucial because they encourage visitors to take action. Make sure your CTAs:

• Be clear and specific (use action words such as "Buy now", "Sign up", "Download here")
• Contrast with the rest of the content so they stand out
• Placed in strategic locations on the page (above the "fold", next to important content)

Step 5: Optimise the Landing Pages

Each landing page should be focused on a specific goal and match the expectations of the visitors landing on it. Make sure the landing page:

• Relevant to the source from which the visitor comes (e.g. ad, search result)
• Provides clear information that helps the visitor progress towards conversion
• Contains a clear CTA that encourages the visitor to proceed to the next step

Step 6: Test and Optimise

Use A/B testing to test and compare different variants of your pages and CTAs to see which produces the best conversion rate. Some elements to test are:

• Different CTA texts, colours and formats
• Different page layouts
• Different copies and images

Step 7: Monitor and Keep Improving

Conversion optimisation is an ongoing process. Keep monitoring the performance of your website and keep repeating based on the collected data and feedback. Adjust your strategies based on new trends, technologies and user behaviour.

Conclusion

Conversion optimisation is an ongoing process that requires attention to both technical and psychological aspects of user behaviour. By identifying and removing obstacles and applying proven strategies, you can significantly improve the effectiveness of your website and convert more visitors into satisfied customers. It is important to test, analyse and adjust regularly to achieve optimal results.

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