Boost your conversion rates with these three tricks
Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is a mix of science and art: a systematic approach to improving your website results based on your unique objectives, informed by insights and best practices.
I think this quote from Michael Lykke Aagaard, CRO expert, sums it up nicely:
“Conversion rate optimization really isn’t about optimizing web pages—it’s about optimizing decisions—and the page itself is a means to an end but not an end itself.”
Here are 3 ways to boost conversion rates you may not have considered:
#1 Usability isn’t the only source of friction
While website and app design get most of the attention when it comes to conversion rate optimization and can deliver great results, that shouldn’t be your only focus.
Pay close attention to all content areas and how they’re impacting performance. That’s everything from the content itself, product photography styling, the structure and presentation of reviews and other elements that aren’t always front and center for conversion rate optimization efforts.
Then there is page-loading speed, which some experts deem the most critical area to improve conversion. For example, pages that load within two seconds have an average bounce rate of 9%, while pages that take five seconds to load have a bounce rate of 38%. Ironically, the other CRO work you’ve invested time and money in will be lost if your site is slow and visitors leave. Plus, improving loading speed will also improve your SEO ranking.
#2 Voice of the Customer (VoC) sometimes speaks the loudest
Bill Gates once said, “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” He was onto something. In fact, in a recent survey, 80% of consumers said they would stop doing business with a company because of a poor customer experience.
While customer feedback helps identify important insights, the is key to scale this data by integrating your VOC system with your digital experience analytics platform. For example, you can see how the same issue impacted many other users to calculate the impact to your conversion rate. Meaningful, actionable insights can also be shared with business and IT stakeholders, and ultimately rolled into conversion programs, to provide a more seamless customer experience.
#3 Go beyond standard personas to boost conversion rates
Marketers are famous for slicing and dicing personas, but one area that goes under the radar is directing attention to the needs of new customers and returning customers separately. Customizing these experiences can reap better CRO results.
For new customers, the focus is on navigating them through the buying process, ideally leading to a lower cost of acquisition and an increased conversion rate. New customers will likely have questions like: Can I trust you as a reputable business? Will I get the product that I ordered? Is this product or service high quality? Leveraging digital experience analytics to understand the information that new customers are seeking, and designing your journey to address their questions upfront can increase confidence in your brand.
For returning customers, the emphasis is on personalization with the goal of raising the customer’s lifetime value and encouraging them to purchase additional products more often. A prior customer naturally has a lot more data associated with them—from their demographic information to purchase records and browsing behavior. This rich data set can help you customize their experience and promotions, which will lead to higher trust, brand loyalty and conversions.
To learn more CRO conversions tips and tricks, download 9 Conversion Rate Optimization Secrets from Digital Leaders.
