- These three important guidelines can make all the difference in the world when you are trying to increase your conversion rates.
There are many things that you have to think about when running a business. You have a number of marketing challenges that you will have to address. One of the biggest concerns is knowing how to convert website visitors or leads that you encounter in real life.
You’ve done the tricky bit. Whether it was your captivating marketing campaign or word-of-mouth spreading like wildfire, out of all the businesses in your industry, you’ve got prospective customers interested in yours. Well done!
But of course, this will count for little if they don’t convert and payout for one of your products or services. With just 2.35% of website visitors converting on average, you ultimately face an uphill battle to persuade them. However, this amount can still represent a considerable number of people, and the very best businesses get this figure up to 11.45% and higher.
Alongside having great products and services, many of these companies employ specific tactics to help bolster their chances of convincing potential customers to convert, whether online or in person. Here are three of the most foolproof.
1. Be trustworthy
Research shows that a third of people believe brand trust is essential. Eight in 10 consumers will continue buying from a company they trust, while over two-thirds will recommend such brands to others.
Therefore, one of the most important principles of UX is demonstrating trust. You have to take this into account when creating a website.
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There are numerous ways of demonstrating why your brand can be trusted, from personalizing your marketing to showcasing the people behind your brand. One crucial way to build trust is to prove to potential customers that you’re insured, mainly if you deal with riskier products and services.
For example, it’s highly recommended that tradespeople have public liability insurance. This directly relates to their interaction with customers and ensures they can payout for any compensation claims resulting from injury or property damage caused to third parties. As noted by insurance provider Tradesman Saver: “‘Public liability insurance may impact the jobs you can do, as many customers will request certain levels of cover before agreeing to work with you.” Without this, potential customers could see you as untrustworthy and unable to compensate them should something go wrong.
2. Give something away
Another great way of persuading potential customers to convert is to sweeten the deal somehow. This method is backed up by social psychology and the principle of reciprocity, in which humans need and want to give something back after receiving something themselves. The more excellent value your customers gain from your actions, the more likely they are to reciprocate. You see this tactic in motion all the time, from a pretzel stand offering free samples, to content-driven companies like HubSpot giving away high-value articles for free.
Be prepared to offer your prospective customers something valuable for free, whether it’s an eBook, a free product sample or trial, or something else. While this may not necessarily result in an instant conversion, it can undoubtedly lead to people spending more time on your website or in your shop, which improves the chances of this.
Whatever you offer, it’s a good idea to at least get an email address in exchange, as this allows you to target them with your marketing efforts, making them more likely to convert in the future. After all, reciprocity isn’t altruism, and asking for contact information is a more than fair exchange for what you’ve offered them.
3. Display reviews on your website
With the world saturated by more businesses than ever before, consumers want to know they choose a worthy option when purchasing a product or service. As such, it’s no surprise that nine in ten consumers read online reviews before buying something, with over half checking out at least four reviews before doing so.
Prominently display your reviews on your website’s product or service pages to persuade people to convert. Product pages with customer reviews enjoy 3.5 times more conversions than those without. Naturally, the more positive these reviews, the more likely an individual will convert, though the presence of less favorable reviews isn’t always a bad thing. Having all perfect ratings may ring alarm bells and make people wonder if these are genuine or not. If you receive negative critique, respond with a message to resolve the issue or explain how you’re striving to improve it.
