Optimizing Your Website for Conversions

Introduction

Ever wonder why your website is not converting? study shows the average time a user spends on a website is 52 seconds, crazy right? that's less than a minute. Imagine hinging the success of your product in a few lingering seconds. How do you make every second count?

Let's dive into the science of Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) as it relates to design;

Conversion Rate Optimization

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) increases the number of visitors who take a desired action on a website. Say for instance; you have an e-commerce platform, and the main goal is to make purchases on said platform, you want your users to sign up, make purchases, and maybe leave positive reviews on your services, the process leading the user to make such actions efficiently is called Conversion Optimization and such users are called leads or customers

In simple terms, CRO is about making your website more effective at turning visitors into customers or leads. This involves analyzing how users interact with your site, identifying areas where they might be getting stuck or losing interest, and making changes to improve their experience and encourage them to complete your desired actions. CRO focuses on understanding what users want and need, and then providing it in a way that’s easy and enjoyable for them.

Just a practical exercise, I want you to think back to all the times you've abandoned a platform, felt confused, or did not know what to do next, the contents were not clear or concise, and no visible button indicating the next steps, now, that's what I call a bad UI and an even worse UX. At the end of the day, you decide to use a different platform to perform the initial action. You get my drift :)

Now more than ever, we live in a highly digital landscape where every click, scroll, and interaction stands as a crucial pillar to your site's success. Everyone has been on a really bad website at one point in their life. I know I have, My initial thought was "What the hell is this?". That's why lots of big companies spend big bucks on branding and proper web design. It's crucial for success.

Understand your audience

A crucial step towards designing an optimized website is to know who the website is being designed for (target audience) and understand what possible needs and pain points such audience faces from competitors (SWOT analysis) then providing solutions in a way that’s easy and enjoyable for them.

Sell me this pen

It's one thing to just talk about your product; it's a whole different ball game when you create a compelling sales pitch around it. I'm sure a few of us have heard the classic challenge, "Sell me this pen." This exercise isn’t just about highlighting features; it’s about conveying value and addressing the customer's needs and desires. So, next time you want to talk or write about your product, use this analogy and the sky's your limit.

Time is money?

"Time is money and money is time", this couldn't be more true, visitors have a limited time and If they can't find what they're looking for quickly and easily, they're likely to move on to a competitor. That's why going straight to the point and providing users with all the useful information they need is crucial. One of the most effective ways to ensure your users get the information they need is by placing the most important details higher up in the information hierarchy. This means structuring your content so that the most critical messages are immediately visible and accessible without unnecessary scrolling or clicking. After all, you only have 52 seconds.

CTA's shouldn't be hard

The importance of CTA's cannot be over-emphasized enough, CT(Fucking!)A's are crucial because they drive user actions, increase engagement, and boost conversions. They are the tipping point where you encourage users to take the next step. Make sure CTA's are placed in strategic and visible locations, clear language such as "Get Started", "Learn more", or "Book a meeting" should be used also because we both know if something is hard to find, we move damn fast. Nobody wants to spend precious minutes searching for a CTA.

Build credibility because why not?

Do you have testimonials? SHOW. Do you have completed projects? SHOW. Do you have experience? SHOW. The goal is to build trust and what better way to build trust than with tangible proof?. Making them more likely to engage and convert.

Simplify conversion process

Now, you've convinced your users, they're engaged, and they're ready to convert, but the conversion process itself is more complicated than assembling an IKEA furniture without the instructions. A complicated conversion process can frustrate users and cause them to abandon their journey just when they are ready to commit. You should minimize the conversion process by reducing the number of required fields in your forms, offer guest checkouts for e-commerce websites, progress indicators are a good way to show users where they are and how many steps are left, and also provide clear and helpful error messages that guide users to correct mistakes without frustrations.

Conclusion

You are not your visitor, your customers are. When you post information on the website, do it in a way that makes it easy for customers to take part in your business offer, and remember, you only have 52 seconds :)