8 Questions That Could Boost Your Website Conversion Rate

Your website sucks!

There, I’ve said it.

But that’s ok, because frankly, so does ours. And your competitors’. And your mom’s website. And your grandad’s. In fact, everyone’s website sucks.

Don’t you find it interesting that in spite of the many stealthy, magic and ninja tools available to us internet marketers, we somehow still manage to screw up and create web pages that have less than 1% conversion rate (CR)? Indeed, it’s regarded impressive to have a 3% conversion rate.

But why settle for a 3% conversion rate? – 1-3% response rate is typical of the offline direct response world.

Online, we have so much more tools available to us that give us so much more edge over your offline counterparts.

For example, when we advertise, we could ensure that only targeted traffic will see our offer. There are tools that would enable one to know exactly what the prospects clicked, where they came from, how they interacted with the website, how they found the site, etc – so, armed with such market intelligence, shouldn’t we be able to command a higher conversion rate?

Hell yeah!

How much higher could you aspire to? Check out the conversion rate of the Top 10 Online Retailers:

Top 10 High Converting Retailers Websites as of March 2010

There are reasons why website like these are converting at above 13% and your site isn’t.

Today I’m going to list 8 questions you could ask yourself that would help you gain insights on what potential actions you could implement that would help raise your site’s conversion.

So take your time to ask yourself (and answer) these 8 Questions…

1. Do I know my customers REALLY well?

Many marketing efforts are not effective precisely because they fail to speak directly to the prospects’ deepest needs and desires.

If you know your target prospect – their deepest fears, their highest hopes, their most frustrating problems, the thoughts that keep them up at night and the stuff they daydream about, you will know exactly what to say in order to persuade them.

So your first task after you get off this webinar is: get to know your prospects. Find out everything you need to know about them.

2. Is my Unique Value Proposition (UVP) clear?

Is it obvious what you do, what benefits you offer, and for whom? (Will visitors be able to discern those within 5 seconds from the time they hit your site?)

Is it clear what makes you different to the other providers in the marketplace? (Sure, they need the widget you’re selling, but why should they buy FROM YOU?)

One effective way to communicate your UVP effectively is doing the “5-second-man-from-Mars test”. That is,  ask someone (ideally, a member of your target market who has never been to your website) to look at your website for 5 seconds then look away.

Then ask them what your site is all about, what your business does, and for whom. If they didn’t get all those just by looking at your site for 5 seconds, you need to make your value proposition clearer.

3. Does my site/page address potential questions/concerns/objections they may have?

One of the top reasons for shopping cart abandonment is because the prospect didn’t feel confident about moving forward.  This may be due to lack of information (you didn’t provide enough information), or they didn’t feel going ahead was safe, or that the perceived risks of not buying was much less than buying.

4. Does my site elicit a trustworthy/credible image?

While many of your prospects may actually have decided they needed what you were selling, they decided to not go ahead because they perceived buying from you as a risk they’d rather not take. This could be because they didn’t think your website was secure, or that their credit card details could get hacked, or that they think your site looks cheap and therefore your biz might be a scam etc.

5. Does it reflect who I am and what I stand for?

Some buyers are Humanistic – they buy not so much because you are the best in your field, but because they feel you are trustworthy and honest.

They buy not so much because you are the cheapest or the most convenient, but because they resonate with your values and philosophy.

Some buyers don’t just buy what you are selling, they buy because they believe in what you stand for, and they believe there is so much value in what you are trying to accomplish.

So let your personality and your values shine

6. Does it provide easy/convenient means of contacting me?

Providing your contact details (and by this I mean telephone and address as well as email) and company registration number (if applicable) gives the visitors more sense of security, and assures them that you are legitimate and they can always call you should they have any questions.

7. Is the sales copy or web copy persuasive?

Your website’s copy is one of the main factors that will directly affect your conversion. Never underestimate its power.

8. Is my website/sales page easy to navigate/ user-friendly?

Are there clear and compelling Calls To Actions (CTAs)?

Is it cluttered?

Are there far too many elements clamoring for the visitor’s attention?

Is the right amount of emphasis placed on the right elements (if the main objective of the page is to generate you leads, is the lead-capture form being emphasized properly, or there are other elements getting the visitor’s attention?)?

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Simply by taking the time to reflect and answer these questions, and brainstorming for ways how you could improve your website, you would surely increase your conversion rate.

Be sure to create a to do list of what improvements you wish to implement, then prioritize your to do list by implementing those that don’t require too much resources and time.  If necessary, hire a website developer / designer to implement the changes you wish to do.

Related posts:

1. Factors that Influence Your Site’s Conversion Rate
2. 20 Website Conversion Optimization Tips For Your Business Website
3. Website Optimization Tips: Four Fast Fixes To Get Your Business Found
4. More Traffic Equals More Sales? The Traffic Myth Debunked