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10 key factors for website conversion optimization

Whether you run a corporate website or an online store, in the end, it’s all about whether your website can convert visitors and customers.

So one of the primary goals of your website will be to achieve conversions. In order to get closer to this goal, we will show you the most important parameters to increase your website conversions.

1. Target group analysis

It may sound obvious, but unfortunately, many businesses underestimate the importance of target group analysis. This analysis not only helps you to understand what your users are thinking but also gives you important impulses for your content and your keyword research.

To better understand your users, you can do the following, for example:

  • Conduct a survey among your target group.

  • Find out about the needs of your target group through statistics and publicly available surveys.

  • Use tools like Google Trends to identify potential search trends for specific industries or topics.

  • Use social media to monitor target groups.

Based on your analyses, you can create buyer personas, for instance. These fictitious customer personas can help you to align texts, images, or your entire website with the needs of your target groups.

2. Content

Once your target group is clearly defined and familiar with their needs, it’s time to start creating content. Too often, SEO focuses solely on the search volume of keywords. However, it is much more important to consider how and with which terms your target group searches for your products or services.

Well-founded keyword research is therefore the basis for creating conversion-optimized content. Here are some practical tips on how to conduct keyword research.

In order for content to lead to conversions, it must not only be geared toward the target group.

What else is important:

  • Watch out for mistakes when copywriting. Incorrect grammar and spelling can lead to a loss of trust in your site. A lack of trust is poison for possible conversions.

  • Cut out unnecessary filler words or long phrases. The faster your readers reach their goals, the better.

  • Always try to deliver value with your content that meets the user’s needs

You can also align your content with search journeys. Ask yourself:

  • What content does my target group need when they want to find out about a topic/product/service? This is about well-founded information that reflects your expertise.

  • What content is necessary to convince interested parties? Trust signals or high-quality product images can help in this regard.

  • What is important when it comes to persuading someone to buy? This can be call-to-action or buttons, for example.

  • Basically, you should consider the EAT criteria for all content you publish on your website: Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness.

3. Web design

You will achieve more conversions with a web design that makes things easy for visitors. Above all, your motto should be “mobile first”. Mobile optimization is a must.

Web design has a decisive influence on the user experience. Make sure,

  • That texts are easy to read.

  • That the design remains clear on every device.

  • That buttons are easy to click.

  • That no complex graphics affect the loading time.

4. Speed

It’s no secret that fast loading times are good for conversion rates. And why is that? We’re just impatient. If a website takes too long to load, we bounce out. Bounced visitors are usually lost visitors, who can’t trigger any more conversions.

That’s why you need to take care of the core web vitals and the related loading times on your website. Only with a fast website, you can be successful in the long run.

5. Shopping cart optimization

Especially in e-commerce, the buying process is a very sensitive process. Small mistakes can already lead to an aborted purchase. There are many things you can do to optimize this process:

  • Offer multiple payment options.

  • Keep the checkout process as simple as possible.

  • Add trust signals or seals of approval.

  • Make it easier to enter data in forms.

  • Use concrete calls to action.

6. Psychology

Psychology plays a big role in whether or not a conversion occurs. Here are some important tie-ins:

  • Scarcity: people respond to scarce goods with an impulse to buy. If, for example, you point out that there are only a few copies of a product left, this can strengthen the incentive to buy. However, you should not exaggerate and artificially stress customers, while the item is still available in large quantities.

  • Keep it simple: We love simplicity, especially online. Keep your texts, graphics, or symbols as simple as possible. This also applies to the pricing.

  • Harmony: Symmetrical faces usually evoke more trust in people. The same goes for shapes or layouts.

  • Conspicuity: Highlight important elements in a prominent way.

7. A/B tests

Conversion rate optimization on your website involves a lot of testing. That’s why you should make use of A/B testing. You can test even small details like headlines or call-to-action buttons against each other.

An important point to remember is that your control group and your challenged group should be comparable. Also, consider possible seasonal fluctuations.

In any case, only test one element at a time, otherwise, you won’t get any meaningful results.

8. Build Trust

Trust is an important asset for conversions. Here’s how you can build trust:

  • Create a detailed “about us” page.

  • Use text rather than an image for your imprint.

  • Avoid broken links.

  • Work with transparent prices.

  • Use trust signals like ratings or seals of approval.

9. Work with discounts

Discounts can increase conversions in the short term. It doesn’t have to be only on Black Friday. You can lower prices with regular promotions, for example.

10. Use Email Marketing

Email marketing is often underestimated in conversion optimization. But those who have once shown interest in your products or your website and subscribed to your newsletter are more likely to come back to you.

These people already know your store or site and are familiar with it. In turn, that increases the chance of a successful conversion. You should therefore take care of a serious newsletter campaign. This will be a good investment to increase conversions.

11. A holistic view of website and marketing

A basic rule to remember is that if you want more conversions, you need to take a holistic view of your website and your marketing.

There are many ways to increase your website conversions. Which one you choose will depend on where you see the greatest potential for optimization and on what fits best with your marketing strategy.

Ultimately, a large part of conversion optimization is about improving your Website User Experience, because the more positively visitors perceive their visit to your website, the more likely they are to convert.

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Published on Feb 20, 2023 by Jamie Beach