How to get website visitors to buy from your website
You may have the best Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) strategy and fantastic marketing that drives droves of people to your website. But is this enough? What do you want people to do once they reach your site?
All too often the vital part of working out what you want your website visitors to do is missed when planning a website. If your website is just for providing information to existing clients then all well and good. But most of us want to convert our website visitors to paying clients.
So that your SEO and marketing efforts aren’t wasted, here are a few tips to follow.
Important information
- Have your most important information above the fold (the top part of your site that people first see in a browser without having to scroll down). This should include:
- What your business offers
- Why people should buy from you and not the competition (your USP)
- Your contact details
Keep it up to date
- Ensure information is kept up to date. Old news and events give the wrong impression and people may wonder if you are still trading if your latest news is 6 months or even years out of date
Keep it simple
- Keep your site uncluttered and easy to read. Too much information causes confusion and the key message you want to get across can be lost.
- Keep text easy to read. Don’t get over creative with fonts and colours that can be difficult to read on-screen.
Be responsive
- Ensure your site is responsive – it can be read on any mobile device. With sales on mobile devices forever increasing, you need to be able to take advantage of this marketplace.
Make it easy
- Make the site easy to navigate. Make it easy for people to find what they want. If they have to start searching for information or have to keep clicking from one link to another to get where they want, they are likely to leave your site in frustration and look elsewhere.
- Make it easy for them to book with you or order from you. Too many sites do not have online ordering or an out of hour’s facility for clients to book with them. We live in an instant society where people want things now. Strike whilst the iron is hot and take their money.
- Have clear terms and conditions, delivery and returns policies etc. Don’t make people have to email you for details and wait for a response. Also, have a FAQ section on your site so that visitors can find answers to the most common questions quickly and easily.
Have a call to action
- Have a clear call to action on your site. Tell people what you want them to do. Tell them to buy now, subscribe, order etc. And create a sense of urgency where possible.
Inspire confidence
- Give them the confidence they can trust you with the use of client testimonials and reviews.
- Are you part of any trade association or membership body that inspires trust? If so, use their logos.
Follow the tips above and start to convert website visitors to customers more effectively.