Eye-catching adverts and bold typography or graphics on the homepage will only get you so far, as a website which attracts a reasonable number of visitors should also be able to produce a decent number of leads, and in turn, conversions.
Here are a few steps to improving the effectiveness and quality of return from your website:
1. Make an Immediate impact
This is the one element which is related to the visual element of the design. When you are considering the layout of your website, put yourself in the shoes of a customer going into a shop. If they walked in and looked around, would they be put off and leave? On the homepage, ensure your logo and branding is clear and visible, there’s an explanation of what you do or can offer, there’s no clutter and there are contact details available for potential customers to make an enquiry.
2. Use your homepage as a virtual receptionist
In addition to appearing visually appealing with the relevant information displayed, your homepage can also act as your own virtual receptionist. Your website should be able to understand how your services can help people, and direct them to the right area. For example if you offer an emergency repair service as part of your sales, then make sure this is clearly visible in a box, leading people to the next steps in that process, whether it be to call or fill out a form about the items they need repaired. Keeping a contact form on your homepage is also ideal as it will allow you to respond and make appointments at your own pace.
3. Ensure each page has a call to action
No matter how many services you offer, or pages visible on your website, each should have a clear call to action. For example, if you are a kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms design specialist, you would put something like ‘need inspiration for your new kitchen? Give us a call today.’ This outlines the problem a user may be having, and offers them a quick resolution to this. CTAs are an invaluable tool to push visitors in the right direction to then become leads or conversions.
4. Think mobile
With more and more online users accessing information in seconds using a mobile device (over half of Google searches are conducted on mobile devices now), it’s important to cater to that audience. As a result of the mobile phenomenon, Google now favours sites which come fully mobile optimised over those which are basic and don’t sit well on a mobile screen. This could be the difference between visitors and conversions, and can mean the difference between you and your competitors.
5. Provide social proof
As the nature of buying online products and services removes the visual proof until we receive said goods and services, people buying online are more cautious and sceptical. Whether a customer, client or even a patient, they all want proof that you can deliver what you say you can deliver, on time and at the terms advertised. So, with that in mind it’s important to get feedback from clients, and a particularly resourceful way to do this is through social media. Offer a review option on Facebook and encourage customers to mention any great service on Twitter – both of these feeds can then be linked to your website. In addition, you should have testimonials on your homepage to really seal the deal.
By implementing just a few of these handy tips, you will see the effectiveness of your site improve, resulting in more leads and hopefully much more conversions.
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