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7 Questions You Should Ask Yourself To Improve Conversion Rates

I recommend printing off these questions, and giving your website a thorough checkup. Run each page through these questions, make necessary
 changes, and then watch your conversion rate...

Photo: Ryan Stewart; Courtesy Photo
Photo: Ryan Stewart; Courtesy Photo

love digging into conversion rates.

I mean, think about it for a second. You may not be able to increase your marketing budget, but you can work to increase your conversion rates. And an
 increase in conversions is an automatic bump in revenue.

Even a small .01% increase in conversions can turn into a jump of thousands (or millions) in additional revenue.
 But what steps can you take to actually optimize conversion rates?

Here’s a look at 7 questions to ask yourself. 
Use this list to make sure your company website is running at optimal performance and maximizing revenue potential.

If you work through these questions, you’ll find your conversion rates steadily nudging upwards.

 

1. Does the headline capture our story?

A killer headline can draw online visitors in like nothing else. In fact, I’ll venture to say that your headline is the most important factor in the success or
 failure of your content. A good headline converts.

A bad headline sends potential customers running for cover. Work to keep your headline short, punchy, and
 right to the point. Communicate clearly, and, if possible, keep it under 55 characters. If you fail the headline test, you immediately kill your conversion
 rates.

 

2. Are there too many submission fields?

To many submission fields on a lead gen form can frustrate potential customers and lead to lower conversion rates. When asking for opt-in info on a landing page, ask for as little information as 
possible. In fact, each additional field can lower your conversion rate by close to 11%.

Did you catch that? Each additional field
 lowers your conversion rate! Try and focus on the key information you need to close your prospect. Is it an email address, phone number, social media login?
 Whatever it is, focus on those aspects and cut the rest.

 

3. Are we highlighting our refund and store policies?

Why should you include a refund policy on your website? Because it can dramatically increase your conversions. It minimizes the feeling of risk a customer
 experiences if they know you stand by your product or service.

“In most cases, regardless of how a merchant drafts its return policy, the conditions of such a policy must be prominently displayed at the place of purchase (including Web sites) for it to be considered valid,” according to FindLaw.com. And “while merchants are not required to accept returns (unless there is a defect, in which case it may be covered by an implied warranty), certain laws govern the disclosure of refund and return policies.”

 

4. Are we using action-oriented verbs?

Repeat after me: “Action verbs equal conversions.” Action verbs, like “reserve”, “join”, and “learn”, call visitors to take action, reserve their spot, join the conversation, learn more, etc. Review your site content. Are you employing as many action verbs as possible? Tools like the Hemingway App can show you how to tighten up the language on your site.

 

5. Do we have social proof?

People want assurance that you’re the real deal, and social proof is a great way of offering that reassurance. This can include customer testimonials, emails of praise, press logos with links to features, and social media feedback. All of these things “prove” that you offer a fantastic product or service. Make sure that you’re focusing on believable forms of proof
 that reinforce your marketing promise, as opposed to some random stock picture.

 

6. Is the website loading too slow?

People absolutely cannot stand waiting. If people have to wait for more than a few seconds, there’s a good chance they’ll move on to something else. “Website visitors tend to care more about speed than all the bells and whistles we want to add to our websites. Additionally, page loading time is becoming a more important factor when it comes to search engine rankings (Kissmetrics).”

Decreasing the load time of your website can dramatically increase your conversion rate. You can use tools like Google’s Page Speed insights to test the speed of your website. If your site loads too
 slowly, you can enlist the help of a freelance web developer or use online tools to increase site performance.

 

7. Are we highlighting the benefits?

Highlighting the benefits of your product or service is the best way to let potential customers know exactly what it is that you’re offering.
 Clearly list the features of your product, using bullet points, page breaks and spacing to draw attention to each one.

Spell out the benefits of
 your product or service, and how it will enrich their lives. If you can create a clear value proposition, you can
 more easily convert visitors into actual customers.

 

8. BONUS: Are main call to actions (CTAs) above the fold?

The “fold” simply means the portion of your website that is visible without a user having to scroll. Your main call to action should always be above the
 fold, whether it’s a submission form, contact number, or product for sale. Yes, some marketers debate the relevancy of the fold, but listen: Do the safe
 thing. Keep things simple and keep important conversions where visitors see them: above the fold!

 

In Closing

I recommend printing off these questions, and giving your website a thorough checkup. Run each page through these questions, make necessary
 changes, and then watch your conversion rate begin to slowly climb.

Test. Retest. Test again. Yes, it’s a pain at times. But your conversion rate ties directly into your bottom line. Don’t sacrifice your bottom line.

 

This article has been edited and condensed.

Ryan Stewart is a digital marketing consultant with over 8 years of experience working in client facing environments. Connect with @ryanwashere on Twitter.

 

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