Five Steps To Get More Visitors to Click and Buy on Your Website

There is no such thing as having a website that is 'good enough'. Why? Because every website can be improved. There is no website in existence where 100% of the website visitors take the precise action that the website owner wants, suggesting that there is always room for improvement.

So How Can I Improve My Website?

To start with, firstly identify the primary goal of your website. Is it to generate online sales? Get visitors to complete a form? Encourage visitors to call you? Encourage visitors to promote your site on social media platforms?

Once You Understand Your Goal, Work Backwards.

Think about the path you require visitors to follow in order to achieve your primary goal.
For Example, if your website sells one product on it, the desired path for website visitors is to view your homepage, click your products page where they can learn about what products you have on offer, click the order button to fill in details and finalise the transaction, then complete the order form and transaction and arrive at your thank you page.

This Path Is Known As Your Conversion Funnel.
The Key To Success Is To Improve and Optimise Every Piece Of This Funnel.

For Example, lets assume that on your website, 50% of the visitors on the homepage then go to your product sales page. 30% of those visitors proceed to your online sales form, and 50% of the remaining visitors complete the order and arrive on the thank you page. In this case, 7.5% of all visitors completed the funnel, also known as a 7.5% conversion rate.

The Key To Improving Your Conversion Rate, And The Success Of Your Website, Is To Improve Each Page In The Conversion Funnel.

Think about it, if you increased each page in your conversion funnel by 10%, then your overall conversion rate grows by an astounding 33%.

Unfortunately, most website owners fail to measure their websites conversion rates, and if they do, they only look at the websites overall conversion rate.

So How Do You Improve The Conversion Rate Of Each Page?

There are many factors to consider and ideas to try, however your choice of text, text size, font choice, image choice, colour and layout of each page are influential factors.

Five Steps To Improving Your Website's Conversion Rate.

1) Remove Multiple Calls To Action 

What frustrates most users is seeing multiple options on a landing page and not being able to decide which one he/she should be using. This is also called the Paradox of Choice.

If you have, "Try It Free",  "Buy Now", "Learn More" buttons side by side, a visitor is bound to get perplexed about which one to choose. We assume people know exactly what they want. But, instead, people want to be gently guided towards a possible solution instead of solving a maze to eventually get to what would benefit them the most.

2) Be Memorable And Know Your USP

A good site will include all the information a visitor requires to assist them in their buying process. Users start with research online, and if you can make contact with the user at this stage of their process, it will give them a favourable impression of your website and there is a good chance that they will come back and buy from you when they finally decide to make the purchase.

Furthermore, your USP is what sets you apart from your competition. Whether its great customer service, low prices, niche products or free delivery, tell your visitors what yours is.

3) Emotions Rule. Try Using More Powerful Images.

Many people buy for emotional reasons. If you make them feel just right, they’ll take action. The same rule applies when choosing images for your site. A positive image brings out positive emotions. It could be a smile, a smirk or a gesture.  

Many people buy for emotional reasons. If you make them feel just right, they’ll take action. The same rule applies when choosing images for your site. A positive image brings out positive emotions. Your customers and prospects aren’t stupid. They know what you’re trying to convey, they see it. Make them feel good, happy, proud, wanted – they’ll agree with you and connect better. The perks of leveraging emotions can be very powerful, but it’s how you do it that matters.

Human Touch is a company that sells massage and wellness products. Their website very intelligently uses images to convey their message. They’re not only showing the product, but are also letting their customers get a feel of it. The image used here clearly expresses joy and happiness. It gives their prospects a fair idea of what they can be experiencing.

4) Show Validation - Testimonials Are Powerful.

What makes TV commercials work? Models, actors, and random people are shown using the product. Praising it, loving it, and going bonkers. People want a third opinion as they want to feel safe before buying something.

Infusionsoft is a company that sells a complete sales and marketing software tool for small businesses. Their website is professional and well placed. They’ve strategically used images of customers along with their testimonials on their homepage. They didn’t hide their customer photos somewhere deep down. Why? Because they know how to make their prospects feel at home by showing how trustworthy their product is. Something that’s essential to grow your conversion rate.

5) Remove Clutter And Provide Lots Of Whitespace


We always try to cram a lot of information on a page. As designers, we’re in love with our product and we want to talk about it as much as we can.

But visitors think in a different way. They need space to pause, think, and analyze. Whitespace helps them do just that. It provides a natural structure to the page, so that the eye can jump to the information it is seeking in an effortless fashion. 

Dont Forget To Monitor Your Conversion Rates Monthly, And Look At Each Pages Conversion Rate As Opposed To The Overall Conversion Rate To Optimise Each Page.

Further Reading:

Gube, J. (2013). 5 Ways to Improve a Website’s Conversion Rate. Available: http://designinstruct.com/web-design/improve-conversion-rate/. Last accessed 16th April 2014.

Khundmiri, M. (2012). 7 Tips to Boost Your Site’s Conversion Rate Using Images. Available: http://blog.kissmetrics.com/boost-conversions-using-images/. Last accessed 16th April 2014.

Lavinsky, D. (2014). How to Get More Visitors to Click, Buy or Promote on Your Site. Available: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/231530. Last accessed 16th April 2014.