Website experts term the process of achieving a certain website goal a “conversion”. A conversion rate is the ratio of visitors that took action to the number of total visitors. For example, if your goal is to sell a product, and you have 100 people visit your website in a month, and of those 100 people, one person buys from you, your conversion rate will be 1%.

Calculating your conversion rate involves tracking your website's statistics and the number of sales (or new contacts or whatever your goal may be). A recent survey of many online stores suggests that an average conversion rate is anywhere from 0.5% to 1.5%. Anything over 1.5% is considered very good. My personal side business, The Quilt Pattern Shoppe, has a conversion rate of about 0.5% (that is, on average, it takes about 200 visitors coming to the site to generate one sale). It used to be much lower, but by applying a few basic principles, the conversion rate on this website has improved. I know of other clients' businesses that have conversion rates that are 6% or higher.

There are many ways to increase your website's conversion rate. We will focus on three strategies in this newsletter: strengthening your brand, demonstrate trustworthiness, and keep your site current. If you are interested in discussing this more, I invite you to join us in our upcoming Webinar on Oct. 6 at 10:00 AM Mountain Time.

Strategy #1 – Strengthen Your Brand

The businesses that have a high conversion rate usually have a very strong brand. By brand, I mean that they have a product or a service that is very well known, and they are very good at delivering it. When you get visitors coming to your website because of your brand, you can expect to get a high rate of conversions. For example, shoppers looking for a pair of Gap jeans will more likely purchase the jeans from a Gap store rather than a little-known reseller.

How one can strengthen their brand is a topic for another discussion, but in short, look for opportunities to keep your company name at the top of your customer's mind. Consistently rewarding your customers and building a good reputation help strengthen your brand. People will buy from you because they trust your brand.

Strategy #2 – Demonstrate Trustworthiness

Any time you can reduce the shopper's perception of risk from buying from you, your conversion rate will increase. Some people choose not to check out for a number of reasons. Some may not finish the checkout process because of they may not be sure if the website is secure, or they may not feel like someone will help them if a problem arises. I have found that placing a photo of the business owner on one of the web pages helps shoppers feel comfortable – that there are real people behind the business. Placing your contact information in visible places and inviting customers to contact you also increases trust. Offering a toll-free phone number may take that feeling of trust to another level. Clearly explaining your shipping and return policy is another tip I offer to others. Explaining that your website is secure for online transactions also helps increase trust in your customer's eyes.

Strategy #3 – Keep Your Site Current

This tip is more about how to avoid losing potential business. When one visits a website that has outdated content, it sends a negative message to the visitor. On the other hand, if the website is well maintained with fresh information, it will build the shopper's confidence.

Along with keeping your site current, I have found that providing more detail, specifically on product pages, helps increase conversion rates. The more you can talk about the product's specifics, the more likely the shopper will decide to shop because they will feel their decision is an informed decision.

In summary, there are many strategies and factors to boost conversion rates, but in the end, it's a matter of convincing the customer that buying from you is the safest, wisest decision. Please join us for our webinar if you would like to discuss this topic further.

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