How do I rank higher on Google? What’s the secret to getting more traffic to my website? How do I get more people to sign up for my mailing list? Do I need a new website? All those questions can be summed up in one statement, “I want more leads.” Many companies out there will gladly take your cash and get you more traffic. At Big Rig, our goal is to cut through the B.S. and actually deliver the results you are looking for. The bottom line is throwing more money at increasing traffic is not always the solution. Let’s talk about conversion rate optimization (CRO).
Website Traffic vs Conversions
Imagine having a physical storefront in a large, heavily populated city. You will inevitably get some traffic to your store. But if people come into your location and immediately walk back out, look around but don’t buy anything, or don’t try to make contact, the problem isn’t traffic. It’s converting your existing traffic into leads/customers.
Your website is precisely the same situation but in the virtual world. So, it’s important to look at your conversion rate to see if you are getting the most out of the traffic you are already getting before dumping cash into getting more traffic.
The Conversion Funnel
We refer to website visitors’ path to becoming customers as the conversion funnel in marketing. Conversion rate optimization, or CRO is the process of increasing high-quality leads by enhancing your website so that you address every step of the funnel as efficiently as possible.
The basic parts of a conversion funnel have leads at the top, prospects who engage in the middle, and the bottom would be a purchase or other desired action. In other words, a good website design will walk visitors down a particular path that answers the following questions:
- What do you do?
- Why do I care/How does this benefit me?
- Why should I believe you? (Testimonials, awards, credentials, etc.)
- How do I begin? (Sign up, add to cart, make a reservation, etc.)
The more accessible and more appealing you can make each step of that funnel, the more conversions make it out the bottom end.
Determine Your Conversion Rate
Before you can go about conversion rate optimization (CRO), you have to figure out your conversion rate. To do that, you need to know two bits of information.
- Total visitors: Big Rig Media makes this super easy. Since your site is stored on our secure private server and monitored 24/7, you get monthly reports on various metrics, including visitor count.
- The number of conversions in the same time frame: A “conversion” could be the number of newsletter signups, bookings made, contact forms filled out, sales, phone calls, or any other action you want visitors to your site to take.
If you want to include phone calls in your metrics, you can also include a call tracking or call forwarding number on your website so you can track calls, too. Call Rail and Call Fire are both services that help you do this, and we at Big Rig have helped numerous customers get set up with tracking call conversions.
Conversion Formula:
Conversion Rate = # of conversions / total visitors x 100
So if you had 1,000 visitors in a month and 25 signed up for your mailing list: 25/1000 X 100 = a conversion rate of 2.5%.
Conversion Rate Optimization Basics
In the example above, you can assume that most of the 1,000 visitors to your site are at least somewhat interested in your product. So why have only 2.5% signed up for your mailing list?
The first step in CRO is figuring out what kind of conversions you want to optimize. Then you will want to determine your current conversion rate for that metric. For example, do you want to build your mailing list, get more bookings, sell more items, etc.? Once you have your conversion rate, employ proven tactics to improve conversions, and track your conversion rate change over time.
CRO Tactics
Conversion rate optimization tactics range from simple to complex. But a good starting point is to take an objective look at your website with the intended visitor objective in mind. Ask yourself the following questions regarding your website.
1. Are the Contact Methods Crystal Clear?
People on the internet do not have a lot of patience on websites that make contacting the company hard. If they can’t get to a form, tap a phone number, or open a chat dialog in a couple of steps that are easily found, they’re gonna bounce.
One of the best ways to allow your customers to interact with your company easily is using Live Chat. Live chat is that little icon in the lower right of a website that opens up to a chat screen where visitors can get their questions answered quickly by a live representative of your company. Comm100 discovered that 82% of customers were satisfied with their live chat experience, compared to just 61% of email users and a mere 44% of phone users.
You can see this feature in action right on Big Rig’s site. See the little icon in the bottom corner? Feel free to click it and ask how we can help you get this feature and more on your website.
2. Emphasize How to Get Started and Make It Easy
Are your buttons and language prominent and easy to use? Clear, well-designed buttons that give specific instructions Contact Us, Book Now, Learn More, Get Started, Etc., tell your prospects exactly what the next step is and how to take it.
3. Give Them Something Of Value
Sometimes the action you want your customer to take requires them to give you something, like their name and email address, for example. It’s only fair to offer something in return.
Examples:
- “Join our mailing list to get exclusive offers.”
- “Contact us to learn about our monthly specials.”
- “Get 10% off your first purchase when you sign up!”
We’ve Just Scratched the Conversion Rate Optimization Surface
Now that you are familiar with some basic conversion rate optimization strategies, stay tuned for part 2 coming soon. We will dig into specific CRO strategies and how they help you convert more traffic.
Want specific guidance on your Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) journey? From website building and hosting to full-service digital marketing services and consulting, Big Rig Media has the expertise that has helped hundreds of companies across multiple industries turn their website traffic into a powerful lead-generating machine. We can do the same for you!