Since 2001, my
colleagues and I have
generated tens of
millions of dollars
for our clients. We
did this mostly by
making their websites
better at "converting"
visitors into
customers. It's not
rocket science (and I
have a Ph.D. in rocket
science, so I can say
that with authority.)
In fact, much of our
work revolves around
using
really-easy-to-use
testing software, such
as the free "Google
Website Optimizer."
Want to know how we do
it?
7 Most
Reliable,
Easy-to-Implement
Techniques For
Converting Your
Website's Visitors
Into Customers
1. Start By
Using The Right Tools
First you'll need
something that will
allow you to run
"multivariate tests."
These allow you to
test many individual
changes on your
website. You also want
a tool that completes
A/B tests. This is
where you test just
one change (often a
big one) on your
website.
Google Website
Optimizer does all of
this. And it's free,
so go sign up now.
Other tools you'll
need include:
• CrazyEgg.com and
clicktale.com, which
show you how visitors
behave on your
website.
• The Google Analytics
tool, which records
all the data collected
from your visitors. By
studying the data it
collects, you can
highlight the areas
you need to improve.
2. Find Out
Why Your Website
Visitors Behave the
Way They Do
Now you've got the
tools to see what your
website visitors are
doing, the second step
is find out why
they're doing it.
The best way to do
this is to
straight-out ask
them. Here are 3 ways
you can complete this
task:
• Use a Live Chat
service. These allow
your visitors to
"instant message" you,
thereby giving you an
insight into their
concerns.
• Send surveys to your
customers using
services like
Surveymonkey.com
• Add a feedback form
on your website with a
service like
Kampyle.com
3. Know What
to Test First
The first thing to
test is the stuff that
is "broken" or missing
from your website.
Fixing these major
problems will quickly
give you a boost in
your conversion rate.
Once you've fixed the
basics it's time to
test things that will
potentially give you
the biggest boost in
your business.
For example, you
should test the price
of your products. You
may find you can raise
the price and still
sell the same amount.
This will give you an
instant profit boost.
4. Turn Your
Website Into Your Best
Salesman
Your website is like
having a salesman who
never sleeps. It makes
sense to make it the
best salesman
possible.
By far the most
important aspect of
any sales message is
the opening line: the
headline, which
should:
• Grab attention
• Persuade readers to
read on…
• Make strong,
precise, irresistible
promises
A great way to do this
is to use Tip Number 2
to identify the key
reasons your customers
buy from you.
Once your headline is
right, you need to
give enough detail to
fully explain your
product, but without
waffling. Find out how
much information you
need by testing
different versions!
5. Make It
Easy For Customers to
Navigate
The biggest gains in
your conversion rate
can come simply by
making it easier for
visitors to navigate.
For example, you
should put your most
important information
or product "above the
fold" on your website
so visitors can't miss
it. And remove all
unnecessary links.
6. Make it
Easy for Customers to
Buy
Once you've guided
your visitor to your
shopping cart, you're
still not guaranteed
to get the sale. Many
people drop out half
way through ordering.
Make your shopping
cart slick and
persuasive to cut down
on shopping cart
abandonment.
Ways to do this
include:
• Repeating your key
benefits
• Including a picture
of the product in the
cart.
• Making the order
process quick and easy
by removing all
questions and all
unnecessary steps that
don't directly lead to
the sale.
7. Get
Visitors To Trust You
One of the most common
reasons why a visitor
may not buy from you
is because they simply
don't trust you. If
they've never heard of
you before they'll
need reassurance
you're a trustworthy
company.
There are many ways to
gain your visitors'
trust. Here are just
three…
• Offer a guarantee.
This removes the risk
of trying your product
and increases your
chances of making the
sale.
• Add testimonials
from other customers.
This reassures
prospects that other
people have trusted
you and liked your
product. Plus a
testimonial often does
a better job of
selling than you
could.
• Add testimonials or
reviews from trusted
sources such as the
media.
Again, we learned this
by testing and using "Google's
Website Optimizer."
Where to Learn
More…
These tips and
techniques are just
the "tip of the
iceberg" when it comes
to improving your
website's profits. For
more tips, read the
report that made us
famous: "Google
Website Optimizer
101—a quick-start
guide to conversion
rate optimization".