Converting website visitors to sales.

We've discussed how to bring visitors to your website, but what about after they've arrived? In most cases, your objective is to convert that visit to a sale.

Conversion rates for most websites are extremely low. 1% seems to be the figure most widely bandied around the Internet. Compare that with the highest performer in a 2005 Neilsen/Netratings survey: www.qvc.com, which converted 16.3% of visits to sales.

Conversion rates are, of course, affected by a large number of off-site factors. Perhaps most importantly, the source of your visitor traffic. In other words, advertise your online chainsaw store in a lifestyle magazine for female pensioners, and you're going to struggle a bit.

All things being equal, though, there are number of things you can do to increase your conversion rate. By how much? It's impossible to give a definitive answer - what produces a 15% increase in conversions for one site won't necessarily do the same for another. So the only way to find out is to try it, monitor the results, and refine as necessary.

The key with these techniques is to use them carefully and in moderation. The most successful salespeople in the world are the ones that make you feel that the decision to buy was yours, not theirs. Exactly the same principle applies on the Internet. Steer your visitor gently but surely towards a sale. Don't beat them around the head with a stick like one of those godawful telesales people that insist on calling you by your first name at least once every third sentence.

Newspapers use headlines for a reason, and it's not for your benefit. It's because the more attention-grabbing and interesting the headline, the more likely you are to pick the newspaper from the stand and buy it. The Internet is no different. Take a newspaper approach with headlines that engage your target audience and sales will likely increase.

Business isn't done between businesses and consumers, or between businesses and businesses. It's done between people. Mostly between people that like each other. So try and write copy that talks in the same way as you would to someone you've just met and like. Talk about them, and not about you. Don't be too chummy, but equally avoid jargon, hype and meaningless corporate blather.

If you don't ask, you don't get. Whilst that might sound like stating the painfully obvious, it's surprising how many websites fail to ask, or fail to ask clearly enough. Make sure that your website contains at least one clear call to action on every page. Some people recommend that you pepper your copy with multiple calls to action. Don't overdo it. If you ask too many times, you begin to look a bit desperate.

Whatever you want your visitors to do when they get to your website, always include real testimonials from other people who've already done it.

For all its strengths, the Internet is a barrier to the sort of personal relationships that accompany offline business transactions. The use of audio and or video recordings can help break down that barrier. But handle with care. If you've got the voice or looks of a sex pest, get someone else to do it (you'd think that was obvious, but there a lot of video presentations published by people who really should know better).

Last updated: February 2007

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