Conversion rates. They're kind of a big deal.
But according to several studies, they're not exactly what most businesses would like them to be.
In fact, "only about 22 percent of businesses are satisfied with their conversion rate."
Maybe that's why "on average, companies are spending as much as $2,000 a month on CRO tools."
The bottom line is that there are a lot of things that can go wrong as prospects navigate their way through the sales funnel until they ultimately decide to make a purchase.
If you're careless and make the wrong mistakes, it can quickly kill your conversions, and much of your effort will be wasted.
Here are some of the main mistakes I see marketers make, and how to fix them.
Slow Page Load Time
Did you know that "47 percent of consumers expect a web page to load in 2 seconds or less?"
Did you also know that "40 percent abandon a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load?"
Your average consumer has the attention span of a gnat, so your conversion rate is practically guaranteed to take a blow if your site is anything short of lightning quick when loading.
Regardless of how interested a person may be in your product/service/brand, they're simply not going to hang around if you make them wait.
That's why I can't urge you enough to check your site speed on a consistent basis. You can use a free tool like the Pingdom Website Speed Test to see how long it takes to load.
This test will provide you with performance insights so you'll know which areas (if any) need your attention.
A Crappy Mobile Experience
According to Statista, "B2C mobile e-commerce sales are projected to almost reach $200 billion in 2018." This is nearly quadruple the $58.5 billion in 2013.
As I've said before, jokingly, "I think it's safe to say that smartphones aren't a fad."
If you're not offering mobile users a high-end experience, I can almost guarantee that your conversion rates will be less than optimal.
Fortunately, you can remedy this situation with relative ease and keep your mobile users happy.
The first step is to perform a Mobile-Friendly Test with Google's free software.
In less than a minute, you can determine exactly how mobile friendly your site is and how Googlebot sees the page.
If there are any issues, you'll know precisely what needs to be addressed, and you'll be provided with relevant resources.
I would also recommend checking out a previous post I wrote on responsive web design.
Annoying Popups
Popups are an interesting thing.
On one hand, some marketers swear by them and say they are a godsend for increasing conversions.
On the other hand, they can be quite dangerous and completely ruin the user experience, especially on mobile devices.
In some cases, they can even drive a wedge between you and your audience.
If you decide to use popups, I would urge you to do so responsibly and be careful about it.
I'll be completely transparent with you on this subject. Popups work. I use them. I love them, and I'm going to keep using them.
Why? Because while they may be offputting to some users, they are engaging and valuable to other user. And the customers that value them are the users that will become customers.
That being said, be courteous about it.
For instance, you may want to wait until visitors scroll down to a certain section of your site before hitting them with popups rather than bombarding them right off the bat.
You should also keep them simple. Make the forms quick and easy to fill out and allow visitors to easily close them by clicking on a clearly marked "X" or anywhere on the page outside of the popup.
Failing to Include Trust Factors
If you don't gain a lead's trust, getting them to actually make a purchase will be an uphill battle.
The last thing you want to do is come across like a sleazy used car salesman and scare your leads off.
This is why it's essential to include "trust factors."
What are "trust factors? They are elements of your website that establish credibility and trustworthiness.
Here are some examples:
- An easy to find contact form
- Testimonials
- Team bios
- Return policy
- Links to reputable organizations (e.g. Better Business Bureau)
- Stating that you have a secure payment processor
You get the idea. This list from ConversionXL offers plenty of other ideas for establishing trust.
Make it so that your leads feel comfortable doing business with you, and put their minds at ease to increase your conversion rates.
Not A/B Testing CTAs
Creating CTAs sounds easy enough on paper.
But when you really get down to it, creating the perfect CTA can be an incredibly complicated process.
If you fail to conduct A/B testing on your CTAs to see which one is getting the most clicks and performing the best overall, it's doubtful that your conversions will be fully optimized.
This guide covers the fundamentals of this process, including which software to use, coming up with a list of tests, and setting up a test.
If you've never done any formal A/B testing on your CTAs in the past, I would strongly recommend checking out this guide and doing so as soon as possible.
This is fairly simple but can have a tremendous impact on your conversion rates moving forward.
Conclusion
Truth be told, there are a lot of variables that can adversely affect your conversions. While pinpointing the exact problem isn't always easy, looking for these common mistakes can serve as a good starting point.
Once you diagnose the problem, you can make the necessary adjustments to resolve it. Cranking up your conversion rate by even half a percent can be significant for boosting your profitability.
What other issues can hurt conversions? How would you address them?