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Conversion rates are an important indicator of potential success. How many visitors you get versus how many actually take the intended action, such as buying or subscribing, is largely determined by how you present your content. If you get poor conversion rates, you’re doing something wrong. Here are four common reasons why conversion rates stay low.
1. Your Offer is Not Clear
If your site doesn’t clearly explain your product or service, prospects will be confused on its value to them. Being too vague makes your offer seem risky. Explain things as concisely and clearly as possible, but make an effort to describe exactly what your offer is, what problem or need it solves, and how consumers will benefit from it.
2. Your Audience is Not Defined
While almost anyone may be a potential buyer, you want to focus on those most likely to make a purchase. Say you’re selling perfume. Men might occasionally buy this as a gift for women, but the far greater consumer market would be women. You will want your advertising and content to be geared toward them. You will even want to do the research to narrow down your audience to specific demographics and find ways to connect with them.
3. Too Many Choices
Depending on your product or service, you may want to limit the choices you present to users. Consider a visit to the grocer; faced with two kinds of peanut butter, you have a simple choice. But if there are 20 kinds, you’ll take longer to make the decision and have less confidence in the choice. Understanding human behavior is an important part of business. Having an employee in your organization who has earned a degree from an online applied psychology school can provide a competitive edge through greater understanding of how consumer behavior works.
4. No CTA
A call-to-action is important on every page of your site. Prospects will be more likely to abandon your site if they don’t know what to do next. Don’t leave them guessing. Include a clearly labeled link or button near the bottom of the page that directs them to the next stage of the sales cycle. Whether you want them to download a PDF or visit your shopping cart, be sure to make it clear and obvious how they can proceed.
There are other reasons why your conversion rates may be low, such as poor pricing or lack of credibility. But clarifying your offer and your sales process are important first steps.
