Conversion Rate Optimization Services in Rochester, NY

You’ve explained the benefits of your product, now it’s time for the final conversion push. Don’t beat around the bush–create a strong message that directs users right to the action you want them to take.

People read photo captions! And that’s the first step to engaging them. Captions also serve to clarify images, and clarity is key to a positive website experience. If any images can be enhanced with text, add text.

When it comes to issues of sustainability and environmentalism, people are typically passionate in their beliefs. If your brand lives up to the promise, create a unique and relatable message that plays on those eco-friendly passions. When your customers know your beliefs are aligned with theirs, you can encourage greater engagement and foster long-term loyalty.

People tend to skim webpages rather quickly to see if they find what they are looking for. Make it easier for them to get the gist of the page by adding visual cues to the copy. Bold is a great way to get your message across to skimmers without overpowering the page.

What the button says tends to be more important than its color or placement. Consider something personal and direct, and use strong action words like “Get” and “Go,” which tend to be more successful than the standard “Submit.” You’ll want to try multiple variations and test frequently, since the details of what you’re offering may have an impact on the outcome. (For example, while using “my” instead of “your” typically improves conversions, there have been cases where “your” far outperformed “my.”) Test, and test again.

Newspaper writers were trained to put crucial information first and least important details last, since they didn’t know before going to press how much room there would be for the article. The same theory applies to online writing today: good copy–clear, interesting, concise–will intrigue visitors and help keep traffic from bouncing.

Your headline grabs their attention, but then what? How can you make them read on? You want to lead the user’s eye down the page, flowing from key point to key point. By bolding the first sentence of copy, you make that first step an easy one, leading them precisely where you want them to go.

In some cases, this change has dramatically improved profits. Pricing seems more solid and definite, whereas a quote seems more like something fluid that can be changed. Consumers typically don’t like uncertainty, so there are instances when “pricing” boosted conversions. But this is absolutely a situation where content and context will play a role, so testing will be important.

Why aren’t people clicking on your button? Most likely because it blends into your page too much. Try using a color that isn’t used for a lot of other elements. For the greatest contrast, use complementary colors–Look directly across the color wheel from the page’s predominant color. Once the color stands out, try different positions or sizes for the button. Do everything you can to make it pop … and then test it!

Offering a guarantee shows that you’re confident in your product, which in turn instills confidence in the user. While it does add an element of risk for the business, it will also add conversions, thanks to the peace-of-mind customers feel.

Users are far more interested in how a product/service will benefit them personally than they are in the details or specifications of the product. Employ emotion to create a sense of want early on; wait until later in the funnel to address the details.

Altering the way you position your product or service can have a big impact on conversion rate. Try to get inside the user’s head and give them the best reason why they should choose you over someone else. It may be faster service, better results, more personalized approach, lowest price–whatever your user needs to hear to make them convert.

If users are frequently buying certain combinations of your items, then it might make sense to show those items side by side or adding them on the cart page as an impulse add-on. When done correctly, you can expect higher average order values. If employed poorly, you may distract or annoy users cross-selling efforts. In that case, it may be time to revisit your presentation–or just remove the cross-sells altogether.

Tailor your offer to include a sense of potential loss–limited time, limited quantities, etc. That tension may be the push users need in order to convert.

Identify the most compelling reasons for your users to convert, and create an offer that matches. Think about the emotions users might feel during the process (positive and negative) and tailor your offer to address or take advantage of them.

Presentation of your value proposition is an important factor in conversion. Its job is to clearly and succinctly convince the user to keep reading and, ultimately, to convert. Consider the value proposition carefully when you’re optimizing a page and make sure it focuses on value. It’s not necessarily about being the cheapest; it’s about convincing users of the value of what they’re getting for their money.

Clarity is crucial. And since 70% of website users read headlines and nothing more, the right headline can make all the difference. Test different language and sentence structure to see what converts best.

A disconnect between what viewers see in ad copy and what they see after they click on that ad can result in confusion and frustration–and bounces. If you’re promoting a special offer or highlighting a particular benefit in your ad copy, make sure that the page you land users on does the same. By using similar language and messages, you’re meeting your viewers’ expectations and improving your chance of conversions.

If you have robust, active social media pages, adding sharing buttons can serve as a proof element to add credibility. And if increasing your social media engagement is a goal, then they can certainly help achieve it. On the other hand, the buttons may be a distraction, shifting focus from the intended conversion–and traffic from the site. Each situation will be different, so this is a “must-test.”

While options are good, having too many options can produce friction. You risk causing hesitation and and indecision, and ultimately losing the conversion altogether. When it comes to offering choices, less may be more.

Photos and images provide powerful visual cues. Overused, cliched stock photos can make you seem unprofessional and outdated. On the other hand, photos showing real, smiling customers with open body language adds a human element that can boost conversion rates. Consider details such as what color the subject is wearing or where they’re looking–at the viewer? Up to the sky? Over toward a form? Depending on situation, one might convert better than the others.

This is a major pain point for online shoppers. One of the most common reasons for shopping cart abandonment is unexpected shipping costs, especially if they seem to be inflated or unjustly high. So offering free shipping may make the decision to purchase an easier one. While it may cost you in the short term, you might find people spend more on merchandise if they don’t have to spend on shipping. L.L. Bean is a good example of this in practice. It reinstated its “free shipping on every item, no minimum order” policy in 2011 and boasts it in its “Shipped for Free, Guaranteed to Last” tagline.

Say “Today” or “Now” instead of “This week” or “Soon.” “Join” may prompt more action than “Subscribe.” Small word changes can add greater urgency or evoke different or deeper emotions. When in doubt, test it.

Zappos.com is a great free-returns success story. Free returns basically makes the purchase risk-free, which can greatly reduce conversion anxiety. While it may carry some financial risk for the business, the overall conversion increase could yield a greater return in the long run.

People don’t read. And even if they do, attention spans are short. Draw attention to succinct, scannable benefits or attributes by using numbers, bullets, arrows, checkmarks, etc. You can reinforce these highlights with deeper details elsewhere in the copy, and you may even entice people to read more than they’d planned. But at the very least, you’ve successfully conveyed your key selling points.

Many shopping carts automatically show a field for a coupon or promotional code at checkout. If you don’t regularly send codes to your customer base, consider removing it. When consumers see a coupon field it makes them think they should have a coupon and deserve the discount. So they may abandon the cart, and leave your site, to search for a code. If they don’t find one, they may feel they’re not getting the best price–and you’ve lost a sale. Experiment with moving or removing this field and see what it does to your conversion rates.

It may seem obvious: trying a different approach can improve the conversion rate. The human brain works in mysterious ways. In some cases a purely benefit-based message may be most effective, while fin others the fear of losing out may be the best motivator. Keep in mind that copy length may have an impact, too. If you focus on benefits your visitors may want more details, but if you’re creating a fear of loss, longer copy might detract from that sense of urgency. It’s worth testing different approaches to see what works best for your particular situation.

This goes hand in hand with adding white space. Basically, too many images, irrelevant images, and poor quality images will detract from the primary message of the page. Removing this noise may help engagement and conversion.

Stock photography can be a conversion killer. Use images of your employees or customers to put a face on your business. People like be able to relate to businesses on a personal level, so images that represent the company and its culture can dramatically increase conversions.

The headline sets the user’s expectations for the page, but the content is just one piece of it. After all, if you don’t get their attention immediately, they’ll never read what the words say. Try different fonts, colors, sizes, treatments to see what work best. Remember, beyond just standing out, it also has to fit with the design and content of the rest of the page.

False bottoms can kill conversion rates. Guide users to the content below the fold by employing techniques such as uneven column lengths and using visual clues such as arrows or animation. And make the layout and content compelling enough to make users want to see more.

Determine the most crucial information about your product/service, then draw attention to it in your copy. Consider bold or italic fonts, highlighting words or using different font colors, frames around text, etc. These elements are also helpful in directing site- and page-flow.

You’ve got a winning headline and your benefits are clearly presented. But the tweaking doesn’t stop there–now it’s time to look at words and phrases. Small updates and additions can remove friction by adding clarity and detail. Minor tweaks may result in major changes.

People who want answers before taking the next step are more likely to convert if they can get answers immediately. Making a phone call can feel like more of a commitment, so often live chat is the ideal answer. Olark offers a robust solution for implementing and testing live chat on your site.

Videos and other interactive media may get relegated to the sidebar or added in below the website fold. And sometimes they get lost because they look no different than any other static image. Interactive media elements generally boost engagement, which generally boosts conversions. So don’t hide them! Draw attention by using framing, colors, motion or icons.

Directional cues such as arrows, circles, highlights, images, etc., will subtly guide users where you want them to go. If you employ design elements that flow toward a form, guess what? Users will end up at the form. Even something as subtle as an photograph of a person looking in the direction of the form location can yield more conversions.

All too often, marketers write like … well, marketers. Instead of using industry jargon or boasting about your company, try a more personal, human approach. People admire companies that are transparent and not pushy. It’s certainly worth testing to gauge the effect it has on conversions.

Testimonials, reviews, certifications, and other proof elements establish credibility. Visitors are more likely to believe what other customers or independent, 3rd-party reviewers say about you than what you say about yourself.

A crowded layout can scare users away. With too many words and images screaming at them, visitors don’t know where to look, and you can bet they’ll bounce. Adding white space–by leaving areas text-free and undesigned–creates a cleaner feel and a more favorable experience. And don’t worry about trying to cram all the content at the top; if properly prompted, users will scroll down the page.

Making it easy for users to find the product(s) they want, allowing for less confusion and a smoother conversion path. Highlight items that typically sell well; simply getting them in front of visitors might improve conversions.

Running copy across multiple columns requires visitors to go back to the top and read the subsequent columns. People are lazy; most will simply neglect everything beyond the. first. Copy presented in one column (provided that it’s not too wide) results in a better flow of information, which leads to a more engaged visitor and a greater likelihood of conversion.

Sliders can distract users by presenting too many different messages and too many CTAs. If the purpose is conversion, lead visitors directly down the path you want them to take with direct, benefit-based messaging and a strong, clear call to action.

Some individuals are more likely to convert on certain types of offers. Some might prefer “Free Shipping,” others react better to “10% Off.” Test different incentives and measure the success of each.

Giving options (e.g., two or three tiers of pricing) lets consumers feel that they’re making the choice rather being pushed into something, and with more than one option it’s more likely that you’re offering something that fits with what they want. It also reframes the question from “Should I purchase” to “Which should I purchase,” pushing them ever closer to converting. Typically, offering three choices is best, and viewers usually trend toward the middle option. More than three options can feel overwhelming and can actually reduce conversions.

Just as important as understanding why people convert is understanding why they don’t. It may require research and user testing to identify the common concerns and objections, but it’s necessary in order to address the problems head-on. You’ll then be able to proactively put users at ease, thereby driving more conversions.

A call-to-action that appears after a few seconds, by sliding in or popping up on the page, may get more attention that static forms, and therefore may increase conversions. This technique can be especially effective for building email lists. Be careful though, as pop-ups may be seen as obtrusive and may therefore increase the bounce rate.

Users may be ready to convert earlier than you expect, so giving them access to do so may capture more of them. However, there will be cases where users need to digest all your information before making a decision. If you try to sell them too soon, it may backfire and cause a bounce. This is a “must-test.”

Create your page or site based on what the user wants to see, not what you want to show. Make their decision as easy as possible but considering their path from the moment they land on the page until the final confirmation. For example, if you’re a clothing retailer and you have alternate styles or colors, make that information easily accessible without forcing the user off the page. Any time that you can offer a more convenient way to convert, do it!

The best way to get more conversions is to make the decision an easy one. There are many ways to do this: including guarantees, answering questions, addressing potential objections, adding social proof (e.g. testimonials, certifications), etc. Try to think of every reason someone might say “no,” and convince them to say “yes” first.

It seems obvious that a lower price would get more conversions. And many times it does. In other cases, though, you may want to go higher. People believe “you get what you pay for,” so your premium product or service should be priced to feel premium. Little details can make bid differences, too. For example, $23.99 sounds like a bargain price, while $24 sounds like a quality price for a quality product. Try unusual pricing as well. Consumers are so used to seeing prices like $19.99 that an unusual number like $24.42 does tend to capture attention.

On sites that require payments, having secure options helps to establish credibility and increase conversion rates. Paypal or Stripe are good examples of alternate payment options. People feel their information is safer when they go through a verified third party, and when the businesses themselves don’t obtain or retain the details. This is especially helpful for smaller and/or start-up businesses that may not be as well known.

Let’s face it, people are impatient! If your conversion funnel requires multiple steps, it’s important to keep visitors informed. Show them how far they’ve come and how far until they’re done. The addition of progress bars on multi-page forms has been shown to increase conversions and prevent abandonment.

The rule of thumb is to ask only for the information you need. For example, if you get ZIP code you can figure out city and state. Asking for less personal information reduces conversion friction. Ideally, utilize 4 fields or fewer–conversions drop as fields increase.

This serves two purposes. It helps guide people down the path, reducing friction, and it prevents errors, ensuring your conversions complete. Consider green lines or check marks, since the color typically implies progress or forward movement.

A robust site search can greatly improve conversion rates on e-commerce sites. This isn’t surprising, since it allows for easier navigation, quicker access to the desired product, and a better overall user experience. However, a site search that doesn’t function as expected or doesn’t sort properly will have a negative effect and may be worse than no search. Make sure your search is fully functional or don’t include it.

Similar to moving your CTA up from the bottom of the page, this option should be considered based on the commitment it takes to convert. With low-commitment conversions it may improve your rate; with higher commitment conversions, though, it could backfire.

The hamburger icon was designed specifically with mobile usability in mind. With the explosion of mobile usage, the hamburger has become a staple for navigating mobile-optimized sites and is now considered an industry best practice. If you see (or want to see) any amount of mobile traffic, you should use the hamburger icon. Test it; more often than not, it will have a positive effect on your conversion rate.

This is absolutely going to depend on the service/product. In some cases, offering a freemium plan can yield greater engagement and conversions because there’s less commitment and very little risk. As long as the customer stays within the specified limits, they’ll continue to enjoy your product for free. For that reason, though, it may be difficult to turn free accounts into paid accounts.Offering a free trial can improve conversions by creating a sense of urgency. When the free period comes to an end, they’ll already be sold on the product’s/service’s usefulness and won’t want to do without it. It may be harder to get the initial signups, but the subsequent conversion rate will likely be higher.

Videos grab attention in ways that words simply can’t. Well produced videos are also informing, appealing and engaging. As with all web marketing, concise, quality content matters–be hard-hitting and fast-paced. By immediately setting the tone for your company or product or service, you’re increasing your odds of conversion.

Even the best layouts can sometimes get stale. Maybe it’s not perfectly suited to your business or desired conversion. Maybe your positioning has shifted and your layout now emphasizes the wrong things. Or maybe it’s just time for a change. Swapping in a new layout can impact user behavior, even with the same copy. A word of caution, though: try to apply to your new layout the relevant learnings from previous tests.

Take advantage of visitors’ natural progression through the page by rearranging items in the eye path or updating the design so they see what you want them to see. Then highlight your key selling points by using visual cues that subtly guide and direct the user.

As with implementing a site search, if this isn’t done well it will backfire. A bad filter frustrates users and hurts conversion rates, but a robust filter makes for a smooth customer experience and can increase engagement and sales. Make sure your filter indexes all products and functions as users expect it to. If it doesn’t, consider eliminating it.

When it comes down to it, people are lazy! They may not be interested in creating an account. And if they have an account but don’t remember the details, asking them to log in may create enough friction to make them bounce. Offering guest checkout can prevent cart abandonment and lost sales.

Review your Google Analytics path reports to understand what users are looking for when they land on your site–and make it easy for them to find it and get there. This is basic user experience optimization, which in turn should help conversion optimization rates.

For some conversions, it’s necessary to get more than just the basic information. It’s helpful in those situations to allay any customer fears by stating up front specifically why you’re asking for it. For example, when requesting a phone number, you can add a message that says “For shipping related questions” in order to reassure people that you won’t use it unless you need it. People are more likely to provide information if you’re transparent in your request for it.

Too much copy may be daunting and cause people to bounce. On the other hand, if it’s a complex subject or the conversion requires a greater commitment, not having enough copy may cause the bounce. The key is to determine the precise amount of content that your visitors need to take the desired action. Keep in mind, though, that even if longer copy is required, it should still be broken out into scannable, digestible sections that don’t overwhelm readers.

Turn an objective eye on your site or page and identify anything that may be creating noise or distracting the user from completing conversion actions. Removing or reorganizing elements can help guide users down a smooth conversion path