Conversion optimization is the art of designing and crafting an experience that is enjoyable, memorable, and persuasive. Good design is not only about creating something that looks nice but also about getting people to take particular actions, or a “conversion” in marketing lingo. Conversion optimization is the process to improve these actions. By understanding the needs and desires of your users and designing with the ends in mind, you are encouraging those actions. So design isn’t just about looking good; it is about persuading and converting your users.
Done with conversion optimization, you will see higher conversions and increased revenue. Of course, it is not a simple task. It requires experiment, testing, and iteration, but the following principles can help you build a solid foundation for your design and a great start to your conversion optimization:
Design for Your User
Your goal is to increase conversions, but before anyone will convert, they must first interact with your site. Although at this stage your user could leave and never come back, or if you’re lucky they may remember and act on the conversation. Your best bet is to design for the user. You must make it simple to understand, navigate and user-friendly. The visual, content and functionality should be focused on providing the best possible experience for your user.
Begin with understanding the needs and desires of your users. Who are they? What motivates them? What are they trying to accomplish? In addition, where do they come from your site? What actions do you want them to take? How well is your current design converting for these actions? In most cases, the answers to these questions involves direct or indirect conversation with your other entire team and surveys and other forms of user research.
Get an example to understand what your users expect to see on your site. Use your primary and secondary keywords phrases. These are the words and phrases that people type in order to find information on the topic. Search for the keywords and look for problems or common questions that are not yet addressed on your website.
Use an Effective Visual Design
Visually, your site should be simple and clean. Use a consistent colour scheme that evokes a positive emotion and set the user in the right frame of mind to successfully convert. Ensure that your site is easy to scan with headings and short paragraphs. Make sure to use free space and emphasis on the important content. Use high quality images and video to further tell your story.
Pick a theme or style that is appropriate for your target group. For example, children’s sites, such as storybooks, should be colourful and fun. On the other hand, business or instructional sites need to be more subdued and professional looking. Make sure that there is no unnecessary distraction. Eliminate all distractions that are not directly related to the goals of your site.
Make Helpful and Persuasive Content
Your content should be clear, compelling, and compellingly persuasive. It should be easy to understand, and help to motivate and persuade the user to take your desired action.
Begin with a compelling headline and an engaging hook. Make it clear what the user is getting and what they need to do to get it. Use benefits, rather than features. Benefits are the things that you will get from doing a particular action, whereas features are something in the product or service. And last but not least, use appropriate language that is appropriate for your target group. You can use first-person narratives to further engage the user.
Use an Intuitive Navigation
Ensure that your user can easily navigate through your site. It should look and feel natural for the user. Use an easily recognizable placement for all major links such as your logo, main navigation menu, and search engine. On the flip side, provide all necessary information and links for the user to take the desired action. Just be sure not to throw too many options at the user right away.
Use Bread Crumbs for large or difficult to navigate sites. Use trusted and recognised design principles such as placing your logo in the top left corner, and the main navigation above the fo