15 Effective Ways To Increase Your Website Conversion Rates

Not long ago, while searching for inspiration for a client’s project, I stumbled upon a website with a perfectly nailed conversion strategy. The website inspired me so much that besides making notes in my diary, I decided to write a whole blog post on the best conversion strategy tips I’ve seen in the wild and I, myself use in my website designs.

If you’re struggling with an old website that doesn’t convert, it might be time for a refresh. Implementing just a few of the following tips can completely transform how visitors interact with your site, gently nudging them toward the checkout or buy button. Ready to boost your sales? Let’s dive in!

What is a website conversion rate?

The conversion rate of your website is the percentage of visitors who take a desired action - whether it’s filling out your contact form, making a phone call or purchasing a product from your online store.

What is a good conversion rate?

Successful websites will pride themselves on conversion rates of up to 5%. Although it may not seem like a lot, in the website world, a 5% conversion rate indicates a highly effective strategy. But for most websites, anything between 2% and 3% is more typical.

How do you calculate your website conversion rate?

Calculate your conversion rate by dividing the number of visitors by the number of people who completed the desired action. For instance, if your website had 10,000 visitors last month and 500 of them made a purchase, your e-commerce conversion rate would be 5%.

If you’re a service-providing business and your leads come from multiple places, add up the total number of leads from phone calls, contact forms, and emails originating from your website. Then, divide your site visitors by the number of leads.

Why are conversion rates so important?

Conversion rates measure the success of your website. If you think of your website as a marketing tool, the conversion rates can’t be described better than the success rates of your marketing strategy. If your website doesn’t convert, you’re leaving a lot of money on the table.

How to improve your conversion rates?

It’s not only about having a pretty website. But don’t get me wrong here. A good-looking website is a MUST to capture the attention of your visitors and keep them on your website longer. But the design itself doesn’t necessarily sell. It’s the strategy behind it that does.

So how do you organize your website for better conversions?

1. Guide your site visitors to the sales pages

When planning your website navigation, you need to keep the natural hierarchy of your website in mind. All those pretty laid-out pages are great for introducing your business and connecting with visitors but they should all lead to one destination - the pages where the money is made.

From the strategic standpoint, your Booking/Shop and Contact pages (depending on the nature of your business) are the KEY pages of your website as they’re only one step away from hearing that sweet chi-ching 💸 sound. Ensure visitors know where to go by providing ample shortcuts via buttons, pop-ups, and well-organized sections.

2. Don’t give your visitors too many options

Sometimes it happens that your visitors are so distracted by so many options that they end up doing the last thing you want them to - leaving.

When placing buttons on your pages, be very considerate of which pages deserve a shortcut and use them sparingly. Don’t divert your visitors to pages that aren’t that important as they may hinder the main route to your sales pages. After all, if they want to visit your About or FAQ page, they can always access them from your site menu.

The same applies to reducing your content. If you distract your potential customers with too many pop-ups, adverts and lengthy text blocks they may not make it to your desired destination.

3. Make your CTA buttons stand out

Every website needs at least 2 contrasting button styles. Use the standard button with a blank or pale background where it needs to be and add a bold-coloured button to highlight the most important calls to action.

Take this hero section for example. While a visitor can choose between the 2 destinations accessible from under the tagline, the BOOK A CALL button is distinguished by a contrasting colour which clearly signals its importance.

4. Include a CTA in your header

Not every visitor reaches the bottom of the page. That’s why you need to incorporate a prominent call to action in your header. It’s also a good idea to make the header sticky (freeze on the page as the users navigate your site) so that the shortcut to your contact form is always visible.

5. Place your contact details in the header

If you’re a service-providing business, you want your contact details to stand out. If it makes sense, include your phone number, email address or both in your header and distinguish them with a bigger font size or a different colour.

A quick call button that dials your number can also be very effective. That’s exactly what we did on my client’s website to increase the number of phone enquiries.

6. Make your CTA panel sticky

In Wix’s mobile layout settings, you can add a sticky Quick action panel to the bottom of the screen. That’s because mobile layouts have limited space and in order to maintain the website’s natural proportions on the mobile screen, the contact details are typically the first thing we take out of the header. Where else could you then place a quick contact info if not into a sticky panel at the bottom?

While ideal for mobile layouts, this tip is also perfect for desktops and tablets and works particularly well for businesses that work with emergencies and are able to answer the phone 24/7.

7. Add contact details to your side menu

Nearly 61% of your website visitors view your site on a mobile device. If your site doesn’t have a sticky CTA panel and no contact details in the header, you might be losing potential clients. But assuming that most mobile visitors will open your hamburger menu, including your contact details there can compensate for limited screen space.

8. Place a booking form in the hero section

According to various sources, an average visitor spends around 50 seconds on a website. Do them a favour and if it makes sense, incorporate a booking form right into your hero section. That’s exactly what big companies like Pimlico Plumbers do and it's also a reason why so many people enjoy a pleasant experience with their website.

9. Add a CTA to your blog posts

If someone’s reading your blog posts, you have won their attention. But just because they read your post doesn’t mean they’re going to browse the static pages on your website. In fact, not many blog readers do. With that being said, you need to make the most of their attention and introduce your services or products as they skim through the text.

If they already like your post, chances are they might be interested in working with you/buying from you. After all, the main purpose of having a blog is to market your business. So how do you do it the right way?

Ad-like banners

Most bloggers display third-party ads between the paragraphs. But why not display blocks promoting YOUR OWN business instead?

You can design a simple banner in Canva and place it in between the text blocks in your blog post. Alternatively, you can design your own block using the embed HTML code function in Wix.

Sidebar banners

While the classic Blogger-style sidebars are slowly making their way out, you can still place a banner beside your article and make it sticky as the visitor scrolls through the section with the text. This way, your CTA is always visible and if designed nicely, it will become a visually appealing yet strategic distraction for the reader.

CTA sections

Your blog posts don’t end with the last word. Someone who made it to the very bottom of your post will likely scroll down even further to see what else have you got to offer. This is the opportunity to introduce your business and offer a solution to the reader’s problem by directing them to your shop or service page.

Pop-ups

As annoying as they may be, pop-ups play a crucial role in website strategy and can significantly boost conversions when used effectively.

10. Include a booking form in your blog posts

Hoping for your reader to visit your contact page is like being a farmer waiting for the rain. Sometimes you can’t rely on nature but bring the water to your plants by yourself.

Adding a booking form within or below your blog post makes it easier for readers to reach out, increasing the likelihood of conversion. As human beings, we naturally like to engage and interact, so having a form right in front of your visitor’s eyes will make them much more likely to do so.

11. Add live chat

Multiple studies have shown that websites with live chats have 12% - 40% higher conversion rates than those without them. A live chat is like a shop assistant with whom you can chat and ask questions. Be there for your visitors and be genuinely helpful and they will reward you with increased conversions.

12. Work on demonstrating your trustworthiness

Boost user’s confidence in you by showing social proof and testimonials. Preferably, use testimonials from third-party sites such as Google or Trustpilot as they’re clearly the ones you can’t fake.

If you decide to build your own testimonials section, make sure to include the photos of your customers as that dramatically increases the trustworthiness of their testimony. If it makes sense and if you get your client’s permission, link them to their websites or social media accounts so that your visitors can see they’re genuine.

13. Be more personal

People buy from people, not websites. That’s why you shouldn’t be afraid to show your face and use a more personal tone ☺️. Consider a YouTube channel, hosting live webinars or 1:1 events to build a connection and trust with your visitors.

14. Use the power of video content

Unlike text and imagery which can be easily created with AI, a genuine video with your face is something you can’t fake. At least not at the time when this post was written.

A video is a powerful medium that engages your audience far more than any pictures and text blocks ever will. Regardless of how much you hate the idea of showing your face in front of a camera and sharing it with the world, you should at least consider the benefits it could bring to your business.

For someone like Wes McDowell, becoming a YouTuber - as he says in his video - meant a complete transformation from being a business competing with other businesses in traditional SEO to getting prospects who discovered him through YouTube videos and already trusted him so much that he could literally skip the introduction phase. In his own words, “the video accelerated the know, like and trust factor like nothing else.”

15. Add a lead magnet

A lead magnet may not be the quickest way to increase your conversions but it’s the one that brings long-term results. Most lead magnets are designed to grow an email list - a.k.a. a group of loyal followers who are extremely likely to purchase from you in the future.

Don’t be afraid to offer a helpful freebie or a VIP discount in exchange for their email as there’s a lot of money to be made from it in the future.

The Bottom Line

How converting is your website at the moment?

Having read all the points above may have completely changed the way you perceive your website and encouraged you to give it the makeover it deserves. If you're looking for a professional web designer to help you design a website that not only looks great but also drives results, be sure to book a no-obligation phone call.