Web Conversions: Get Prospects to Flip the Switch

Increasing the number of potential clients who visit your website is only half the marketing battle; what’s even more important is increasing the number who answer your calls to action and end up purchasing your services. Here are two sets of ideas that you can implement yourself or through a Web company.

First, the Basics 

You can make these edits in less than a day to quickly increase your conversions:

• Inform and direct: Use navigation terms and body copy that highlight the scope of work your company does and clearly direct visitors to what you’d like them to do next.
• Make it easy to reach you: Make sure your “NAP data”—name, address, and phone, along with email address—appears on every page. Consider adding this information to your header in boldface or a larger font.
• Add multiple calls to action: Go beyond “call us” and instead invite visitors to come to your showroom or attend an upcoming seminar.
• Connect in real time: Consider adding a “live chat” feature to answer visitors’ questions in real time.

Next Are Second-Tier Edits

These will take more time, but will drive your conversions to an even higher level.

• Review your analytics: You’ll learn which keywords people are using to find your site, along with where they go when they get there and which pages they are on when they exit your site. Use this intelligence to leverage your most popular pages or to make changes on the pages where traffic and conversions are weak.
• Build stronger landing pages: The key to creating effective landing pages is to think like a consumer. Remember: Visitors and search engines tell you exactly what they’re looking for. I see many companies sending their advertising, email, and social media traffic to their home page, but that’s a missed opportunity. Send them to a landing page that goes deep into a single topic or scope of work. Make sure that landing pages are uncluttered, include relevant images, and have clear calls to action that ask visitors to schedule a consultation or ask a question via live chat or email.
• Give them something to download: No matter what, not every visitor will become a buyer. You can turn this to your advantage by giving  non-buyers something interesting to download. For example, you might offer short, informative PDFs with titles like “Three Secrets to Saving Money on Window Replacement,” or “Top Bathroom Design Trends.” Follow up with every person who downloads something either by email or with a phone call, and start the conversation by asking if they found the information helpful.
• Create interaction: The days of static “brochure” websites are long gone. Make your site interactive and engaging by being more transparent about your personality and expertise. For example, instead of showing only before and after photos of your projects, consider launching a blog in which you discuss real projects and talk about both the design and construction process. This gives visitors a better opportunity to see what it’s really like to live through a remodeling job.
• Use video testimonials: Consumers prefer to see and hear stories from real past clients. Being able to see their faces and read their emotions about their experience with your company in a video is much more powerful than a written review.
• Get social: Connect with potential customers on social media sites such as Facebook, Houzz, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitter. If you have limited photos, start with Facebook and Twitter; both are great sites on which to showcase your corporate personality. Start by adding your circle of friends and good clients, then grow from there. If you have extensive project photos, start with Pinterest and Houzz; both are photocentric and allow you to showcase the details of your work.
• Write good headlines: People scan Web pages looking at headlines, subheads, and photo captions. Write headlines that specifically address what’s most important to your target audience and be clear about what you want them to do next. Good headlines evoke warm emotions, promote peace of mind, provide a solution, or make something more fun.

Here are some examples:

Benefit-oriented: How to double your living space and love your home 
Solution-oriented: Get rid of wasted living space once and for all 
Ease/convenience: Here’s a quick way to increase your home’s value for less than $2,000. PR

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Joaquin Erazo, CEO of Marketing Wing, has 20 years of experience in the remodeling industry. Erazo will be a featured speaker at a Kitchen and Bath Sales pre-event during the 2015 Extreme Sales Summit, scheduled for October 28–30 in Rosemont, Ill.

What's more important than increasing the number of potential clients who visit your website? Increasing the number who answer your calls to action