Sure, you can build a basic website and sit back waiting for the traffic to slowly convert into buyers. But while you sit there twiddling your thumbs, have a think about your website usability. Have you made it both easy to use and compelling enough that visitors are going to pick up the phone or click that ‘buy it now’ button, sooner rather than later?
If you can’t definitively and confidently answer that question, then it’s high time you review your site to increase its usability…
It’s about them, not you
As you’re building or revamping you website, remember the goal here is to make it about your visitor, not you. What do I mean by that? I mean don’t use up half the ‘above the fold’ space with a huge logo, or an elongated version of the history of your company. These things aren’t horrid by any means, but they appeal more to your own ego than the desire to help your visitor.
Think about what drew that visitor to your page – what would they want to see when they land on it? The answer is simple: they want to know you have the answer to their problem or the solution they’re seeking for.
The Content
So when creating copy, write it as though you were directing – talking – to that individual as a friend. For example, “Have a problem with the extra pounds around your stomach? Do you look in the mirror and dream of the day when the reflection will be something you’re proud of? Listen, I know how you feel, I was in the same boat as you not too long ago. Then I started to go to XYZ Gym and within weeks my ‘excess baggage’ problem was solved!”
Given the short attention span of web surfers out there, always use short paragraphs. If you don’t break your text up, it’s very easy to get lost or bored. Don’t forget to use sub headings too, so if your visitor is a skimmer, they’ll be able to scan them to get the gist of the story.
Visual Appeal
Creating a well designed website is easier than ever before, especially with so many pre-made templates available for purchase. For most cases, the “less is more” motto really does the trick, too. Let me explain…unless it’s vital to your business, there’s no need to have a dozen different colours, fonts or sizes on your website.
Keep things pretty simple in terms of visual appeal – you want your visitor’s eye to easily flow with the content of what you’re offering. You don’t want them to get hung up on a bunch of flashy stuff that isn’t going to convert them into a buyer!
It’s also important to keep navigation and internal linking simple, too. When you’re on your site, ask yourself, “Is it easy to get to where I want to go from here?” If the answer’s no, then you’ll probably need to rejig the layout a bit.
Just don’t overdo it when it comes to your site’s design.
Converting The Sale
Combining all the tips mentioned so far for website usability, there’s now just a little bit more you need to do to convert that sale. So, you have a strong headline; next, you’ve talked directly to them about the problem – by writing the problem sort of like a story; then you gave them the solution.
Now the website conversion part comes in – it’s time to convince them they need to do what you did, too! Using the same example about stomach fat above, you could close your content with: “I know what it’s like to have belly fat because I love chocolate chip cookies – just couldn’t get enough of them!” In this sentence you really get in there and talk to them as if they are your best friend. It’s like agitating the problem, showing the pain. Then you introduce the solution again, “Then when I stumbled on XYZ Gyms and got a great personal trainer to work with, it was amazing. He gave me a regime I could follow and got me into shape and here I am today…with abs that I’m proud to show off at the beach!”
To validate your story even further, you can tell them to read about your journey in more detail by linking to your About Us page as well as point them to some testimonials. By this point, your “call to action” is so strong, your visitor will be picking up the phone to call right away!
The Second Opinion
Once you’ve made these changes, it’s a really good idea to get friends and family to use the website so they can tell you how well it works (or doesn’t work). This will eliminate any uncertainty about troublesome aspects of your site – because you’ll have real visitors in front of you (your family & friends) who will give you immediate feedback!
If you want more specific details, go to ClickTale which provides web analysis software. By using this software you will be able to see where people’s mouse goes and what they’re doing on your website. You can quickly spot any weaknesses and work to correct them so that your visitor will have a pleasant, trouble free experience every time she visits your website.
At the end of the day, making an easy-to-use (aka great website usability) and visually appealing website will pile the odds in your favour to convert visitors into real buyers! But you know what, I understand that not everyone has the time or skill to sit down and do what I just explained. So if you need a helping hand, just reach out to my professional team at Melbourne SEO Services – we love helping other businesses succeed! Click here.