Conversion Optimisation tips

Our client's frequently ask us if we have any best practice advice for conversion optimisation. Of course… the challenge is more often fitting it in with a client’s other priorities, but here is a quick list of initial ideas for you to think about... 

1. Create a clear, compelling value proposition - This is key, and everything else is just a multiplier.
2. Clear calls to action - try to focus pages on getting the user to do just one thing.
3. Make it easy - Humans are lazy, so every extra page load or delay causes frustration. Loads can be cognitive, visual or motor.
4. Focus on handling objections - By and large the negatives carry more weight than the positives. Often we want to spend less time convincing them that the product is great… more time convincing them it’s not rubbish. This is why the one poor holiday review carries way more weight with you than the 40 good ones.
5. Use Social Proof and Trust Marks - Users don’t trust marketing, use reviews and trust marks to build trust.
6. Test your Web Pages - Test headlines, CTAs, offers etc. Test scientifically and rigorously.
7. Make it urgent - Limited numbers, limited time etc. (Loss Aversion).
8. Make Guarantees, reduce risk - Money back, free trials etc.
9. Draw favourable comparisons - Humans often can’t estimate the value of a product or service, so they draw comparisons with similar things. Draw your own explicit comparisons can help frame the argument.
10. It’s their website not yours - Obvious point. Users generally aren’t interested in what you want to say. They want to solve their problems. Help them do that and you win).
11. Easy beats cheap (controversial) - For a certain type of user effort reduction is much more important than time reduction. 

That's just skimming the surface.  There's a whole host of other areas to think about including choice architecture and the power of defaults, pricing strategy, psychology, target audiences and more.

In fact this is a huge topic, but the list above is a good place to start whilst things might be a little quieter over the winter.