Conversion optimisation is often seen as something separate from driving traffic. The work of driving traffic happens at the top of the inbound marketing funnel and is primarily about awareness. The actual conversion happens much further down the funnel, once you've processed your lead. Working on conversion point optimization is therefore seen as a separate tactic.There are, however, activities that help both optimize for conversions, as well as drive traffic.
Additional sales provide opportunity for conversion
Additional sales certainly occur when the user has already decided to buy what you are offering, but there is room to increase the value of the order. In B2C, this could mean adding an extra product, such as shoe polish, if the visitor buys a pair of shoes. In B2B, it can be about adding services, such as adding support or an extended licence for a business system.By offering relevant additional services and products, you can add value and be a more interesting option for your visitor, which may be what actually makes the visitor convert.
How can additional sales drive traffic?
Linking between pages on your website that show the products and services you offer is an effective way to increase the value of your website. Internal linking should be part of your SEO efforts as it helps to increase the value of your landing pages, and it also makes it easier for your visitors to find specific landing pages if there are clear and relevant links. If the visitor is already reading up on something you offer, they are likely to be interested in more of your services or products.Also, make sure to populate the landing pages with information. By describing, explaining and answering common questions, you can demonstrate your expertise and build trust and a relationship with your visitors. Read more about the value of writing content to build strong customer relationships here.
Optimize CTAs (Call to Action)
A CTA is a call to action. On websites, this could include a button that says "Book an appointment" or a link to read more. The important thing is that your CTAs clearly tell you what happens when the visitor clicks. In this way, you can effectively guide the user through the website.
Personalized CTAs that increase conversion
If you have a system that allows this, it is even more beneficial if you can have personalised CTAs. Depending on who the visitor is, they will have different preferences and needs. Personalising the website so that the individual gets a customised experience that meets their needs is one way to increase the chances of conversion.To give an example of personalised CTAs. Let's say you're selling a system that automates processes. Your target audiences are HR managers as well as finance managers, and these audiences are interested in different types of information. The HR manager is looking for information about reducing sick leave and how it makes staff feel better. The finance manager is more interested in systems that lead to more efficient working and cost savings.Once both of these people have downloaded your guides and filled in their role, for their next visit you can adapt the website to display the relevant CTA. You can then use a landing page to invite the CFO to download a new guide on how your system leads to higher production and higher revenue. On the same landing page, you can invite the HR manager to download a new guide on how your system reduces stress by automating time-consuming processes, thus optimising the website to improve the user experience and increase conversions. Producing content that your visitors interact with also increases the chances that search engines will index the landing page and rank it highly.As an added bonus, continually providing new, interesting information also increases the likelihood that you'll have repeat visitors. Not only do more new visitors count when talking about traffic, but repeat visitors are also an important part of the statistics.
Content, content, content
Content is the single most important factor affecting your organic results.Filling your website with really good content has several benefits. You can index on relevant keywords by having good copy. A general rule is that it should be longer than you think, interesting and clear. Preferably over 1000 words, with clear subheadings and divisions and short sentences that are easy to read. Of course, what you write about also needs to be of interest to your target audience.Clear structure also makes it easier for the user to get an overview of what the content is about. The person can then jump directly to the parts that catch their attention. It also increases the chances of the visitor staying on the page, which makes search engines rank the page higher. Interaction in different forms indicates that your website is relevant. Relevance is crucial to how your website performs in search results.Filling your website with engaging content is also important for building a relationship with your visitors. By discussing, explaining and sharing issues, problems and solutions in your industry, you demonstrate your expertise. So don't be afraid to give out information for free. In a digital world where information is easy to find, it is your credibility and transparency by being open, honest and clear that convinces visitors that you are the one they should convert to customers.Relevant content that you should populate your website with is:
- Information about what you sell and the value and benefits of your products and services.
- Headings, subheadings and body text containing relevant keywords
- Images and videos to help showcase and explain what you offer
- Frequently asked questions and answers that not only help the user but also provide a good opportunity to weave in keywords and search phrases
If you want to learn more about the basics of creating great content, read our post on content marketing tips and advice.
Creating opportunities for customers to re-convert
We like to focus on the number of new visitors and new customer conversions as a benchmark for how we are performing and how well the company is doing. It is equally important to remember existing customers - those who have already shown an interest in your products or services. In the best case they have converted, but they may also be those who have downloaded a guide and visited a certain number of pages, several times.Make sure to maintain the dialogue with existing visitors and existing customers. Maybe it's time to upgrade the system they bought a few years ago? Maybe you've released a new version of the product with more features that your customers might be interested in?Satisfied customers are easier to sell to than someone who has never heard of your brand.There are several different systems that help with Marketing Automation so that you can maintain a dialogue and a relationship with visitors who have converted in some form or another. By informing this group about your latest whitepaper they want to download or about a new product you have developed, you increase the chances of driving traffic back to the website and getting a new conversion. Adding value helps to reinforce your brand and build loyalty to your brand.
Summary
Our 3 tips for activities that optimise conversions and drive traffic are:
- Focus on additional sales
- Optimize and personalize your CTAs
- Produce relevant content
- Ensure existing customers can convert again
A website is not static, but requires regular activity to perform as well as possible. Produce content regularly, optimize CTAs, show the visitor more pages/products/services they may be interested in and maintain dialogue with existing users. By doing this, you will both drive more traffic to your website and increase conversions.Ready to convert your website but need a little help on the way? Download our whitepaper template below.DOWNLOAD THE WHITE PAPER TEMPLATE