Websites play a crucial role in business across every industry because it’s often one of the first introductions people will have with your business and determine whether your products and/or services are right for them. Simply having a website, however, isn’t enough to attract and keep visitors. It needs to be designed and developed in a way that is more likely to convert visitors to take a particular desired action like purchase a product, make a reservation, submit a contact form, etc. Whichever are the most important types of conversions for your business, our website checklist will help lift your conversion rates.
Key Website Metrics
Before making hasty website changes, it’s smart to know how your website is currently performing. Known as ‘key performance indicators’ (KPIs) in
digital marketing, here are some critical website metrics you should analyze to make better-informed decisions.
- Visits
- Page views
- Average time on website
- Average page views
- Bounce rate
- Exit rate
- Total conversions
- Conversion rate
- Revenue
Google Analytics is the most popular website analytics tool to find these KPIs, but there are other free and paid tools available that can also help you track and monitor website performance. Regardless of which tool you use, the most important thing is to pay attention to these KPIs so website decisions are backed up by data, not guesswork.
1. User experience
Visitors have short attention spans so it’s essential that your website loads quickly and is easy to use across various devices (i.e. responsive design) so they’re less likely to leave or ‘bounce’ from the website. Fix any broken links, missing images, or any other website issue to enhance the user experience. The website should also be visually appealing and communicate the brand through color, imagery, spacing, and contrast to keep visitors on the website.
2. Copy
Once visitors decide to stay on your website, the copy should be written in a way that will keep them there and perform a call-to-action (more about that below). The copy should explain how your brand is different than the competition and the value they’ll receive by choosing you over competitors.
3. Call-to-action
Without a clear call-to-action (CTA), the website won’t do a good job of converting visitors into customers, leads, email subscribers, etc. The CTA should tell visitors the next step they’ll need to take to proceed with your company, and can be practically anything like "Sign Up Now" or "Download Free E-Book.” Whatever you choose, make sure it’s something that will actually support your sales funnel. A/B testing is a great way to discover which CTAs perform better than others and best supports your business goals.
4. Limit decisions
More choices means a longer decision time which is why your website shouldn’t have too many choices for visitors. First, limit the choices on the website’s navigation menu. When there are too many links, visitors can be overwhelmed by choices or lose interest altogether, making them bounce from the website. Second, don’t have too many CTA on the homepage and subpages to avoid diluting the effectiveness of your CTAs.
5. Color
Color is key to a website’s usability, mood, and what it says about the brand. Try different color combinations to evoke emotions and reactions that will best convey your brand. Also, the color used for CTA buttons can make a difference in getting customers to click on it. For instance, red is eye-catching whereas blue is more friendly. Test different colors for CTA buttons to see which color attracts the most clicks.
6. Easy contact method
Visitors shouldn’t have to dig around your website to find out how to reach your business. Make it easy to contact your business so you have the opportunity to capture their business by providing a high level of service. Display a phone number, email, or contact form on every page so visitors can contact your business at any point while they’re on your website instead of leave and go elsewhere.
Website Design and Development
When going through this website checklist, remember that visitors are there to learn more about your business and determine whether or not to do business with you. With the right combination of user experience, design, copy, and CTAs, your website performance will improve vastly. Start generating more conversions on your website with Sales & Marketing Technologies. We offer
website design and
development services for businesses, retail, healthcare, and more, creating website solutions that support sales goals.
Call (407) 682-2222 or message us below to book a free 30-minute session to see how a website redesign can benefit your business.