3 unexpected ways to increase your website conversions

When it comes to increasing website conversions, you’ve heard it all… “Your site should load fast!”, “It should be optimized for mobile!”… the list goes on. But sometimes you do have all of those basics covered and yet, you’re not seeing the results you’re looking for.

You know your website could be working harder and converting better.

If you want to take your website to the next level - let me tell you, it’s all in the details and I'm here to fill you in on exactly that.

So today, I’m here to share with you 3 unexpected ways you can increase your conversions on your website.

Ready to get started increasing conversions with more ease? Keep reading!

1. Optimize your footer

‍The website footer (the collection of elements found at the bottom of your website) is one of the most neglected components of a website. But it's so much more than a place for your copyright and legal links.⁣ When optimized, the website footer can be a powerful conversion tool.⁣

Here’s why:⁣

• Website footers are like a safety net for your visitors: where your main navigation fails, your footer navigation can provide direction. How many times have you scrolled down the bottom of a page when you couldn’t find the info you were after?
• They’re great oppportunity to include a final call-to-action: whether it’s to sign up for a newsletter or book a discovery call, it's a final chance to connect with your visitor. Why not use it?⁣
• They prolong engagement: by including navigation links in the footer, your visitors can keep exploring your website without having to scroll back up. ⁣

I always encourage people to keep this in mind when designing their website footer:⁣

→ Keep it simple and relevant⁣

Ask yourself what information is useful for your visitors. What will make them want to learn more about you? How can you get them to engage further?⁣ Try not to cram too much content - it can be tempting to include everything you couldn’t in your main navigation, but it just ends up providing a bad experience. ⁣

→ Keep it organised⁣

If you’re including lots of links, try to organise them by section (you can group relevant links together in columns). You want to make sure your footer is easy to scan and navigate.⁣

In summary, don’t see your footer as the end of the user experience. It has potential to be the beginning of your customer’s journey. ⁣By designing your website footer more strategically, you may spark connection with your visitors and inspire them to learn more about you.⁣

2. Don't neglect your 404 page

“Page not found”… no one likes those 3 words, especially web designers ;-) Whether it’s a mistyped URL or simply a broken link, you’re bound to have people stumble upon this dreaded page. It happens. Unfortunately, error pages like this one can be real dead-ends and completely ruin your website engagement. So why not make lemonade out of lemons and turn a technical mishap into an enjoyable experience? 

Not only that… I’ll let you in on a secret: your 404 page can even increase your conversions. How so? Let me share a few tips with you:

• It sounds obvious, but make sure this page has a look & feel that’s consistent with the rest of your website. I see way too many standard ‘404 error’ pages with tons of complicated technical jargon. Not the best experience for your visitor
• Think about how you can infuse your brand personality to make this page different and memorable, so it becomes part of your brand experience. If you need inspiration, go check out mine at milkteaweb.com/404 and Marie Forleo also has a great one on her website!
• Give your visitors somewhere to go next: you can include a link back to your homepage, or links to your most popular pages. Or give them something to do - such as downloading your freebie, if you have one!
• But keep it simple: remember your visitors are likely frustrated they couldn’t find the page they were looking for, so don’t put their patience to the test by including your entire site map.
  

3. Your contact page matters too

After spending so many hours creating a site, it can be tempting to neglect this simple, but crucial page. Stick a contact form in there and call it a day, right? What a missed opportunity!

There’s actually so much more you can do to lead your visitor towards taking the next step. Let me share a few tips:

• ‍I suggest my clients include a few welcome lines and their picture. This adds a touch of personality and make you more approachable.
• Another good idea is to include your availability and office/opening hours. 
• It’s also the perfect place to include frequently asked questions. Doing so will save you tons of time as people won’t be contacting you to ask the same questions over and over again. It also speeds up the process as you will answer your customers’ questions (and objections!) before they even ask.

What about the contact form?

‍The contact form has a bit of a bad rap in the online world.  As a matter of fact, ‍research shows that people don’t trust them and will choose to send an email over filling out a form. They’re associated with slow response times and there’s just something a bit impersonal about them. 

That said, they can be crucial in gathering key information before getting in touch with people. So I suggest you keep the following tips in mind to ensure people do fill in your form:

→ Keep your contact form short and sweet

‍I often see contact forms with dozens of fields asking for information. Even 'application forms'! A bit off-putting, isn't it? ‍Why make it so hard for people to get in touch with you? Remember, you’re not the University of Harvard 😉 It’s important to remember that to get more leads and clients, it’s crucial you make it easy for people to contact you.

‍Do you really need that person's phone number? Do they need to write a lengthy essay about why they want to hire you? Consider including drop-down and tick boxes where you can, to make it quicker for people to fill in.

‍→ Reassure your visitors you’ll answer their query

It’s a good idea to include a sentence telling people when they can expect a response. I also suggest my clients set up an email auto-responder to let people know you’ve received their submissions and will be in touch soon. 

The bottom line

‍It might not seem like much, but optimizing your footer, 404 and contact pages are small details that can make the biggest difference in improving the flow of your website. By providing a more seamless experience and getting rid of the dead-ends that make people leave your website and never return, it means greater engagement and conversions.

Why not stack all the odds in your favour?

‍This type of strategic changes is just one small element that we can cover on my FREE website strategy call.

If your website isn’t converting as well as it could be, then you absolutely need to join me for this free, 30-minute strategy call where we’ll talk about:

• What you need to include on your website and where so you can give your clients the best experience
  
• How to structure your website so it flows easily and feels intuitive so you dream clients know exactly what you do and how you can help
  
• How to make sure your website resonates with your people so they’re excited to buy from you

Book your free website strategy call