Driving traffic to your site is one thing, but getting that traffic to convert into sales is a whole different ball game. Oftentimes, business will be getting plenty of clicks, but the sales numbers just aren’t reflecting the same success. Here are a few potential reasons your traffic numbers may be there, but the sales just aren’t coming, and some methods to boost those sales.
Website Navigation and Ease of Use
It is possible that the problem lies in that your website is not user-friendly enough for people to follow through with making purchases. You do not want to be deterring potential customers by making your site complicated to figure out or hard to navigate. Make sure your website is as easy to follow as possible. Display important links and navigation buttons in obvious locations and large fonts. Do not make users click through multiple pages just to reach the shopping or purchase page. Then, whenever you think your site is as clear and simple as possible, be sure to have unbiased individuals give it a test run and make sure they find it easy to use as well.
A great example of ease of use can be found on DD Mau’s website. There is a clear “Menu” tab you can click on, which takes you to the menu screen. Large, obvious buttons beneath each menu item take you directly to the ordering page if you choose to place an order. Quick and easy!
Use Specific Landing Pages
When directing people to your site from an outside source, such as your social media pages, it is ESSENTIAL that you choose an appropriate landing page. You want to use specific landing pages, not just the homepage of your site, as often as possible. If your CTA is asking people to order online, direct them to the ordering page. If your CTA is telling people to subscribe to your newsletter, take them directly to the subscription form. Potential customers can be turned off by landing on your main website and having to figure out how to navigate to the page you were actually talking about. Make sure there are no extra steps standing between your potential customer and the action you want them to perform. Here you can see a post by Crafted. asking people to order online includes a link directly to the ordering page.
Sweeten the Deal
Sometimes, people coming to your site are particularly indecisive about making a purchase. They are not sure they’ll be satisfied, worried about the financial commitment, or just indecisive in general. For these types of customers, a discount or special offer of some sort can be the deciding factor that pushes them over the edge and gets them to actually purchase. Offer a small incentive on your site that pushes people toward purchasing. This can be anything from a 10% discount to a small free gift to a package deal bundling a few of your offerings together for a special price. Often, even a small discount is enough to sway people and increase their willingness to go ahead and make a purchase.
Insert a Pop Up
Although they can be perceived as annoying, pop up windows on your site do really tend to bring in results. This is a good way to capture potential customers for the future, even if they do ultimately decide not to make a purchase in the moment. Just because someone does not buy anything the first time they are on your site does not mean they won’t become a customer in the future. You want to gather contact information from as many of these browsers as possible. That way, you can send them exclusive offers, reminders about sales, and information about new offerings. By staying in contact, you will keep your business front of mind for them, so you have a better chance of retaining them as a customer in the future.
Here you can see Guido’s Pizzeria and Tapas has a newsletter pop-up on their website, to try to stay in touch with potential customers.
Specific and Engaging Copy
Be sure that the content on your site is engaging and written to be very specific to your offerings. This is, in many cases, your last line of defense to convince browsers to make a purchase. You want your copy to convince them that they NEED your product, not to just offer a broad and generic description of your offerings. It should be persuasive and assertive, while still providing the necessary information about your offerings. Write in a way that your potential customers will enjoy reading!
These are just a few ways your website might be inadvertently driving potential sales away. Try a few of the tips above to optimize your site and help convert your website traffic into actual sales.
