Every website owner dreams of driving huge amounts of traffic toward their pages. Businesses like yours actually depend on that sort of traffic. After all, how can you make sales if no one is coming to see what you have to offer?

But, it really isn’t that rare to attract massive traffic and still end up with poor sales. While the initial traffic boost might make you jump with glee, the second sales dip should be a sign that something isn’t right. Something is missing.

High traffic, low sales – What’s wrong?

Having thousands of people come and check your website out, but leave without buying anything is a sign of good and bad things at the same:

• The good: Any strategies like marketing and SEO campaigns are working well. You have managed to rein in people and direct them to your website. Bravo!
• The bad: Once the visitors get to your website, something makes them want to turn and head back. You are not keeping them on your website.

Making visitors stay once they arrive on your website, and then turning them into paying customers, is called conversion and you are unfortunately doing it wrong.

Website conversions – How can I improve them?

No need to panic! We will look at some website features that you can work on to improve your conversion rates. Let’s go!

1. Speed

No one has any patience these days; everyone is in a rush. Your website should be, too. No one is going to come and sit around while your website loads pixel-by-pixel.

Cut media and other bulky files from all your web pages, but, most importantly, from the landing pages. Once you’re sure you’ve captured your visitors’ attention you can perhaps risk serving them with lagging pages – but not before.

2. Aesthetics

Nobody likes an ugly page, and we’re certainly not going to stay on a page that doesn’t have any sense of organization. People will bounce as soon as they can, that’s why good web design is a must. Apart from being pleasing to look at, it will help with content presentation and navigation. As soon as your visitors land on your page they need to love it, grasp what it is all about and then go on to the next step – preferably sales.

3. Mobility

Did you know the number of people accessing the internet using mobile devices have surpassed those those using laptops and desktops? This means, people who use smartphones and tablets aren’t finding your website to their liking.

Your website should take these potential customers to heart and cater to them. Your website should have all the features your full-sized website does, as well as looking just as cute.

4.Calls-to-action

Visitors who arrive on your landing pages might need a little push in the right direction. After they have digested your content, realized you have exactly what they’re looking for, they might still hesitate.

Use clear calls-to-action to push them over. Be very careful, though – you need to know the difference between guiding and aggressively pushing. Try to use simple tricks, like:

• Social proof: Tell them how many people have bought or use your product
• Use trust words: Let your visitors know that if any major companies or people have trusted you to be their product or service provider
• Give tips to reel users in: Pull those that are teetering on the edge in by enticing them with tips and hints they can’t resist
• Clearly mark calls-to-action: Use fonts, colors and contrast to attract your visitors’ attention to your calls-to-action

People need to be encouraged to part with their hard-earned money. Don’t take this point lightly.

5. Freebies

Everyone loves getting stuff for free. The visitors who come to your website might not have tried or tested your products or services. Create that initial bond of trust by offering a sample or taste for free.

People often need to try a product or service out before they put money down. If you think freebies are taking it a bit too far, or if you can’t afford it, try offering discounts, sales or guarantees, anything to make the visitors think it’s a win-win situation for them.

6. Value-adding

Although this point is last, it’s probably the most important feature your business will need to have. Whatever is on your business’ website should add value to your visitors’ lives.

Do not waste their time with sub-par content, half-cocked information or low-quality images and graphics. If you’re going to do it right, deliver quality information, products and service. This will guarantee conversion.

Improve your website right now and start converting.

Right now, you should be reaching out for your mouse to edit your website. Whatever features we have seen here and which are not on your website should be added immediately.