CRO Checklist – Turn your website into a money making machine

May 27, 2020 |
By Sotiris Sotiriadis

A website is a great starting point for your business; however, a website alone will not lead to sales. If your user UX (user experience) UI (user interface) and general user flow are not properly optimized, your bounce rates will be off the charts, and your sales will suffer.

If you want to channel potential customers down your sales funnel, you’re going to need a perfect combination of page elements, site architecture, and written copy – here is a 20-point Conversion Rate Optimization checklist to make that happen.

1. Use a color scheme that is visually appealing.

Making sure that your website pages are visually appealing is essential for conversions. Reference the color wheel, and opt for a complementary or split complementary color scheme that is in line with the tone of your brand.

2. Keep your elements simple and obvious.

The saying less is more is as true in web design as it is anywhere else. Keeping your site elements minimal, clear, and concise is key for improving your user’s experience.

3. Ensure that your site passes the “5-second-test.”

Visitors will arrive at your website from a variety of different traffic sources, and if those visitors can’t tell what your site has to offer in the first 5 seconds, then your chances of snagging conversions will plummet quite dramatically.

4. Use whitespace to your advantage.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you need to fill your pages with as much information as possible. Use white space to draw users’ attention to what’s important, including product highlights, testimonials, and of course, your CTA’s.

5. Remove all unnecessary links.

Including unnecessary links on your page will send your potential customers down a road to nowhere. Keeping users on your site for as long as possible gives you more time to convince, and in turn, increase your chances of conversions.

6. Use directional cues to draw users to your CTA.

Never assume that your customers know where to look and act. Make it obvious by offering clear directional cues to your CTA’s. Some subtle arrows can be all it takes to convince a user to click through.

7. Communicate value in your headlines.

If there’s one thing that customers want, its value – for both their money and time. Use this to your advantage by adding numerical values in your headlines. For example, “How thousands have benefited from my FREE ebook” offers so much more than, “How people have benefited from my ebook.”

8. Use contrast to boost CTA visibility.

CTA’s are your holy grail for conversions, so it would be detrimental if your potential customers were to miss them. Make them “pop” by pumping up the contrast and making them really stand out from the rest of your content.

9. Make sure that your buttons look “clickable.”

“Can I click that?” and “Where do I click?” are questions that you never want your users to ask themselves. Having buttons that actually look like buttons, and look clickable is essential for creating a seamless UX. Simple button emboss animations can encourage click-throughs and increase user time on site.

10. Offer comparative price points.

Offering comparative price points is an excellent way for you to boost your conversion rate. When selling, for example, a membership, it is best practice to offer three different options.

A “standard” option for those who want to test the waters. A “pro” option for those who want the very best that money can buy. And a “premium” option, which is your middle ground.

The majority of customers will opt for the “premium” option because they don’t want to feel limited with the “standard” option, and will also question if they really need all of the features that the “pro” option offers.

Offering choice is definitely your friend. 

11. Cut to the chance and offer a CTA before the fold of your site.

The attention span of internet users is next to nothing – so don’t miss an opportunity by forcing them to scroll through your entire landing page. Offer a CTA right at the top of your page giving users who know what they want, what they want. 

12. Create an element of urgency.

Creating urgency is a fantastic way to boost your conversions. It all depends on your product, but whatever it is that you are offering, creating urgency will make it shift.

You could offer a limited amount of spaces on your e-course, offer half price if you order in the next 30 minutes, or highlight your items as “last chance to buy”

13. Use complimenting fonts that resonate with your brand.

Many people overlook fonts; however, using the correct typefaces that suit your tone and compliment each other is key for designing a web page that converts.

14. Include believable testimonials that add value.

Customers that are on the fence might just need a little personified persuasion. Testimonials from genuinely happy customers build trust and add new voices to your landing page copy.

15. Put a face to said testimonials.

Faceless testimonials will never have the same effect as those with a happy portrait image. Put a face to the stories, and you will greatly increase their significance on your page.

16. Ask only for lead information at this point in the sales funnel.

Asking too much from your customers at this initial stage of your sales funnel can be off-putting and counterproductive. Lead information only (name and email) is all that is needed for you to build your relationship with any said customer.

17. Break your page up into bite-size chunks.

Breaking your webpage up into “bite-size” chunks will aid in the readability of your site, and prevent shoving a huge wall of information at your potential customers. Block each of your sections off by using alternating colors, or even simple dividing lines.

18. Optimize your copy so that it speaks benefits, not features.

People will buy a product because of the value that it brings to their lives. Do not oversell your products’ features, and instead focus on telling the customer how said features will benefit them.

19. Talk to your customers like a real person.

Overly wordy text that is filled with niche jargon and ten syllable words is great for research papers, not landing pages. My number 1 tip for creating fantastic copy that converts is to write as you speak. Talk to your customers through your copy as if you were sitting with them face to face.

20. Proofread using the 3 tier method.

Building trust is essential for your conversion success, and one of the best ways to throw your trust-building out the window is by littering your website with spelling mistakes and misused punctuation.

Proofread yourself before having your pages checked over by someone else that you trust, and then proofread a third time just to make sure.

Incorporating the above, will not only ensure quick wins, but will likely lead to long-lasting success.

Talk to your favored Web Development Agency if the above info has peaked your interest.

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