We all know some of the biggest ways to improve conversion rates: Test different layouts and styles, make sure you have relevant categories and filters for readers to choose themselves, test captions with your images, have a strong call-to-action on each of your pages, make sure your text is easy to read, and many more.
Most companies use all of these top suggestions, but that doesn’t mean that these are your only options if you’re looking to improve conversion rates.
There are quite a few more creative things to consider if you’re looking for something new, and for many companies, this could be the key to big improvements.
Below are a few extra options for you to test if you’re working hard to improve your conversion rate and need that extra last push:
1. See if you can drive traffic to a product page instead of a category page.
The more specific your landing pages, the better. Sometimes category pages are the right move, but go through your site and check to see if product pages can be moved higher in the site’s hierarchy or if they can be better interlinked.
Too many companies seem to worry about not forcing a product page on a consumer (which is a good thing to consider), but in some cases a product page makes sense, so take advantage.
2. Try to eliminate unnecessary links from your pages
Many companies put a lot of focus on internal linking and linking to authoritative sources, and while this is great, it is possible that over-linking may be causing distractions.
Try removing unnecessary links to see if people are less distracted; therefore watching your conversion numbers rise.
3. Consider removing/hiding the navigation bar from some or most of your landing pages
This is something that can also distract visitors and have them bouncing around your website instead of making decisions. It seems like a helpful tool so companies don’t think much of it, but it can make a big difference for some.
Keep the navigation bar on your homepage, but test what happens when you remove or hide it on your landing pages. This is especially a great test on mobile devices where there’s not much real estate.
4. Make sure your product only has one or two different options
Options are always seen as a good thing, so this is something else that many forget to test. However, too many options can give the visitor a long time to contemplate what they want to do, they may decide to think about it and come back (and won’t), or they could be overwhelmed.
One or two choices for your product or service could be your ticket to better conversions.
5. Pay attention to landing page headlines and PPC ads. Make sure they’re matching.
This point can definitely be considered a stretch for some, but it’s still an interesting one. People like consistency and things to appear very easy, and this is one way to make that happen.
Focus on the language and keywords you use and try to keep all of your ads and landing pages consistent.
6. Try one or more credibility markers
Credibility markers include testimonials, reviews, and badges on your site, but it can go further with things like “money-back guarantees” and even endorsements from BBB or other local organizations.
Putting these on your homepage is definitely worth testing. You can learn all about credibility markers and how to make them work for you here.
7. Bonus: Cross-Sell!
Consumers have multiple ways of discovering products. Some of them search Google, while others go straight to Amazon, Ebay, or Etsy.
Maintaining your presence on major marketplaces is a great way to sell more. More importantly, it is a great way to build brand recognizability which inevitably results in better conversions.
Luckily, selling everywhere is easy. Here are a few great guides:
- Here’s a beginner-friendly guide on how to set up your Amazon storefront
- Here’s how to sell on Etsy
- Here’s a great video on selling on eBay
For digital product sellers, there are quite a few platforms to build brand and product recognizability.
The Takeaway
It’s important to remember that conversion tips do not follow the “one size fits all” category. They can work great in some situations but not in others. In other words, any tips you read you should think of as ideas that you can (and should) test to see if they’re right for you.
Other tests such as redesigning certain pages and testing different colors and content are still important, the suggestions above are just a few options that tend to fall through the cracks. If you’ve gotten success with any of the ideas above or have any ideas of your own, let us know in the comment section below.
