When you own a store, it’s one of your goals to turn as many window shoppers into customers as possible. When you run an ecommerce store, the term for that transformation from visitor to buyer is “Conversion Rate”. If you want to make sure your homepage converts as many visitors as possible, follow these steps brought to you by Search Engine Journal and Search Engine Watch.
1) Streamline Your Design: Website design is a big reason people walk in the digital door, then walk right back out again. If your homepage is cluttered, or difficult to understand, then visitors aren’t going to waste their time. You’re looking to make a connection in the first three seconds.
2) Be Up-Front: Even if you have an attractive, professional homepage, viewers need to know what your site is about or what’s the value for them. Make sure what you sell is obvious at a glance but also make sure your value proposition stands out. That way your viewers will know they’re in the right place without digging too deep.
3) Check Your Keywords: If people are searching for a certain keyword, but your site doesn’t provide what they want, then those browsers are going to hit the back button. If someone is searching for “buy women’s shoes,” but your site is a fashion blog that discusses styles without buy links, then you’re going to have a lot of viewers who aren’t looking for what you’re providing.
4) Make Your Calls to Action Relevant: A call to action is the best way to get someone’s attention. For example, if you have a banner that says “get your free ebook now!” it’s going to get clicks because people love free stuff. However, if that click takes them to your general ebook homepage, instead of the page where they can get their free book, people are going to hit the back button. The fewer steps between A and B when it comes to calls to action, the better.
5) Connect With Social Media: When someone comes across a business’s social media page, they’re more likely to do a bit of reading about who they are, and what they provide, before heading to the homepage. Just putting that information out there can ensure that more people come to you on purpose, thus ensuring you’ve got their interest, and are more likely to sell to them.
6) Don’t Disrupt The Experience: Users are easily irritated, and anything that makes them pause their browsing may make them walk away. Sometimes all it takes is a single pop-up ad to bounce them off your homepage, so avoid those things the same way you would automatically playing songs or videos.
7) Fast Loading Times: If your homepage is so loaded down with high-quality graphics and cutting edge resolution that it takes 10 seconds to load, you might actually cut down on the number of viewers who actually see it. Attention spans are short online, and if it takes your homepage too long to load up, browsers will move on without waiting for you.
