How to Build a Website: Conversions

Analytics can help you discover the best way to convert visitors (photo source).

In a previous post, we introduced a method for inexperienced website owners to build and optimize a new website. To maximize efficiency, consider four key jobs. 

1. Website Design

2. Website Development

3. Content Creation

4. Conversion Optimization 

To successfully complete these jobs, a new website owner may need the help of experienced professionals, including top-notch design and development pros who understand website optimization and experienced writers. 

The purpose of design and development, as well as content creation, is to attract well-informed visitors to your website. But for most sites, attracting visitors is not the ultimate goal. If you hope to run a successful business, your visitors must purchase your product.

The difference between visitors and converted visitors defines SEO success. This difference is often referred to as your conversion rate: the percentage of visitors who perform a desired action on your site. This "desired action" will be different for different sites.

For a blog, the desired action might be clicking on multiple posts, writing comments, or following a link to a sponsor.

When you reach the sponsor's site, however, the desired action might include purchasing a product, signing up for a newsletter, filling out a "Contact Us" form, or calling the company directly.

How Do You Want to Convert Visitors?

If your website sells a product, you want visitors to buy your product. Obviously. Yet many online businesses do not optimize for the most crucial aspect of business: conversions. 

If you're a new website owner, and you've used an artful designer, an intelligent developer, and a creative copywriter, your website might be optimized to convert visitors into customers. Your website’s look and feel, the loading speed, and the quality of information should assure that your visitors will not navigate to other websites to look for similar products or services.

However, do not assume that your beautiful design, lightning-fast loading speed, and wonderful content is enough to convert visitors.

The final conversion requires a thoughtful strategy to inspire, retain, and maintain customers. To develop a strategy, you may work with an Organic SEO professional who will help you analyze your website's analytics.

Most websites are designed and developed with links in mind. A direct-traffic customer will start at the homepage and click to find the product he or she wishes to purchase. This is how it works for people typing your address directly into the toolbar.

But what about people who type a word or phrase into Google?

Looking at your site's analytics, an SEO pro can help you optimize the pages that receive the most organic visits for conversions. Perhaps you could add a "Buy Now" widget or a "Customers Also Liked" link. In the end, you want to assure that navigation to your core selling pages is quick and easy and that the reward for clicking to the next page is clear.

A thoughtful conversion strategy is the final step to creating a fully-optimized website that will attract the customers you deserve! 

If you are interested in transforming your website into a money-making tool or are interested in exploring opportunities to outperform your competition, we encourage you to contact SEO SPARTA.

We combine traditional marketing methods and organic SEO--emphasizing natural website optimization--to design thoughtful, inspiring, and effective marketing campaigns.

Contact us