subject: 10 ways to convert your site visitors into paying customers [print this page] 10 ways to convert your site visitors into paying customers
Give people what they want. It sounds really obvious, but unless you're providing a product or service that is in demand, you're fighting a losing battle seeking to convert your site visitors into paying customers. Before you invest in your online business, take the time to make sure there's demand for what you're offering and that people are (at least) likely to pay the price you're charging. A good indicator of this is a bit of online competitor analysis, but if you're launching something completely new, you'll need a bit more scientific market research before you can confidently set up your new business.
Make your site easy to get around. There's nothing more likely to put site visitors off spending time on your site than a confusing menu system. For your visitors to become paying customers, you need to keep them on your site long enough to make the decision that they need what you're offering and they're happy to pay the price you're asking. There are various statistics bandied about regarding how long you've got to do this, but the consensus is not very long! So make sure your site is as simple as ABC to navigate and if you're selling online make sure buying can be done in a minimum number of clicks if in doubt, visit Amazon and see how they do it!
Make sure your contact details are on every page of your site. There's nothing more frustrating on a website than having been "engaged" and then not being able to find the contact details. If your contact details are buried somewhere on your site, bring them right up to the front. Your potential paying customers need to be able to at least email you and at best phone you, so make sure they can find your contact details easily.
Offer easy returns or guarantees. Your site visitors are more susceptible to try your product or service if they have the peace of mind of knowing that they can return it or get their money back if it's not how they expected it to be. Sites which offer great returns policies and money back guarantees do so because they have complete confidence in their product or service. They rarely have to enforce their return or guarantee policies because their customers are more often than not delighted with their purchase, so this major benefit ends up costing them nothing! Online, the offer of a guarantee, not only shows that you truly believe in and have confidence in your product, it shows that you care about your customers' satisfaction. Guarantees can be applied to services as well as products and if you've planned your offering well, they'll probably never be called upon but will certainly help convert your site visitors to paying customers.
Deliver great customer service. One of the biggest mistakes many business owners make is to think that customer service is less important online than off. They couldn't be more mistaken. As important as a "good morning" and a smile in a physical shop; personal, timely communication and attention to detail is as, if not more important online than off.
Engage with your visitor. One of the best ways to convert your site visitor into a paying customer is to show them that you understand their needs. You can do this using photos and text and by describing your product or service in terms of its benefits rather than its features. Benefits are what your product or service will do for its buyer and are crucial to the online conversion process.
Instil trust. Your site visitors are much more likely to buy from you or contact you if they feel safe and secure. You can instil trust through your text as well as using testimonials. Also important is the inclusion of a Privacy Policy saying you won't share customer information with third parties and of course a Secure Payment System is absolutely essential if you're asking people to pay online.
Start to build a list. One way to get people one step closer to becoming a paying customer is to get them to give you permission to contact them. You can do this in a number of ways, but a great way is by giving them something in return for their contact details eg. a free sample or some useful information. What you give them will allow them to try your product or service and their details will allow you to get closer to them.
Reward your customers for their loyalty. When someone buys from your business , give them a reward by offering to discount their next purchase. This will encourage them to come back for more.
Analyse your site visitor behaviour and use that information to make improvements. There are many ways to analyse your site visitor behaviour, but the likes of Google analytics, which is free, is a great way to start. Google analytics allows you to see how many people visit your website; where they come from; how they found you; how long they stay and how they behave once they're inside. This information is invaluable in tweaking your website to more effectively turn your visitors into paying customers.
