Your website is one of the most important owned channels in your business. It’s a source of credibility, information, and mostly conversion- or customer-lead generation. There are roughly 1.5 billion websites, and many are fighting for your customer’s attention. But, if you do it right and follow these simple and timeless tips, you will be found and your customers will listen.
Know your audience
The single most important factor of any website is to know your audience and know their pain-points. Are they busy C-suite executives, for example? Then your content should be easily digestible – bullet points are a must. You likely have a sense of who your audience is. But is it written down? As Philippe Kruchten, renowned software engineer, says, “If it is not written down, it does not exist.”
Write clear copy
For some, this is a difficult task. The goal is to sound as though you know what you’re talking about while not losing the customer in the mire of jargonese. There’s a simple maxim in which Don Miller, CEO of StoryBrand, shares, “If you confuse, you’ll lose.” Read your main content aloud to another person, then explain what that means. The language you use to describe what your main content actually means is the language you should be using.
Use words for humans, not search engines
Most of Google’s algorithm changes each year are around the topic of natural language processing – a fancy phrase to mean “more human-like.” Avoid keyword-stuffing content purely for the purpose of enhancing your search rankings. In 2017, Google acknowledged that keyword stuffing damages rankings. So instead, write your copy so your audience will gain value and insight from it. You’ll make your audience happy (and Google, too).
Additionally, consider the advent of voice search. According to research by Amazon Alexa, by the end of 2020, almost 30% of the internet will be using screenless search1. So natural language plays a large factor in findability.
Use overt calls-to-action
Many times, we see businesses on one extreme or the next when it comes to calls-to-action (CTAs). It’s either overdone or nonexistent. The sweet spot is really somewhere between ClickFunnels® and what you likely have today. Your CTAs should be clear, concise and visible on all pages. Ask for the sale and you’ll be amazed by how many more conversions you get.
Even in 2020 websites still play a crucial role in your business success online. Follow our recommendations and you’ll likely find some success in marketing to an overwhelmed audience.
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Boosting Conversion Rates: A Hot Dog Success Story
by Dan Cooper, Creative Director
We recently had the opportunity to work with Feltman’s of Coney Island (est. 1867) – the name behind the world’s first hot dog. Because Feltman’s is now a veteran-owned company, giving back to veterans is an important part of the company’s mission. Feltman’s launched a giveback initiative to donate 100% of their Veterans Day Weekend website profits to The Headstrong Project—a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the mental health of veterans.
To help prepare their website for an influx of traffic from these efforts, we were tasked with overhauling the site and its direct-to-consumer online store. The end goal was to boost ease of use and, ultimately, conversion rates.
The first step was modernizing and standardizing the brand’s look and feel, providing the user with a cohesive experience across the site. This led to the creation of the “The Original Original Hot Dog” moniker, as well as supporting visual elements that more concisely told the brand’s origin story.
To boost the conversion rate, we:
- Simplified and streamlined the site’s content.
- Rewrote the site’s content with a focus on identified keywords, ensuring that all content adhered to natural-language-search best practices.
- AAdded strategically placed shopping CTAs throughout the site.
- Captured brand new product photography that was in line with the new aesthetic.
- Implemented and enhanced cart abandonment tactics.
- Added a refined callout to join the email list for future updates and specials.
Feltman’s efforts to support veterans was a resounding success. In conjunction with the overhauled website and earned national media coverage, they completely sold out of all products, resulting in their highest single day of online sales ever, as well as a conversion rate six times that of any previous effort.
