CRO tactics to turn your website into the ultimate sales tool

Feel like your website is underperforming?  

You’re not alone! Many businesses struggle to convert website visitors into paying customers. But the good news is, you can dramatically improve your results without breaking the bank. 

Discover how Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) can help turn your website into a lead-generating magnet. 

What is CRO?

Think of your website as your storefront. CRO enhances that storefront to make it more inviting to customers—it encourages them to come in and stay awhile. It ensures customers find what they are looking for and complete the action you want them to take. This could be buying a product or service, making an online booking, or signing up for your newsletter. 

CRO aims to make the customer journey—from discovering your website, to thinking about buying, to actually making a purchase—as seamless and efficient as possible. 

Why is CRO important for your business?

As a busy business owner, you don’t have time or money to waste. When your website is optimised for conversions, you get more return on investment from your existing website traffic. 

CRO is a must-have strategy in the digital marketing toolbox of every savvy business. 

Here’s the best part: CRO can help you boost sales without spending more on advertising. 

Before Getting Started with CRO

There are three essential steps you must take before implementing CRO tactics... 

Track your current conversion rate

You can’t improve on what you don’t measure. There are free tools like Google Analytics that can help you track your website’s conversion rate. 

Let’s say you run a bakery and your website offers online cake ordering. You can set up goals in Google Analytics to track specific actions visitors take, like adding a cake to their cart or completing a purchase. This will tell you what percentage of website visitors actually become paying customers (conversion rate). 

Map your customer journey 

Imagine the steps a customer takes from discovering your business to making a purchase. What information do they need? What questions do they have? Mapping this journey will help you identify areas for improvement. 

If a customer is trying to order a cake from your bakery website, by mapping the customer journey you may find out that the checkout process is confusing or that customers don’t have enough information about customising cakes or the extent of the delivery area. 

Define your ideal customer

Who is your perfect customer? Understanding their demographics and online behaviour helps your business target them effectively.  

Your ideal customer for the bakery website might be a busy professional who doesn’t have time to bake, lives in a nearby suburb, is active on social media, and is confident researching their options online. 

Now you’re ready to implement conversion strategies for each stage of the sales journey! 

The interest stage: Grab their attention and keep it!

A potential customer has discovered your website—now what? Use these CRO methods to keep them interested: 

• Mobile-friendly is key. Make sure your website loads fast, looks good on smartphones, and is easy to navigate. Most Kiwis browse on their phones! Over 60% of website traffic comes from mobile devices.
• Have clear calls to action. Tell your visitors what you want them to do next. This could be buying a product, signing up for your newsletter, or contacting you for a free quote. 
• Consider exit-intent popups. Don’t let visitors slip away! Use exit-intent popups to offer a discount or remind them about a valuable resource.  
• Use email automation. If a potential customer doesn’t purchase right away, your goal is to keep your brand top of mind for when they’re ready to take that next step. Marketing emails can also be used to thank and welcome new customers, reach out to people who abandoned their online carts, and to nurture and retain leads. 

The consideration stage: Build your customers’ trust

Although your customer is considering buying, they might still have some doubts. Conversion rate optimisation can help you build trust with your customers and assure them that they’re making the right decision.  

But how? 

• Testimonials and reviews: Showcase positive feedback from happy customers. Testimonials and reviews give your business credibility. They enhance trust and help potential customers make a decision. In fact, research shows that 93% of people are influenced by online reviews when they’re making a buying decision. 
• Include FAQs: Address common customer questions with a clear and concise FAQ section. These can be gleaned from questions customers have asked in the past. You can also address the pain points you identified in your customer journey map. 
• Offer guarantees: Buying online comes with an element of risk. What if the product arrives damaged, or it doesn’t fit, or if it’s just a dud? Reduce the risk of buying online for your customer with a strong guarantee policy. 

The decision stage: Streamline the buying process

Make the customer’s decision to buy easy for them. Don’t give them any excuses to abandon their cart. 

• Streamlined checkout process: Ensuring the check-out process or the final purchase stage is streamlined and glitch-free is vital to completing the sales journey with a purchase. 
• Transparent shipping fees and time frames: If possible, offer free shipping, or at least a free shipping calculator so your customer is aware of the cost. You should also be transparent about expected delivery times and offer a tracking link so the customer has timely information about their delivery. 
• Second chance popups and emails: What if your customer is interrupted by a friend’s text message, or their battery is running out and they abandon their shopping cart? That’s when your exit popup or automated email kicks in to remind them of their half-completed purchase. 

Grow your business with CRO 

Implementing smart CRO strategies throughout your customer’s purchasing journey will turn your website into a sales-generating machine, without forcing you to spend extra money or time on advertising to attract more traffic to your site. 

Need help? Found can be your CRO partner 

If you’re not sure where to start, or your team doesn’t have the time or expertise, book a no-cost strategy session with the team at Found to find out how they can help you boost and optimise your sales conversion rates.