Are you happy with how many conversions your ads and emails are netting? That’s great! You’re in rare company — only about 22% of companies feel satisfied with this. But if you’re in the majority, you’ve come to the right place.
“I need more leads.” “We want more sign-ups.” “Why are more people not responding?”
If you’ve asked any version of these questions, we hear you. These concerns are common among clients at Zoe Marketing & Communications. Through our work on thousands of marketing campaigns, we’re experts at providing insights — and shaping expectations.
Read on to discover:
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4 tactics to help get more conversions, generally
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4 ways to boost the odds of people converting on your landing page
By the end of this blog, you’ll feel more educated and empowered about how to get better conversion rates. We’ll also supply some clear next steps to learn more.
4 tactics to help get more conversions, generally
Clarity, experimenting, efficiency and asking good questions are all hallmarks of getting any conversion. These four methods can help build a fruitful, well-rounded approach.
1. Lead with value
What does your ideal customer want? Consistently work to understand them and the “pain” they’re experiencing. And, as a result, create something to help them.
Your ad or email message should quickly telegraph that you understand their needs better than anyone else in your market.
A free PDF download — such as a guide or checklist — is a powerful tool to achieve this. It’s something of high value you’re willing to give away to help people. In exchange, prospects give up something of high value to them (and you): their email addresses and names.
2. Embrace A/B testing
What works best? It’s tough to know without some targeted trial and error.
For example, test two different versions of the landing pages where you host your free PDF downloads. Try varying messages based on what your buyers might be feeling, like:
With every decision we make, we’re running from pain or running towards possibility. Find out what messages best resonate with your audience. And determine how many website visits it takes, on average, to get one conversion.
3. Develop email ‘workflows’
Once you have those email addresses, nurture them through a series of emails. The idea is to keep helping and speaking to your prospects. Let them know you’ve got their back, and give them a chance to keep engaging with you.
Think about those feelings mentioned above (emotional, rational, worried) for your subject lines and email content. Also, if your email marketing system permits it, use “personalization tokens.” These let you address people by first name (if you’ve collected that data) and are highly effective.
4. Try website surveys — strategically
These can be handy in helping craft your message, but timing is essential. Don’t bombard people with a broad, non-compelling survey out the gate, especially if they’re new prospects. Instead, try:
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Asking questions that address where they’re “at” — i.e., their pain points. For example, an orthodontist might ask about patients’ biggest concerns. Is it the cost? Invisalign vs. traditional braces? Proximity/location? Meet customers in that private “conversation in their mind” — what they’re thinking but not telling anyone else.
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Using surveys as part of your email series. Send it a month or two later, once people are more comfortable with you and may be willing to give insights.
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Curtailing your questions to only the essentials or most compelling. Remember, the more you ask, the more you’re asking of people, and the more likely they won’t finish.
4 ways to boost the odds of people converting on your landing page
This gets more nuanced. You’re getting into user experience and thinking like someone who is checking out your landing page. Here are four key tips.
1. Address site speed
This is No. 1. Anything that takes over 3 seconds to load, you lose about 20% of your audience. Sometimes, they’ll bail out even faster.
Start by checking your page load times in Google Analytics. Use diagnostic websites like PageSpeed Insights (free) and Pingdom (30-day free trial) to pinpoint possible issues. (Zoe also can help you drill down into issues with an SEO audit.)
Possible solutions to improving speed include decreasing image sizes on your site, caching search results to cut down load times, and various other hosting factors.
2. Understand where visitors are coming from
Not all “paths” to your page are created equal. Consider folks searching on these platforms:
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Google: Here, people are in problem-solving mode. They’re in a headspace of getting answers. So, if they see your ad later (through the magic of search engine marketing), they’re more likely to click on it.
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Social media: In this world of ads, you’re trying to pull someone from what they’re already doing — scrolling their feed. You have maybe 5 seconds to grab their attention.
Each has a very different intent. That means you should tailor your messages by platform.
3. Deliver a clear, compelling message
To underscore this important point: Your actual message is essential. Key factors to keep in mind:
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Consistent aesthetics: The colors of your ad should match the colors on your landing page. Headlines should correlate, too. If someone clicks on a purple-green ad about braces for kids, but lands on an orange-red page about general orthodontics? Instantly, their brain goes, “I’m in the wrong place.” They’re more likely to get confused and leave.
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Great copy: Words matter. You want a crisp message that’s more likely to convert. Highlight the “pain,” the possibilities, and the next steps. You want it to feel achievable and not overwhelming. Hone it into a couple of headlines and a brief message.
4. Experiment with video
Video is much easier for the brain to consume, understand and “download.” Written words do matter, but reading takes more brainpower. Create a connection more quickly with video.
After all, people like to do business with people they know, trust and like. And you can establish that rapport faster with video.
Try using video in your ads, for sure — and on your landing page itself. Don’t get hung up on high production value! Vidyard, for example, lets you create quick, compelling videos that personalize your brand and cut through the clutter.
Finally, keep them short. The faster you can get your message across, the better. Aim for 15-30 seconds; no more than a minute, max.
Next steps for optimizing your conversions
Conversions are the goal — but getting them is all about the details.
In this blog, we highlighted 4 key tactics to help drum up your conversions, such as delivering value and doing A/B testing. Then, we touched on 4 ways to boost the odds folks convert once they arrive on your landing page.
Are you looking to drum up your conversions? Talk to us. Zoe Marketing & Communications has 15+ years of experience of helping businesses increase their quality leads and conversions.
Still researching? Dig deeper into conversion marketing and learn about these essentials:
