So you want to start optimizing your website through A/B testing. That’s wonderful news! Your first thought should be, “Where do I start?” While diving into your qualitative and quantitative data is essential to a successful testing program, there are some known “conversion killers” that you can fix and/or test right away. Though tricky to identify if you don’t know what to look for, fear not, the Conversion Optimization Team is here to help! Here are some elements to look at on your website:
404 Redirect / Page Not Found – This one is pretty self-explanatory. If a visitor can’t easily find a page, they’ll leave your site faster than lightspeed!
Slow Site Speed – Internet users expect websites to load quickly these days. Sometimes, even an extra second or two can cause potential visitors to leave your website without engaging. Slow load times also have a negative connotation associated with them, where users view the site as “untrustworthy”.
Non-Mobile-Friendly Website – With the increase in mobile usage and traffic in 2015, experts do not expect to see this growth slow down anytime soon. Having a mobile-friendly website today isn’t only recommended, but essential to you customers.
Homepage Image Sliders/Carousels – This conversion killer is one that most, if not all, Conversion Optimization Experts agree on. While they provide sites with a way to display more images, promotions and products on the homepage, image sliders and carousels aren’t helping your conversion rates. They are distracting, moving too quickly for visitors to really understand what’s going on. This is true for both eCommerce and lead generation websites.
Complicated Cart and Checkout Processes – Missing a progress bar? Sending visitors to multiple pages for each individual step? Once a customer enters the checkout funnel your goal should be to move them through it as swiftly and efficiently as possible. Adding extra steps or confusing verbiage only deters them from completing the desired action. With the average shopping cart abandonment rate at 68.63%, it is vital to provide customers with a user-friendly shopping cart and checkout experience.
Unclear Calls to Actions – “Where is the button that leads me to the next step?” “What is the next step?” “Why am I on this website?” These are only some of the many questions visitors ask to themselves when they land on a page and don’t know what to do next. Every page of your website, even if it only has a few pages, must include a strong, clear, Call to Action. Otherwise, even the slightest bit of confusion could cause a visitor to abandon the page.
Being a Copycat – Just because you’ve seen a competitor offer a Groupon deal, use specific verbiage in their PPC ads, or launch a new website doesn’t mean you have to follow suit a
nd do the exact same thing. Business decisions should be thoroughly thought out using data and research. Monkey-See-Monkey-Do is not a data-driven approach to anything. You need to fully understand YOUR customers’ online wants and needs in order to give them a personalized user experience. Don’t give in to “Shiny Object Syndrome”!
While this list of “conversion killers” will help you to start evaluating and improving your own website’s conversion rates, it is vital to remember that every website and customer base is unique. What works for one website might not work for another, which is why testing these changes before permanently implementing will help you discover the best user experience for your customers.
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