9 Ways to Optimize Your “Boring” Website Pages for Higher Conversions

What’s the most valuable page on your website?

Answer quick, don’t think twice.

Is it your homepage? Your primary landing page? Your product page? Something else entirely? Well, today’s post isn’t about any of those!

But did you notice something interesting?

We asked you a rapid-fire question – you gave a rapid-fire answer. Clearly, your most valuable website page is something you think about a lot, as you should!

But what about your least valuable, least interesting pages?

• Your About page
• Your Contact page
• Your mission statement
• Your policies
• Your service descriptions

etc.

You must be wondering “What about them?” – because those pages aren’t a priority. They are nothing to write home about, and they aren’t stellar performers as far as conversions are concerned.

Which is exactly why those boring pages represent a hidden opportunity for your business.

Remember last week’s post? We mentioned micro-conversions as being a huge contributing factor to the overall growth and well-being of your business.

Today’s post picks up where last week’s left off! We’ll talk a lot more about the exact strategies you can use to make your “boring” pages convert better, generating more leads and more revenue in the long run.

Specifically, we’ll cover 9 proven strategies that you can implement quickly and easily.

And right away, we start with a real heavy hitter…

1. Highlight your USP

Your unique value proposition is what separates you from a sea of competition. This is what keeps you in a “category of one” for your customers – so when they’re thinking about using your product or service, your competition doesn’t even enter the picture.

To the customers captivated by an amazing USP, your competition doesn’t exist. And that’s why featuring it prominently across your website is one of the best ways to improve conversions!

Your USP should certainly be displayed – proudly! – on your most important pages. If it isn’t, you’re leaving money on the table.

That said, there are other places your awesome USP would feel at home, just to name a few:

• Your About page
• Your mission statement
• Your Testimonials and Case Studies pages

Your policies pages

Be different, be memorable – and your conversions will improve as a result.

2. Tell a story

Not surprising anybody, are we? Research shows that storytelling may be the single most powerful way to activate and engage a human brain.

And what do engaged visitors do? They remember! But most importantly, they care, and they take action, which is great news for you if you’re hoping to boost conversions.

Almost any page on your website can be improved with a gripping story – but if you could only do one, make it your About page.

You’d be surprised how many bold, exciting brands have… underwhelming About pages – to put it mildly. Here’s LEGO’s, for example. And here you thought LEGOs were inherently exciting…

(Well, at least they got their USP in!)

Another great place to tell a story is on any and all pages featuring customer success stories. Storytelling helps your website visitors appreciate the struggle, and feel good about your customers’ wins – and, by extension, your product or service!

3. Use copywriting formulas

Copywriting formulas are a powerful tool for structuring your copy and leading website visitors down a particular path.

Whenever you need to create desire, stoke curiosity, paint a vivid picture, set up an important question, illustrate a point, or convey anything else with clarity and power, you can use proven, time-tested formulas to lay the foundation for some compelling copy.

A while back, we wrote an entire post about copywriting formulas. Feel free to check it out, and use them for writing new-and-improved copy that your website visitors will love!

4. Have a call to action

Do you enjoy it when marketers look at you funny? In that case, you should ask one of them how important calls to action are. It will be fun, we promise!

Just kidding – don’t actually do that.

If you wish to boost conversions on your “boring” website pages, giving your website visitors something to do is a great way to get it done.

You don’t have to make a big ask, either. But there are lots of smaller calls to action you can use that still build trust and give you an opportunity to provide value, such as:

• Watching a video
• Clicking to “learn more” about something
• Submitting a quick survey answer
• Filling out a contact form
• Signing up for a freebie
• Rating their experience
• Requesting a callback from your team

and more.

You know what? We would like to challenge you!

Right now, think of all the “boring” pages you have on your website. And then, come up with at least one type of call to action for each. Something that would be relevant to your target market and feel compelling – without asking for too much.

There you go – you’re already well on your way to boost website conversions!

5. Defy your visitors’ expectations

Sometimes the best way to capture your target market’s attention is to challenge how they think about your business. They visit your website with preconceived notions and existing expectations…

...why not mess with them just a little bit? Especially if it results in higher conversions!

Citing specific examples is tricky, because those expectations, and ways to defy them, vary from business to business. But let’s discuss a hypothetical.

You’re a consulting company, and most prospects land on your website expecting some kind of “Services” or “Work with us” page. Instead, they see something completely different…

...there’s a “Why you shouldn’t hire us” page!

As a prospect, wouldn’t you be intrigued? You would instantly wonder, “What’s up with that?” – and before long, you would be hooked. That, right there, is the power of going off-script and defying expectations!

Note: Remember – challenging cliches and subverting entrenched thinking is OK. Deliberately misleading or lying to your customers, however, isn’t. We know that you know this, but it’s the kind of thing that always bears repeating.

6. Communicate your “Why”

As far as we are concerned, every business owner should watch this TED talk by Simon Sinek. In 18 minutes, it will teach you more about effective communication than a Journalism degree.

Here’s the gist: to establish a stronger bond with your prospects, you need to communicate “from the inside out”. Specifically, you need to let them know why you do what you do, then what it is that you do, and only after that – how you do it.

This “inside out” communication is how great leaders and entrepreneurs make their message spread. And that’s how you can make your website visitors pay attention, too!

On your About page, in your mission statement, and anywhere else it could be relevant, convey your purpose first and foremost. To the right people, it’s like a signal fire that tells them, “We care about the same things you care about – come join us!”

And when people care, they convert.

Note: For a terrific example of how to integrate your “Why” into your messaging, check out Crazy Egg’s About page.

7. Experiment with different formats

Text isn’t the perfect medium to get your message out. It’s one-dimensional. Using text, It’s easy to miscommunicate, or be misunderstood.

Plus, text just isn’t very engaging!

The good news is, most of your website pages can be easily enhanced by using other types of content. The possibilities are endless – it all comes down to your priorities…

Do you want to maximize engagement? Then you should invest in something interactive. Maybe a useful tool, like an on-page calculator – or an entertaining, delightful experience, like an interactive video.

Would you like to put your personal message across as a business owner? Record a short video starring – you guessed it! – yourself, and put it up on the page.

Maybe all you want is just a low-tech way to visualize your message, and get more people to notice? Embed a slide deck – it’s fast, (usually) free, and gets the job done!

No matter what anyone might say, you don’t have to be stuck with using only text. You can always experiment with other formats, and be creative. Just remember what your goals are!

8. Use images to your advantage

Sometimes, it doesn’t make sense to use video, or presentations, or interactive tools – as wonderful as they might be.

If you still want to increase conversions, but find your visual options limited, we recommend that you remember the old saying: “A picture is worth a thousand words”.

Infographics, photographs, visualized data, even animated GIFs and memes – you can use all sorts of visuals to enhance your copy and engage your website visitors!

For inspiration, and for the perfect example of how to do just that, check out this image from Neil Patel’s website (the drawing at the very start of the blog post). Pretty clever, isn’t it?

Sadly, Neil’s current About page is 100% video – an equally valid way to engage visitors, but not very helpful for our purposes!

9. Show off your social proof

“Are you for real?”

“How do I know you can help me?”

“I’ve been burned before – how is this any different?”

These are all questions that your website visitors are asking themselves. It’s your responsibility to put them at ease and overcome their objections before they can trust you. Social proof is the best way to do just that.

Research shows that even bad testimonials are better than none at all – and even bad reviews can boost sales! Endorsements, awards, and any formal credentials you can produce to boost your credibility can improve conversions just because they exist.

Of course, you can’t base your entire marketing message on them, but they help – like an extra helping of cheese on your burger! And who (barring lactose intolerance) doesn’t love that?

With a small investment of time and effort, any of these strategies will make your “boring” website pages more engaging, and higher-converting. You don’t need to use all of them, or even most of them, to start with – pick one, give it a try, and measure what happens!

Remember: great results take time, but even a 5% lift in conversions will add up in the long run – so the best time to start is today. Enjoy!