Killing Website Conversion Killers - REVIEW (PART 2)

This is the third in the series of 12 articles documenting key takeaways from my Conversion Rate Optimization training at CXL Institute.

In the a previous article, I highlighted a few website “conversion killers” some of which if resolved, could result in a significant conversion lift. These are:

• Cross-browser & Cross-device problems
• Slow page speed
• Forced ecommerce registration
• Intimidating Web Form

In this article, I will give further insight into a couple more conversion killers and how to address them in order create a fun user experience for website visitors which, translates to higher conversion rates.

Every customer goes through different stages of decision-making as they journey through a website from the time of arrival up to the point they take the desired action, assuming they don't bounce or exit.

That decision-making journey can be divided into 7 stages with micro-conversions happening at each stage. We can call each of these stages the 7 levels of conversion.

Website visitors ask specific questions at each of these stages, some of which are illustrated in the diagram below.

Anything that impedes the impeded decision making at each stage is a conversion killer. Let’s take a brief look at these conversion levels and the questions customers want to have answered.

1. RELEVANCE

Visitors arriving at a website will want to quickly know whether what they are seeing is relevant to them. That first impression matters a lot. Research shows that our first impression is based on 7% spoken words, 38% tone of voice and 55% body language. 

Like humans, a website also has a “body language”. Website visitors have only 50 milliseconds (0.05 seconds) to make the first impression which will eventually determine whether they will stay or leave.

Can your website communicate its primary message within the first 5 seconds of the arrival of visitors? Is that message relevant to and consistent with the ad that brought them there? That is the first level of the conversion. If your website fails that first test, it does not even stand the chance of converting visitors to the overall goal of the site.

2. TRUST

This the second level of conversion. A website that does not engender trust in the minds of visitors isn’t going to convert. Therefore, any element on the website that breeds mistrust or screams “scam” is a conversion killer.

Does your website look trustworthy? Don’t forget that trust is a feeling and an impression is also formed within 50 milliseconds. 

3. ORIENTATION

Do visitors know what to do when they arrive at your website? Or do they feel lost? Is there design clutter on the website? What about content clutter? Do you have an array of products that creates a paradox of choice for would-be buyers? 

Anything that creates clutter or makes it difficult for people to find what they are looking for on a website is a conversion killer?

4. STIMULATION

This is the level of conversion where website visitors ask themselves, “Why should I buy? Or “Why should I click here?”. Is there enough stimulation to take the next logical step and move down the conversion funnel?

The absence of any strong stimulant is in itself a conversion killer. Every website owner needs to remember that users have choices and that your competitors are just a click away. Motivating visitors to take desired becomes critical, else they are lost to competitors.

We can explain this stage of decision-making using the Rubicon Model of Action Phases.

This model shows that the first step we take in performing an action is where it is to be done. We cross the Rubicon once that decision is reached. Then, the next stage becomes how that action will be done, which will then be followed by the performance of the action itself (the conversion).

Finally, there will be a confirmation as to whether or not the right thing had been done.

Website visitors need that stimulation to cross the Rubicon. It may be to click the “Register”, the “Buy Now” or the “Add to Cart” button. Visitors should be incentivized to stop their search and make that purchase or take the desired action.

Oftentimes, providing the right stimulation can be a delicate balance between price and risk perception on the one hand, and a clear value proposition on the other hand. 

Giving the visitor a fun user experience and furnishing elements of reciprocity are some of the ways to reinforce visitors' motivation. If your website isn’t providing that stimulation, it is literally killing your conversion, even if unwittingly.

5. SECURITY

Once website visitors cross the Rubicon, the next thing is to help them eliminate objections. In the Solution Selling model, the buying phase can be divided into three phases:

Phase 1: Determine buying needs….."What do I need?"

Phase 2: Evaluate alternatives……."What meet my needs?"

Phase 3: Evaluate Risks…….."Am I paying too much?’, "What if…..?"

Risk aversion is a constant factor in human behaviour. Customers want to be convinced it is safe and secure for them to carry transactions on a website and intuitively look to see something that reduces or eliminates the risk of loss or danger.

Do you know the inner dialogue would-be-customers are having? If so, is there anything to address those?

6. CONVENIENCE

Anything that creates discomfort or uneasiness when visitors move deeper into your funnel is going to kill conversion. Is your design light and easy? Does your website make use of visual hierarchy? Is there validation form fields? Are you chunking your surveys to make it easy for participants to take one bite at a time?

7. CONFIRMATION

Once customers perform the desired action, especially after parting with money, they will often ask themselves, “Did I do the right thing?” That’s the reason salespeople always give people rationally good reasons as confirmation for action e.g. “Oh! You just made a great decision to do so and so”. 

Are you showing rationally good reasons for customer's buying the decision? Are you giving micro-feedback on pages and elements? Do you put inserts in packages? Is there a thank-you video to encourage repeat buyers?

These are some of the questions website visitors ask at each of the 7 levels of conversion. Conversion killers, are therefore, those website elements whose absence or lack creates distrust, demotivates or confuses visitors throughout their website journey.

WHAT ARE THESE CONVERSION KILLERS?

Let us now take a look at a few:

1. BAD CALL-TO-ACTION

A call to action (or CTA) is any message designed to prompt an immediate response or encourage an immediate sale.

When you ask someone to do something online, they have to go through your CTA to do so. How the call-to-action is designed and crafted could, therefore, be the tipping point between a bounce and conversion.

A good CTA has two parts:

1. The button or link
2. The text or copy on the button/link

NOTE: A/B Tests have consistently shown that button generally converts better than links.

There is a lot of debate as to which colour converts best. The truth is there is not best colour for conversion. The colour of the button matters little so long as it stands out from the rest of the page. A high-contrast colour attracts attention and acts as a visual cue to the question, “Where should I click?” That's it!

The call or text in the CTA must speak to the value the prospect will get after clicking the button. Avoid such generic words as “Submit”, Click Here”, “Next” etc. Not only are they very weak, they also do not speak to the value the visitor gets when the button is clicked.

To be effective, the CTA copy must seek to answer these two questions:

• What's my prospect’s motivation for clicking this button?
• What will my prospect get when they click this button?

Keep to these four rules when naming your call to action buttons and links:

• It should contain a trigger word.
• It should be very clear on what happens when users click the button (e.g. Download Your Report, Proceed to Payment, Start Your Free Trial)
• It should convey a benefit (e.g. “Clear My Acne”, “Get Conversion Cheat Sheet”)
• A good call will not ask for commitment too soon

A great call-to-action (CTA) converts at both the Relevance and Orientation conversion levels because it not only tells the visitor where to click (i.e. orientation) to take the next action, it also speaks to the value to be delivered once that button is clicked (relevance).

There is a lot more about crafting an effective button and CTA that is beyond the scope of this article. The bottom line, however, is that if your CTA is weak and lacking in the elements highlighted in the foregoing, you should consider implementing a new one.

And very quickly too!

However, do not make the mistake of changing the copy or call in the CTA without user-driven research. Just because one copy works for one business does not mean it will work another. The only way to know what works for your business is through effective feedback loop rather than mere hunches.

In Part 3 of this article, I will discuss some more website conversion killers. If you enjoy this one, please feel free to share it, especially if it is likely to help someone.

Should you have further questions about executing a comprehensive evaluation or consumer research for your website, feel free to get in touch.

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