Reasons Why Your Website Visitors are Not Converting
Stephanie Shirley
I'm a PR Specialist who fully integrates into teams, delivering value + efficiency.
There is no shortcut when it comes to website conversion. You might run various marketing strategies, invest in advertising, or endlessly optimize your pages. But none of this could provide a sure conversion, especially if not done correctly.
You might get hundreds of visitors on your websites but less than 1% become a customer. Why is this the case? This article will help you understand why your website visitors are not converting and what you can do to change that.
Why Website Conversion Matters
Website conversion matters because it is the lifeblood of any business. If you aren’t inciting people to take your desired action, you won’t move the needle on your business’s mission.
When people visit your website, they want to find what they are looking for as quickly as possible and with the least effort. Your website must have a good layout, straightforward navigation, and a simple user interface.
5 Reasons Why Your Website Is Not Converting
The?reasons for poor website conversion?can vary. There could be a problem with the website’s design or its displayed content. It could be that your website is not mobile-friendly or uses too many pop-ups.
Whatever the reason, it is crucial to identify and take steps to rectify it. The sooner you do this, the more likely you will see a change in your conversion rates. As such, here are the top reasons why your website might not be converting.
1. Unclear Messaging
Having a clear message is essential for website conversion. Information you add to your website helps simplify the process for potential customers and helps them decide what to buy or buy into.
If your website has too much content or confusing messaging, then website visitors might not be able to find what they are looking for or click on the wrong links. This confusion leads to frustration, resulting in them leaving the website without converting into a lead.
What to do?
To ensure that your website messaging is clear, carefully review your website’s content with a fine-tooth comb to confirm the information you provide is concise. The messaging should be easy to understand and show how it solves the visitor’s problem. It should also be relevant and specific to their needs so that they know this is precisely what they are looking for.
2. No CTA
A call to action (CTA) is an integral part of the website. It is an imperative statement that requests the reader to take a specific action. CTAs are what make your website visitors take that first step down the sales pipeline.
What to do?
It is vital to have a clear CTA on your website. As such, CTAs should be a rich, short statement telling readers what they should do next. Some of the best ways to create CTAs are using contrasting colors, descriptive text, and eye-level placement for easy visibility. Here are some examples of CTAs: “Subscribe now” or “Buy Now.”
3. Lack of HTTPS:// (SSL Certificate)
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a protocol designed to ensure confidentiality and safety on the internet. It provides a secure channel for communication between a web server and a browser. This channel is established using public key encryption to generate a shared secret key. It allows the server to encrypt data before transferring it over the internet and then decrypting it at the other end.
SSL is required for any site that handles personal or credit card information. It is crucial for eCommerce sites as they help secure the payment process and protect against hacker attacks.
Not having an SSL on your website could create a negative first experience for your website visitors out of fear of their data being misused. This can lead to lower conversions.
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What to do?
To obtain an SSL certificate, first need to contact a certificate provider and purchase an SSL Certificate for your domain name. The most common SSL certificate is a Domain Validation (DV) certificate issued by a Certificate Authority (CA). The CA authenticates that you own the domain name and then gives an SSL certificate to you.
You will be given a .pem file that includes your private key, which you will need to install on your server. After installing the necessary files, you can access them through cPanel and configure them accordingly.
DV certificates are usually issued in minutes and cost around $10 annually. DV certificates can be easily installed through your hosting company. Still, a third-party provider like Let’s Encrypt is recommended because they provide free DV certs that take just five minutes to install.
4. Your Website Looks Untrustworthy
A website that looks untrustworthy can be a significant turn-off for potential customers, hurting your website conversion. Websites should always have an aesthetic appeal and should not look like it was designed by amateurs.
There are many characteristics of a website that can make it look unprofessional. Here are some factors that make a website look untrustworthy. Some of them are:
What to do?
If your website looks outdated and unprofessional, it’s time to revamp it. First, audit your website’s overall design, content, and information. Next, make sure that the mentioned elements reflect your branding. You should also add testimonials or reviews from previous customers. With these elements, visitors will begin to form a relationship with your brand that is reliable and credible.
Lastly, ensure that your website demonstrates secured data handling. As mentioned earlier, you can add an SSL certificate or release a data privacy policy that will show people your website has security measures in place. This will make them feel more comfortable giving out their personal information, such as credit card, address, or phone number.
5. Long Forms
Another pitfall of website conversion and?lead generation?is long forms. Many websites sometimes ask for irrelevant details that are not essential and more of a burden for the hopeful customer. These are things like date of birth and personal and demographic questions. This may make a customer uncomfortable when signing up. Hence, abandoning the effort altogether.
What to do?
To avoid this, ensure that the information you’re asking of your customer is narrowed down to the most essential and necessary. Only ask for obvious details like name, email address, or mailing address that are needed to fulfill your sale.
The Big Takeaway
Even the most aesthetically pleasing website, with all the bells and whistles of a top-notch design, can fall short of moving customers to a point of sale if it lacks the right content strategy, or has technical red flags. You want to ensure that your customers feel safe and secure to engage with your product or services and take the next step toward your desired action. It’s smart to regularly audit your website and check it against the red flags listed in this article. You should also keep an eye on your website’s data which can help paint a clearer picture of where user breakdown may be occurring.
The good news is, with frequent oversight and attention to how users are engaging with your website, you can stay ahead of these common pitfalls and turn your website into a well-functioning sales engine that helps to grow a thriving business!
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