Four Mistakes That Will Kill Your Conversion Rate
You spend valuable time and money generating leads for your business. But once you identify a lead, are you taking full advantage of it? Below are four common mistakes that I’ve come across. Each of these will have a negative impact on your conversion rate— so if you think any of these apply to you and your company, get them cleaned up as quickly as you can.
1. Poor website design. What’s the most important aspect of any website designed to generate sales? Impressive pictures and videos, engaging content, or fancy bells and whistles? The answer is none of the above. Nothing is more important than usability. That means your site needs to be clear, easily navigated, user friendly, and fast. You need to identify the purpose of your website, determine the information that viewers need to be presented with, and then work to streamline the process. Most websites don’t need to be graphically impressive—user friendliness needs to trump everything else. So ask yourself these questions: Will my target market understand the content of my site? Will they be able to navigate it easily? Will it be easy for them to use? If the answer to any of these questions is ‘no,’ you need to get to work. Otherwise, you’re wasting the precious traffic you manage to drive to your site. A good book on this subject is Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug.
2. Failure to follow up. When you find out about a lead, whether through your website, email campaign, or some other means, it’s critical to get back in touch with them rapidly. Often potential clients or customers will be comparing you and several competitors meaning that if you don’t act quickly, you’ll lose the client. This sounds obvious, but it’s amazing how often following up on a lead gets put on the back burner during a busy day. Develop a system to ensure that you are getting in touch with prospects in a timely manner—otherwise, you’ are wasting your marketing efforts.
3. Failure to identify true customer needs. Customers often inquire about a product or a service that doesn’t really solve their problem. Take the time to understand their situation and their needs, and help them identify the best solution. Apple stores generally do this very well. By taking time to understand the customer, the customer ofter will purchase a different product than originally intended, but that better meets their need. This is beneficial because, in addition to feeling great about their purchase, they’re more likely to come back to you in the future.
4. Attracting the wrong leads. Who is your ideal customer? Are you driving those people to your website and targeting them with your marketing campaigns? It’s easy to set your marketing sights too wide—which results in spending money on customers who aren’t likely to become your customer or client. Make sure that you’re focused on the core of your market, so that you have the best chance of converting them from a prospect into a loyal client.