It’s becoming increasingly common for the B2B customer journey to cross digital touch points – so why are businesses still providing underwhelming website experiences for their prospects and clients? Don’t mistake me, I know many are working hard towards digital perfection, however, there’s a large chunk of companies that are behind the eight ball. In fact, only about 22% of businesses are satisfied with their conversion rates (Econsultancy, 2016). This article is directed at those looking to optimise these conversion rates.
Here are 5 common website mistakes that might be road blocking you from winning that next big account:
1. Buried information
Approximately 44% of website visitors will leave a company’s website if there’s no contact information or phone number readily available. A further 86% of visitors want to see information about your company’s products/services once on the homepage (KoMarketing). Accommodating for these preferences is a simple yet often missed point when it comes to a website’s UX. Businesses should be providing the smoothest path to contact for a site’s traffic. Refresh yourself and check if your homepage immediately identifies key solution areas and if your company contact information is easily visible.
2. Boring call-to-actions
Have you ever enquired online via an ‘Enquire Now’ or ‘Get in Touch’ Call-To-Action (CTA)? Unlikely. Prospects are generally more attracted to business outcomes. For example, if you’re selling cyber security services, try a CTA centered around ‘protect your business from financial and reputational damage’ rather than something too simple like ‘talk to a cyber security specialist’. If you can offer something of value like an eBook or white paper, that’s even better. It’s all about positioning the message as powerfully as possible without overselling.
3. Your website is a book
It’s best to treat every person on your website as a skim reader. It’s unlikely that people will read your 400 word ‘About Us’ page. Audit your content heavy pages and conduct a word culling. After the copy has been refreshed, ensure the structure is broken up into headings with supporting iconography and relevant imagery. Short and sharp is key.
4. Unclear value proposition
I’ve been on a large number of websites where it’s unclear to me what the business does. Most websites are reviewed at an internal level but surprisingly not so much externally. Send a link to a trusted handful of people who aren’t fully familiar with what you do and ask for feedback on their experience. You might be surprised at what you learn.
5. The imagery
Poorly selected stock images, blurred images, low definition images, irrelevant images – these are all land mines that can cheapen your brand. If you’re choosing stock imagery, make sure it doesn’t look like stock imagery. Pick the authentic looking shots and where possible source imagery yourself via professional photo shoots. If budget is an issue, there are some great free sites that have pools of imagery, namely Unsplash and Pexels.
Are you making any of these mistakes on your own site? Doing so may harm your businesses chances at attracting online enquiries. Conversion rate optimisation is an important part of being successful online, and not a once-off job either!
If you’re looking to build your brand online, get in touch with me or the team at RAW Marketing.
