Whether it happens on the first session or over several months, converting visitors into leads, prospects, and eventually customers should be the primary purpose of your website. Every element on your site must help guide your visitors toward the finish line- conversion. How do you do that? Attractive design, persuasive copy, bigger buttons?
Think of your website as a runner trying to jump over four hurdles before reaching the finish line. You must overcome each hurdle before the next. There's no skipping. Yes, your website is the runner, not the visitor. Your website must make an effort to convert them, to conquer the hearts and minds of your audience, not the other way around.
The first impression. The shortest stage of the race. It only takes a few seconds for a visitor to scan your website and determine -often subconsciously- whether your site has passed or failed at the first obstacle.
Your look or visual identity stems from your brand identity and is crucial to your website's user experience as it informs your visitors what type of business they're engaging with.
Ask yourself, "What do I want to express with my brand? What does my ideal customer value?" If, for example, your audience values innovation and agility, but your logo screams 1990s dotcom boom, you can forget passing this first obstacle.
Slack’s bright, engaging design reflects its brand's values of collaboration and ease-of-use. The visual identity conveys modernity and approachability, quickly building trust with visitors.
Your Unique Value Proposition (UVP) is the words you use to communicate what you do, how you do it, who you do it for, and why we should choose you over others.
Assume users are willing to read only the first words. If these words promise value, they'll read the following lines. Therefore, you should be able to express your company's UVP within only the hero section on your homepage. If your UVP is clearly articulated and aligns with their challenges, goals, and aspirations, they'll continue scrolling, and you're still in the race.
Mailchimp only needs the hero section to transmit its UVP. They make it unambiguous that they can help you win more customers through email marketing. Now you're interested in what they have to say and will continue to scroll and navigate.
Now that the unique value of your services is clear, it's time to expand and provide more details.
It's often said that people look for benefits and support them with features or facts; I believe that wholeheartedly. For example, 24/7 customer support is a common service feature. Straightforward, measurable, and objective. However, this feature becomes most potent when benefits, such as improved loyalty or better brand reputation, are added.
Benefits are what your audience ultimately aspires to; features are a means to an end. An excellent way to find the benefits within features is to ask, "Why should they care?" Go as deep as you can, and you'll discover the true impact of your products and services.
Figma understands the importance of iterative and live collaboration among teams, so they lead with this benefit and allow visitors to explore the features that support it as a secondary step.
They've connected with your brand. They understand and believe you can bring value to their business. Believe it or not, you still haven't won the race. Many websites trip on what is apparently the easiest step.
Often, a call to action is not even visible. After all the effort to describe your value, features, and benefits, you cannot forget to tell them precisely what they should do next. Some contact info on the header or footer will not cut it. Also, let users know what they can expect after taking action. Will you call them back? When? How long will the free trial last, and what will happen when it expires?
The Salesforce "Try it for Free" landing page put users at ease with its clean, simple layout and a clear, no-risk proposition. By stating upfront that no payment or credit card is required, it removes any perceived commitment barriers. The form is straightforward and not overwhelming, guiding users step by step, while clear benefit-focused copy communicates the value of the free trial.
Most of the time, your website is your audience's first encounter with your business. It's an extension of yourself, your team, your store, and your office open to the world 24/7. If you have a website just to have one, you're wasting opportunities.
Here are some takeaways:
If you need to know whether your website is ready for the conversion race, schedule a free 30-minute call where you can ask all the questions you need.