Although Conversion Optimisation is not technically a part of web marketing, I typically highly recommend that businesses integrate it with their SEO and PPC activities.The reason for this is very simple – whether the aim of your website is to increase sales, enquiries or leads, it can often be easier to double your conversion rate, than to double your traffic.

Precisely what Is Conversion Optimization?

Simply speaking, Conversion Optimization is the process of making it easier for your consumers to buy from you (or undertake whatever other conversion goal you have). However beginning to increase the conversion rate of your site is almost certainly less complicated than you imagine. Here are a number of steps in the process and how they can integrate with your search marketing campaigns and strategy.

Make improvements to Usability

Before anyone will want to buy from you, they need to feel comfortable with your web site. Here are some quick tips to help improve the usability of your website:

• Think like a user. Take a look at your site through your users eyes…how would the user feel about this site?
• How would a new user rate your navigation? Is it Useful? Intuitive? Easy or Difficult to navigate? Your sites navigation is one of the fundamental elements of usability so spend some time making this work for site visitors. You should aim at ensuring that users can get to your primary conversion goals in 3 clicks or less.
• Remove barriers. Is there anything in your site that makes it awkward or difficult for users to get to either your conversion goal or the information that they need? If so, fix it.
• Are the visuals pleasant and relevant or do they distract or annoy?
• Look at your competitor sites or those with similar functionality. Identify functionality that you like or features that you could be using.
• Use Search Engine and User Friendly URL’s so visitors can bookmark pages they like and come back.

Like SEO – Conversion Optimisation is an ongoing process, not a one off activity. To get the best out of your site, you should keep working through the conversion optimisation process throughout the life of your site, and with each cycle, it will improve (and so will your sales).