Conversion Optimization Guide

Chapter 4

How to Improve Conversion Rate: 21 Ways to Boost Your Conversions

This is going to be your favorite chapter of this guide because we’re giving you access to classified, top-secret tools that will make a huge difference in your marketing. With these tips and tricks, you’ll improve your conversion rate by learning how to design an optimized page that connects with and engages your audience.

No matter your current conversion rate, there’s almost always a way to make it better. You can go from nothing to something or from great to exceptional. All it takes is a little curiosity, testing, and discovery to see what works (and doesn’t work) for your audience.

In essence, “conversion rate” is just a measure of how well you can convince your users to take a specific action. Are you convincing them to input their information for your lead magnet? Have you closed the sale and encouraged them to make the purchase?

The following 21 tricks will help you improve your conversion rate. Here’s what we’ll cover in this article:

1. Make your CTA button the boldest thing on the page
2. Use action words
3. Put your CTA button everywhere
4. Leverage social proof
5. Try out multimedia
6. Have as few form fields as possible
7. Add a guarantee
8. Show how the product/service solves the pain point in the headline
9. Direct Adwords traffic to a landing page
10. Get rid of the noise on the page
11. Keep it succinct
12. Be specific about what they’ll get (and what they won’t)
13. Make them feel safe
14. Try out different colors, fonts, and designs
15. Focus on your copy
16. Use pictures to demonstrate the benefits of the offering
17. Offer an online chat tool
18. Surprise them with a discount or offer
19. Instill urgency
20. Change up the offer
21. Test everything

1. Make your CTA button the boldest thing on the page

There are few “absolutes” when it comes to improving your conversion rate. But a bold-colored CTA button almost always performs better than a bland or minimalistic one.

Also, buttons work better than links. Separate the CTA from the rest of the text by changing the color of the box. Use a contrasting color for your CTA button while ensuring it still works with your overall color scheme.

The primary goal should be for the conversion action to draw the eye of the visitor. If they keep looking at the CTA, they’re more likely to click on it.

2. Use action words

You want to tell your audience exactly what to do with your CTA. “Get started” always feels like a good call to action because you’re telling them to take the first step… But it almost always falls short.

Instead, be more specific and actionable with the language you use. Some examples of actionable CTAs:

• Get your free gift
• Reserve your seat
• Start your free trial
• Grab yours now
• Join our community

3. Put your CTA button everywhere

No matter where they are on the page, they should be able to see your CTA and take action when the time is right for them.

You don’t want to overdo it and put a million CTAs on a single page because that will come off as sales-y and unprofessional. Instead, we recommend one CTA per “scroll” so visitors can see a CTA button no matter where they are on the page, but they won’t feel overwhelmed by it.

Always having a CTA within reach is a good way to increase your conversion rate.

4. Leverage social proof

The best way to show the legitimacy and value of your business or offer is with social proof. This builds trust and credibility that helps push the visitor to take action.

Social proof includes testimonials, reviews, and links to social accounts (if you have a strong presence and following). We recommend curating key testimonials from your happiest clients, but it also doesn’t hurt to show real reviews from consumers who’ve left Amazon, Google, or website reviews about your product or service.

Not every review is going to be stellar, but it shows that you are a real business with legitimate customers. Answer those negative reviews with solutions to the reviewer’s problem, and you’ll actually gain followers by demonstrating your awesome customer service.

5. Try out multimedia

Video is the future of marketing, including videos on landing pages and websites. In fact, including a video on your landing page can increase your conversion rate by up to 80%.

What types of videos work well to help convert on your landing page?

• Product explainer videos: How does the product work?
• Product benefits: What’s different about this product compared to competitors?
• Brand message/history: What’s unique about your brand?
• How to: Show the product in use, in the customer’s lifestyle
• Testimonial: Present case studies or show customers talking about the product
• Story: Create a story around the product or service that will relate to your viewer’s lifestyle or experience

If you’re using Leadpages, try out our easy-to-use video widget  to share your videos on landing pages and improve conversion rates even more

6. Have as few form fields as possible

You want to make it as easy and fast to sign up or purchase as possible. Don’t make visitors sign their life away with lots of info or surveys. The smoother the conversion process, the more likely they’ll convert.

So, minimize the number of fields you require. Keep the fields simple and optional when possible. You can always ask for more information later after they’ve taken the action and invested in you.

7. Add a guarantee

Customers don’t like taking risks. If they’re not sure about something, they won’t click “subscribe” or “download.”

Guarantees help remove this fear and minimize objections, so they can feel free to take the next step. Money-back guarantees or no-questions-asked return policies work well to encourage your customer to purchase without the hesitation of taking a risk, which in turn improves your conversion rate.

8. Show how the product/service solves the pain point in the headline

The headline is the most important part of your page. It’s the first impression that will either intrigue the audience to keep reading or make them click away (and never to return).

We often recommend trying out your value proposition as your headline. What is the number one thing that your offering will do for the customer? Turn that into a headline.

Some examples:

• Learn how to turn your Pinterest followers into high-paying customers
• Say farewell to fight/flight with this mindfulness meditation
• Stop making the 5 most common small business mistakes when you join our mastermind group

The headline will often mimic your CTA while describing the key benefit(s) they’ll get from taking the desired action.

9. Direct Adwords traffic to a landing page

If you use AdWords or PPC campaigns, you want to send that traffic directly to a conversion-optimized landing page. Don’t send them to a homepage that’s not optimized to grab those interested prospects.

You can curate the landing page to reflect the offering and language of your ads. If your ad campaign shows off kettlebell weights, the landing page should be specifically designed to sell your specialty kettlebells. This sort of consistency streamlines the path of conversion. It also helps you better track where your traffic is coming from and the kinds of actions they take (or don’t take) when they land on your site.

Note: Your AdWords conversion rate is different from your landing page conversion rate. AdWords conversion rate refers to the number of people who view your ad and then click through to your site.

10. Get rid of the noise on the page

You want to put your CTA front and center and get rid of everything else that’s detracting users from taking the next step. Give the visitor tunnel vision so all they can see is conversion. For example, you can remove the navigation bar on a landing page or shorten your copy to only the most important points.

Also, give them only one action to take. One CTA per page helps increase conversions and makes it easier to track your conversion rate.

11. Keep it succinct

Similarly, you don’t want to bore or confuse visitors. Too much mumbo jumbo is the fastest way to lose a lead.

So keep the language simple and to the point. Don’t be too sales-y. Just give them all the info they need to determine if this is the right product for them.

This doesn’t necessarily mean you want a short-form landing page. If you have a more complicated offering that might raise a lot of questions you’ll need a longer page to present them with all the necessary information. But even long-form pages should use direct, clear language.

Learn more about the benefits of short form and long form with our sales pages resource

12. Be specific about what they’ll get (and what they won’t)

Customers want to know what they’re getting in exchange for their info or purchase. Paint a picture of who your product/service is for, and what it will do to meet their needs.

• What are the benefits and features?
• What are its uses?
• Who will benefit from this?
• What makes it unique?

This applies to products and services as well as other types of conversion actions. For example, if someone is subscribing to a newsletter, tell them all the benefits of subscribing, such as getting exclusive offers and early access to sales. Show them what life will look like after they’ve taken the action.

If they’re subscribing to a newsletter, tell them what kinds of content they’ll receive. How is this content unlike anything they can find elsewhere?

If they’re reserving a seat for an event, tell them how life will be different after they’ve left the experience.

If they’re making a purchase, show them how the product will make their life easier, better, or more fun.

13. Make them feel safe

As we said, customers don’t want to take risks. You want to show them that you’re not just a legitimate business, but also that you’re going to treat their information with the utmost respect. So include security badges and privacy policies, and promise not to sell their info or spam them.

Don’t get crazy (or it will make them feel the opposite of what you intend). Just give them the promise that you’ll protect their email address and credit card info, so they don’t feel insecure about taking the next action.

14. Try out different colors, fonts, and design

Design matters a lot more than people think. The way a page looks, feels, and flows will define how customers experience the page. It will determine whether or not customers engage with the brand and want to follow through with the CTA.

Check out some examples of high-converting landing page designs to get a little inspiration.

15. Focus on your copy

Your copy is what sells. It’s what convinces people of the benefits of your product and brand. When creating conversion-worthy copy, focus on two key points: length and language.

Is this the right length for my audience? Do I provide enough information in the clearest, simplest way possible?

Does the language match the tone of my brand? Does it sound like my audience?

Check out this article for a few more copywriting tips that will help optimize your page for conversions.

16. Use pictures to demonstrate the benefits of the offering

Whenever possible, aim to show happy, smiling customers enjoying the benefits of your service. Demonstrate people using your product in their lifestyle. Present your employees or founders to put a face on your brand.

Pictures humanize your business, which allows customers to better relate to your message.

17. Offer an online chat tool

A live, customer service chat can help answer questions, alleviate concerns, and negate objections that your audience might be experiencing before making a purchase.

A chat tool reduces friction, makes it easy to get answers to questions, and allows visitors to ensure this is the right product or service for them.

18. Surprise them with a discount or offer

If someone is about to make a purchase, you can ‘seal the deal’ by surprising them with free shipping, 10% off, or a gift with purchase.

We’ve found that offering a discount sometimes works better after they’ve already decided they might want the product, like after they’ve clicked on a PPC campaign or added the item to their cart. Then, when they see the surprise discount, it pushes them to make that final decision.

19. Instill urgency (to increase your conversion rate)

Speaking of limited time, make sure to use language that instills a sense of urgency. Make your visitors feel like right now is the best time to buy. For example, maybe it’s the lowest price, best discount, or you’re running out of stock.

Countdown timers that display how long someone has to take advantage of an offer are also a great way to create urgency.

You want them to decide to convert right now. They’ll talk themselves out of it if they wait too long, or they’ll forget about the offer altogether.

Plus, urgency also begets exclusivity. People want to feel like they’re getting a “deal” on something unique and special.

20. Change up the offer

Sometimes, it’s the actual offer that’s not converting. Maybe people don’t want what you’re offering and they might prefer something else.

Make sure you reach out to visitors for feedback to understand what they do or don’t like about your offer, and learn what you can change to make this point of action more enticing.

21. Test everything

Make one change at a time, and then test it. This helps you see what changes connect with your audience and improve your conversion rate. If you change too many variables at once it’s hard to figure out what’s doing well and pushing conversion.

Testing is a slow process but it’s worth it in the long haul to take your conversion rate to the next level.

We’ll talk more about A/B testing your page to increase your conversion rate in the next chapter.

Improve conversion rate one step at a time

There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to conversion rate optimization and we know it can feel like a lot to handle.

So take it step-by-step. Start with one change, then test it for the results. When you find a change that increases your conversion rate, stick with it and move to the next item on your agenda.

Even a few small changes can show a massive transformation in your conversion rate.

In the next section, we’ll give you more tips about how to test your landing pages and increase your conversion rate even more.

Frequently asked questions about improving conversion rates

How long does it take to improve your conversion rate?

How long it takes to increase your conversion rate can vary, but you’ll often notice initial changes within a few weeks by implementing quick wins like enhancing CTAs, simplifying forms, and adding trust signals. More substantial improvements, such as those from A/B testing and website redesigns, typically take a few months to fully materialize. The exact timeline depends on factors like your current site performance, traffic volume, and the complexity of the changes you're making. Consistent analysis and optimization efforts are key to achieving sustained improvements over time.

What are some common mistakes that can negatively impact conversion rates?

Avoid these common pitfalls to maintain or improve your conversion rates:

• Unclear Value Proposition: Ensure your value proposition is clearly communicated and easily understood by visitors.
• Poor Mobile Experience: Neglecting mobile optimization can result in lost conversions from mobile users.
• Slow Load Times: A slow website can frustrate visitors and lead to high bounce rates.
• Overly Complex Checkout Process: Simplify the checkout process to reduce friction and prevent cart abandonment.
• Lack of Trust Signals: Without trust signals, visitors may hesitate to provide personal information or make purchases.

How important is targeting the right audience for improving conversion rates?

Targeting the right audience is fundamental to achieving high conversion rates. Understanding your ideal customer allows you to tailor your marketing messages and website content to their specific needs and preferences. Use tools like Google Analytics, social media insights, and customer surveys to gather data on your audience and refine your targeting strategies.

What’s next?

We’ve just gone over a bunch of strategies for improving your conversion rate. But how do you know if these changes will have a positive impact on your landing page? That’s where A/B testing comes in. Continue to Chapter 5 to learn how A/B testing can enhance your conversion rate optimization.

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Chapter 3

What’s a Good Conversion Rate?

Chapter 5

What is A/B Testing?