A lot of the items we discuss here on the Ghost Blog Writers Blog have to do with getting people to your website.
That’s obviously a big part of the business puzzle.
And that’s what we help do at Ghost Blog Writers. We look at your target client and figure out what content would bring them to your blog and get them working through your website.
But the other big piece of the puzzle is getting those people to become customers once they’re on your site. And it doesn’t happen all at once in most cases. That’s why conversion is both science and art.
I’m going to touch on a few common mistakes I see all the time that really affect conversion.
1. Visitors Don’t Know What You Do
This one drives me crazy. Not really from a general business website perspective, but when I’m visiting business websites that I’m interested in or learning about I see it all the time.
What does your business do?
It’s common for new people to visit your website via a blog post. From there they very often check out your homepage. But once they’re on your homepage they can’t figure out what you do. They can’t figure out what you do for them.
It drives me crazy and it drives your visitors crazy especially if they like you.
Now to be fair it can be difficult to describe what you do. You know what you do, but it’s hard to communicate that when you’re so involved. You have to put it in the language of the visitor.
Break it down to the simple terms of what you do for your clients. Don’t add industry jargon and fancy words. Keep it simple and put it in a headline for every new visitor to see immediately on your main pages like the homepage, services page, etc.
When people know what you do and what you can do for them they will explore further. If not, they’re gone.
2. Visitors Don’t Know What To Do Next
Now we’re getting into calls-to-action. The big one is that your visitors are simply confused about what to do next.
I just did this actually on GBW and I’m still working on some changes. One of the most visited pages is the about page. It is for most businesses especially B2Bs.
But on that About page there usually aren’t calls-to-action.
I was thinking about how a visitor flows through GBW and thinking that I should probably take them back to the Services page. They’re probably past the homepage. They’re getting to know us a little bit. Let’s take them to the services page to really get into the details of what we do.
Each page should have some kind of call to action so visitors know what to do next, but that brings us to the final mistake.
3. Visitors Feel Pressured
Don’t jump the gun with the call-to-action.
Once in a blue moon it might work, but the better option is to think about the next logical step for both you and for the potential client.
Too often I think we jump the gun. I’m guilty of it.
For example, on a blog post you probably don’t want to be pushing people to your contact page. Or to your phone number. They’re probably not ready to call you. They’ve just met you. They’re getting to know you. Take them to your homepage or your about page.
Even on the homepage…take them to your services page. Give them the basics about what you do on the homepage and then dive deeper in the services pages.
Don’t pressure your visitors. Give them something they’re comfortable with. They want to take a next step, but not a huge big step. Ease them through your website with the calls to action.
The moment you start asking for too much, too soon you’ll lose them.
Final Thoughts
These are some big mistakes that can cost you new clients. You don’t want to lose them when you can make a few changes and keep them interested. You can really earn their trust just like you do in person. Think about how you meet clients in person and replicate that conversation on your website. That’s the best way to get the most conversions once you have traffic on your website.