A key to opening conversions online (part 3 of 3)
By: Jeff Giacchetti
In December I discussed how advertising message relevance positively impacts chances of converting users. The second part of the series in January discussed usability and its influence on increasing conversions. This final part of the series is dedicated to a third, and equally important, key to opening conversions online, persuasiveness.
The text book definition of the word “persuasive” is the power to induce the taking of a course of action or the embracing of a point of view by means of argument or entreaty. Applied to the online world, and even more specifically your website, its meaning is tied to the ability to convince a user to interact with content over a certain amount of time.
When someone visits your website the pages need to be clear and succinct. Be sure to check for typographical and grammatical errors and keep things relatively simple. Google does a great job on their standard homepage by keeping things straight forward and simple. Beyond just the copy on the page, make sure that the graphical elements used are small enough for even the slowest connection to have a good experience. When a person enjoys a good experience it is easier to persuade them. Information is a major element in directing someone to a site to ultimately perform a transaction. So, it is definitely important to remember that online, less is more.
People spend time online differently than they do with offline print. When a person is scanning copy online they do not want to be overburdened with information. Use links to provide access to more information about that subject. Give the user the option to find additional information somewhere else on your site. Know that online, people scan pages for information unlike print where people read pages in order. Therefore, copy on each page needs to be set up with its own purpose otherwise people may find themselves feeling confused and leave your site with a negative experience
When deciding your website layout, always be cognizant of the fact that scrolling down pages slows down the consumer’s experience. This may inhibit people from digesting copy as well as graphics. To combat these issues, consider using shorter copy and bullet points. Using creative along the sides of a page, particularly the right hand side, is a great way to get noticed and summarize an important idea.
Testing is imperative regardless of which area of change you are trying to correct (relevance, usability, persuasiveness). Out of those three areas, testing is most critical for correcting site persuasiveness. You can never truly know how your website is being interpreted by your visitors unless we test. For example, you may be using too few graphics and too much copy. Alternatively, not enough testimonials, or perhaps not clear enough on a return policy. My point here is that you do not know what motivates or fails to motivate your particular audience group unless you try different colors on your canvas.
The interlacing concepts of relevance, usability and site persuasiveness ultimately boils down to credibility. If your visitors believe your site they will be believe in your product and service. It seems obvious, but what makes this important for marketers are the various trigger points that together make up your site’s persuasiveness. They say you only have one chance to make a good first impression and that could not be any truer online.
Jeff can be reached at jeffg@earthquakemedia.com