Conversion can turn out to be the path to success. Creating a website is just the beginning. Success lies in converting users who visit it. Changing the status of users from passive observers to active participants is the goal (conversion) that underlies every website.
What is Conversion?
Before understanding why working on conversion is crucial, it’s essential to grasp its meaning. Conversion has a specific task: to transform passive website visitors into active users and recipients of presented content or products. Its focus is on achieving this goal, and it’s measured by the conversion rate. It exists wherever the website creator aims to achieve something from the users, whether it’s gaining interest, newsletter sign-ups, clicking on emails and links, leaving comments, or making purchases in online stores. Conversion is everywhere in these scenarios. It’s closely tied to establishing loyal users on the website, consistent consumers of the content or products presented there. While one-time customers are important, the community of users forming around a website and its content plays the most crucial role. It contributes to the success of the site, brand, or other published materials, potentially leading to their dissemination. This is why conversion can’t rely solely on chance; it needs to be monitored and measured. This is where the conversion rate comes in. It helps verify whether an online store or website is effective and if changes should be made to enhance conversion.
What is the Conversion Rate?
The conversion rate makes working on a website easier. Primarily, it helps determine whether improvement is needed, or if SEO and advertising campaigns are effective. The conversion rate is the percentage of website or online store users who perform desired actions on the site. For online stores, this could be a purchase or signing up for a newsletter, while for other cases, it includes actions like registration, participation in discussions, commenting, starting new forum threads, accepting notifications and marketing information, sending emails or links. This translates into website traffic, the number of interested and registered users, and financial benefits for online stores. It also leads to a high conversion rate. The higher it is, the better. It signifies a well-prepared, formatted website that appeals to the target audience. Conversely, a low rate is a warning that the website isn’t fulfilling its purpose and isn’t retaining users. Reasons for a low conversion rate can vary: a cluttered layout, uninteresting visual design, slow loading times, or an unappealing offer. These elements cause users to leave the site before understanding what it’s about.
What Affects Conversion?
Monitoring the conversion rate allows for evaluating whether changes are necessary and what kind. Even a high rate shouldn’t lead to complacency; the website should be constantly monitored. If the rate is low, there are ways to improve it. The desire for a good result is natural and translates into tangible benefits. Elements that can be optimized include key phrases that aid site exploitation and positioning in search engines, advertising campaigns (banners, social media publications), positive internet comments, and detailed product/service descriptions. When these methods result in a higher conversion rate, it’s an indication that the chosen strategies worked and that further optimization should follow the same direction. However, it’s important to consider that different methods might work for increasing the conversion rate depending on the website’s industry and the expected type of conversion.
Optimizing Conversion: A Method
Continuous work on optimizing conversion for increased website traffic is significant. The more effort you put into it, the better potential gains. However, it’s important to recognize that this process takes time—it’s not a one-day task. Proper optimization includes several components, such as analyzing the quantity and quality of users on the website, conducting A/B tests, evaluating test results, and assessing whether implemented changes increased conversion and should be permanent. The A/B test aims to compare two versions of a website that differ in only one modified element. This test should last at least two weeks, and the tested site should have substantial monthly traffic. Only then will the results be reliable and suitable for further steps. Google Optimize is a helpful tool for conducting tests like these.
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Benefits of an SEO Audit
When opting for an SEO audit, it’s important to remember that the mere execution of the audit does not equate to immediate benefits for the website. The results of the audit and its final report are what truly matter. It provides insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the site and suggests the best ways to improve SEO on the site. Implementing the recommendations from the report, optimizing the elements indicated, can yield benefits for site visibility, traffic, and translate into gains, e.g., from sales. It’s a process that requires time, not a quick fix. However, it’s worthwhile, as the recommendations from the report can influence the functioning of the site. Its speed and ease of navigation are always appreciated by users, who are more likely to utilize it.
