thet

If you had to make a check list what to look for to improve the conversion rate on a website (copywriting, buttons.. etc), what would be your top 5 check list?

Recognize reality even when you don't like it - especially when you don't like it.
— Charlie Munger

melchidex88

You're asking the wrong question because you need to start from a different angle. First you need feedback from your target audience to create a hypothesis on what might work. Ask around in forums or on blogs where you potential customers hang out. Ask them what they think of your site and if they would buy from you. Perhaps doing a survey would be the best thing to do. After you established some data, you need to come up with a theory on what will convert. This includes everything from what color scheme to use to site layout and navigation. Once you've got your control version, go to Visual Website Optimizer and create a variation of your control version and keep split-testing to improve conversions. Only split-test 1 element at a time in order to track what precisely performed better and what not.

Sean DeSilva

I somewhat disagree with the above, there are definitely a few key pieces to every optimum page.

I start with the offer. A bad/undifferentiated offer is hard to recover from, it's like starting with bad seeds.

Next I looked for the main thrust, this could be as simple as a headline, or perhaps a multipart prehead/headline/subhead.

After that I look at the loudest elements on the page. If we're using a big call to action button, this could be the next thing I look at. If the background is ambitious, maybe we focus on that. Or perhaps the hero shot of the product.

Body copy comes last, that's not to say it's not important -- a big fix to the body copy could fix the entire page.

Hope this helps

Ad Agency Copywriters Sell MORE. Need a shot of extra sales? I specialize in high converting sales pages, Clickbank offers, and product launch email sequences. (Click here to learn more).

NeshSab

1. Remove navigation menu or other distracting links.
2. Improve Call to Action.
3. Improve Headline and main description.
4. Improve color scheme (this includes action colors, font and background)
5. Improve images in the landing page.

thet

How can an offer be bad? Do you mean, there needs to be a clear CTA on a website because if you have multiple goals for your website, they end up fighting with eachother?

Could you elaborate what you mean with 'loudest elements'?

What are some issues you come across when it comes to body copy? Do you mean, the copy writing?

Recognize reality even when you don't like it - especially when you don't like it.
— Charlie Munger

thet

I don't understand number 1, a website needs navigation right? When does a link become distracting?

Recognize reality even when you don't like it - especially when you don't like it.
— Charlie Munger

Shaolinsteve

Do a search for this and you'll get a lot of great ideas from here.

savidge4

I think this is a great question. I just don't think the answers will be to great. The reason being.. The use and function of a "Home" page is far different than say a Squeeze page. So the 5 things I would do on a homepage.. are not so much things I would do on a squeeze page.

In the broad sense of a site. my top 5 list...

1. UX
2. UX
3. Headline
4. UX
5. Call to Action

Many of the elements discussed in this discussion can be overcome in many ways. Competing CTA's is a big no no. but understanding UX a bit, it really is not all that hard to visually separate these. Long page format as an example. Navigation scrolls away.. anything you have in the sidebar scrolls away.. and then lower on the page, you can be left with a very defined and defined call to action that stands on its own, and takes center attention.

Color without question plays a big part. but more important than color is white space. Understanding when there simply is to much going on is key.

thet

So UX is key. You know me by now, so you can expect the next question... ;-) Top 3-5 books / blogs about UX? I prefer blogs, way more up to date and no need to fill a 200 book because you can not sell 20 pages.

Recognize reality even when you don't like it - especially when you don't like it.
— Charlie Munger

CPABeyondNetwork

Positive customer reviews, proofs, headlines, CTA, images, colors, borders and stuff like that.



Best regards,

CPA Beyond

AM at CPA Beyond - #1 Private Network - Daily Payments (No Fees)

savidge4

For the love of god man... they don't have a server big enough! LOL

Ive never read a good book on the subject... and I have looked. UX ( User experience ) in my book ( pun not intended ) goes beyond the physical ( layout ) - tho that is a part of it.. and focus more on the function and the psychology.

Lets start here.. the basics of layout. Page layout - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Then here... probably one of the best ever articles in my mind on the science behind layout, and how the user looks at it. 3 Design Layouts: Gutenberg Diagram, Z-Pattern, And F-Pattern - Vanseo Design

from there lets look at the Z pattern a bit more in depth with pictures: Understanding the Z-Layout in Web Design - Tuts+ Web Design Article

Then there is F: Understanding the F-Layout in Web Design - Tuts+ Web Design Article

So from layout concepts you get into the over all color use: Color Terms - Hue, Value, Tint, Shade, Saturation - Colors on the Web the thing you most want to pull from this is "Tint" and "Shade" Tint is lighter - more white ( used primarily towards a female demographic ) and then Shade is darker - more black ( used for the male demographic ) goto facebook.com and look at the top bar..it is shaded, and the below section for sign up etc is in the same color hue... but tinted. ( this is a unisex demographic page at its best )

Navigation is a huge part in UX my own personal thoughts and practices revolve around 3 clicks to any action from anywhere on the site. If for an example you have a commerce site. regardless of where they land on your site, you want the user to find the product they want and place it in the cart in 3 clicks. from this point they want to checkout? you want them to be able to have gone through the buy process in 3 clicks. #1 Cart Button. #2 proceed to checkout #3 confirm order.

In the above scenario ( checkout ) 3 steps in most cases is pushing it. Anytime this happens ( there are more than 3 steps ) you would want to develop a progress bar to re assure the end user there is only so many steps,and that they are almost done.

A solid Navigation must read blog: The Navigation Treasure Trove: 37 Menu Usability Resources | UserTesting.com that should keep you busy for a while!

One thing you want to understanding is your audience. what demographic do they fall under? what colors affect them in a positive manor? What colors affect the demographic bracket above and below your target? ( this is more so in the female target demographic )

Demographics are really not that hard to find.. just some solid searching, and don't be afraid to get back into page 10 of the search results to find that scientific study that breaks all of this stuff down for you - this information is out there, you just have to find it.

When you are looking to enter a market space ( niche ) I would suggest looking at the big hitters in the space. They have already done most of this homework... so you can get ideas from them. I also will look at verticles in the space.. as well as the laterals to get cues of color and layout and an overall feel for what everyone else is doing.

ewenmack

Your answer resides in the mind of your web page visitor.

You optimize by aligning with the thoughts
of your visitor.

Behind the outcome you want the visitor to take,
there's many little agreements your visitor
must take first.

And those agreements have a sequence.

Get them out of sequence and your reader
is taken out of his decision making process.

First place to start is keep digging in to what
is the most desired outcome your visitor wants.

To help you get there, think what triggered the visitor
to go to your web page. Think what was the event
which drove that action.

This gets to the cause of the motivation to take action.

And the visitors motivation is the single biggest
determiner to buy.

Tap into that and you are golden.

Best,
Doctor E. Vile

Sean DeSilva

Sure thing, to clarify:

If your product is ice and your audience is Eskimos, you'll have a tough time no matter what. You have a bad offer, and need to rethink what it is you're selling and to whom. This is step number one.

Loud elements are ones that stand out. This could be a large block font headline, a support image/product shot that stands out on the page, or perhaps an over the top call to action button.

These are simple to identify, just look at the page and see where your eyes go first. As they tend to receive more attention, these elements should be addressed earlier on during an optimization.

Hope that helps

Ad Agency Copywriters Sell MORE. Need a shot of extra sales? I specialize in high converting sales pages, Clickbank offers, and product launch email sequences. (Click here to learn more).

AadhyaMehra

My first choice are call to action and live chat. I think these both are able to increase conversion rate.

Slade556

I'd say testing is everything when trying to improve the conversion rate. First, headline and description are the most important elements, IMO. If they're not convincing, people will leave! Then comes the rest: a nice clean design, call to action and, to name only 5, reviews!

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