Conversion is the number of browsers on your site that do something that you want them to, such as signing up for a newsletter, purchasing a product, or inquring about your services. If you take the total number of visitors and divide by the number of ‘actions taken,’ then yo have the conversion number expressed as a percentage.
Increasing your conversion rate is hard work, but also one of the best things you can do for your site. Here are a few tips to get you going.
1. Install analytics
Analytics comes in 2 different types, PC programs that analyze log files, and web based programs. I like to use both because because I get a bigger picture of what is going on. For a web based program, Google Analytics is free and very effective. For a log file, analyzer, I recommend click tracks, which is more expensive, but well worth the cost.
With a log file analyzer, you can start analzing your traffic right away, with Google Analytics, you’ll have to wait a while to gather data.
Even before that, there are a few things you can do to get started.
1. Take the HOME button off the home page! When browsers land on your home page and see the HOME button, they quite understandably think they are on an interior page of the site, so they click on HOME to get to the home page. THis just reloads the page they are on. So, browsers have been on your site for 10 seconds and already you have confused them!
2. Edit your menus. As above with the homepage link, having a CONTACT US link on the contact page.
Think about your browsers and the different types of browsers that visit your site, and how you want them to navigate through the site. Sketch out the most desirable route through your site and then arrange the content and menu choices to ‘guide’ browsers through you most desirable route.
