8 Principles of Website Conversion

Scott — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 19:42:29 +0000

Often when we sit down to review a new client website marketing, the first thing we encounter is a problem with their website conversion process. I don’t think conversion optimization requires a PHD, but sometimes it does take some critical thinking to figure out what is stopping customers from converting. It can be a lack of a call-to-action, loud colors, painfully long copy or simply no way to convert. When we go through the process of enhancing a clients’ conversion process, it’s almost a thing of magic.

For example, recently we optimized the conversion process for a service company. Before we started their website was converting leads at about 3%, which isn’t terrible. After we finished a basic usability assessment and implemented our recommendations, the same website now converts between 15 and 20 percent.

I read an article the other day that I thought really summarized some of the basic points of conversion optimization nicely. I’ll recap the main ideas here, and if you want to read more, here’s the link to the article, by Dmitry Fadeyev.

1. Subliminal Suggestion
2. Prevent Choice Paralysis
3. Show The Product
4. Let People Try It
5. AIDA – Attention, Interest, Desire and Action
6. Guide attention
7. Always Provide Next Actions
8. The Gutenberg rule (top left to bottom right)

» usability

8 Principles of Website Conversion