A conversion occurs when visitors to your website or online store take a specific action, often making a purchase. You can also calculate the conversion rate. Online marketing agency DoubleSmart provides Here is an explanation: “The conversion rate is the ratio between the number of visitors to a website and the number of people who have achieved a predetermined goal. This could be a purchase, but other goals are also possible.” Suppose you have 1,000 visitors per month on your website, and 10 of them make a purchase. In that case, your conversion rate is 1%.
A related concept is conversion optimization, also known as Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO). “By applying CRO, you focus on removing obstacles on your website or online store, enabling visitors to make a purchase or contact you more effectively, quickly, and easily. This allows you to increase your success and your impact” (ThinkOrange(n.d.).
How can I calculate my conversion rate?
We already provided a brief example above of how the percentage is calculated. It’s best to use a tool to gain insight into your conversion rate. Research by W3techs shows that Google Analytics is a widely used tool. The simplest way to gain a clear understanding of your conversion rate is to create a "thank you" page. Link this page to your form or shopping cart, and then track it in Google Analytics.
You can learn a great deal about your website or online store with this (free) tool. Not only can you see your conversion rate, but also who your visitors are and how they behave (on your site). You can analyze your target audience: where are they located and what devices do they use? You can also look at acquisition: how do visitors end up on your website? And behavior: what do visitors do on your site? You can see which page is visited most often, what people are searching for, and which pages visitors frequently leave. And, of course, the focus of this blog: conversion. For example, you can select a time period and view the revenue and conversion rate (WPLounge(n.d.).
So what is the perfect percentage?
The percentages vary by industry. The travel industry, for example, will have different figures than the higher education sector. But as Jurjen Jongejan on Frankwatching says: “Don’t get too hung up on benchmarks.” In the blog, he explains that the percentage also depends on the type of product you sell.
But the type of visitor is also important. Are they mainly just browsing, or do they actually intend to make a purchase? Furthermore, your visitors’ goals play a role. Do they want to submit a bid, or are they just checking the opening hours, for example? A conversion rate therefore depends on a huge number of factors, which is why it’s difficult to calculate a good average.
How can I increase my conversion rate?
To do this, you first need to identify what’s going wrong or what needs improvement. Analyze your pages: where are the areas for improvement and opportunities? Collect data about your website and visitors, for example using Google Analytics.
One of the most important aspects of conversion is ensuring that visitors don’t drop off halfway through the purchasing process. So make sure your website or online store is easy and quick to use, so customers proceed to checkout faster. And if visitors do leave your website, try to bring them back. For example, send them an email reminding them that they still have items in their shopping cart. Or give them the option to sign up for a newsletter, so they stay up-to-date on your products or services.
We’d also like to share some practical tips you can apply right away:
Make sure to include plenty of contact forms on various pages;
Create clear call-to-action (CTA) buttons;
Use the right color for the CTA buttons; choose contrasting colors;
To measure is to know! Start A/B testing. A/B testing involves comparing two different versions of specific pages (or page elements). Which version is better, and which one should you use? However, this is only meaningful with larger volumes—that is, if you get a lot of visitors to your website. A test with 100 visitors per month is much less reliable than one with, say, 10,000 visitors per month, because the latter gives you a broader picture of your target audience and the results fluctuate less.
Show social proof. For example, include reviews or logos from references, etc.;
Use live chat or WhatsApp. It’s an easier way for customers to get in touch than calling or emailing
The difference between contrasting colors
We can help you with your conversion rate optimization (CRO)
Would you like more help increasing your conversion rate? We believe CRO is incredibly important, and that’s reflected in our projects. “To measure is to know,” which is why we track this for every website. Because while having a beautiful website or online store is wonderful, as an entrepreneur, you naturally want to run your business and actually sell your products or services. We’d love to help you with that! After all, a beautiful website isn’t the same as an effective and profitable one. And that’s exactly what we specialize in—contact us today to discuss the possibilities with no obligation.
