Dec
4 Website Optimization Secrets to Boost Performance
Published on 21 Dec
Your website is the foundation of all online marketing operations. While social media marketing and other offsite search engine optimization services are undoubtedly beneficial, a properly optimized website is imperative to long-term success online. When building a website, the focus is often primarily on design and content (which are important!), but there are many lesser-known website optimization strategies that enable conversions.
We've compiled some conversion rate optimization trade secrets that you can use to fine-tune your website and accelerate lead generation in the new year.
Choose The Right Images
Conversion rate optimization depends on homepages and main service pages being both captivating and informative. This starts with well-incorporated images. Studies show that most website visitors take a maximum of 3 seconds to decide whether they will stay on that page or leave (and end up on a competitors’ website), as a result text-heavy website pages struggle to resonate with visitors within this brief time frame of opportunity.
A website optimized for conversions will use images to elicit a positive reaction from visitors, almost instantly. Prominently positioning photos that represent your brand’s services or product offerings will quickly engage new visitors and cause them to stay on your website and covert. When choosing images for your website, stay on brand in terms of colours and themes. Opt for images you own whenever possible. If you have an e-commerce website, we recommend ensuring that all product photos are clear, bright, and unified with matching backgrounds and taken from similar angles.
Bonus: Whenever possible, include videos on your website. Search engine algorithms give preference to multimedia websites, so it is a good idea to use video marketing in galleries,service pages or wherever, and whenever possible.
Compartmentalize Text
Content is key to a website optimization, but many online searchers will simply skim text. As they continue to the bottom of the page, focus tends to dwindle. To get your content to shine, it must be formatted in digestible blocks that are easily absorbed. The most relevant information should be high up on the page, where readers spend the most time. More often than not, readers will miss key value points and lengthy blurbs of text. Instead, try bullet points, short text boxes, and a refined user-friendly layout to better connect potential customers with selling points featured on your website.
Bonus: Always approach content from your customers' perspective, talk to them directly with a second-person narrative, to create an engaging conversational feel to your website content.
Modify Your Calls to Action
A call to action or CTA is essential to conversion rate optimization. Without CTAs, conversions are simply not possible. A strategically placed CTA can be the difference between a converting customer and a visitor that leaves. A call to action should not be on any page once. Calls to action can take the shape of capture forms, phone numbers, emails, and buttons that direct potential customers where to go or what to do next.
The verbiage of a CTA is just as important as its positioning. The most effective call to action is short, direct, and creates a sense of urgency or curiosity. You can try playing around with text in your calls to action and tailor them to your customer base as well as your offering.
Bonus: The impact of a CTA can be amplified by adding colour or effects to buttons to help capture the eyes of readers.
Minimize Unnecessary Website Plugins
To expand the functionality of a website built on a templated system such as Wordpress or Shopify, developers typically use plugins - an additional piece of third-party software that introduces these new capabilities. Unfortunately, in excess, plugins reduce page load speed and create security issues that do more harm than good to the user experience and search engine optimization score of your website.
While introducing new functionality is a good idea, we encourage you to opt for a scalable website and content management system (CMS) that is not reliant on various plugins, but is instead equipped with the tools your business needs. Juicebox is a robust, secure, user-friendly CMS that supports custom-built websites. It can offer any functionality without relying on plugins, so your website always remains very secure and super fast!
Bonus: To get the additions you want without negatively impacting your SEO, the custom website design team at Xi Digital offers custom-built websites with functionality tailored around your business’s unique needs.
Conduct a Website Audit With Xi Digital
If you're looking to boost your website performance and build performance online, Xi Digital, a boutique digital marketing agency in Toronto, offers expert website audits. Our team of digital specialists will review every page of your website, identifying components that can be upgraded to improve search engine rankings, online traffic, and website conversions. Let us, show you some great opportunities to improve your website and expand your digital footprint.