It’s upsetting to see so many business owners spend big money on websites that aren’t helping them generate leads and sales. When a company needs a new website, they typically vet agencies that are skilled in design and development, selecting based on the agency’s portfolio and price. Although those two factors are very much relevant, the key is to find a source that is driven by results rather than superficiality. The good news is that your results-driven website can still look kickass — just ensure your resource prioritizes conversions over everything else.

When it comes to a high-converting website, content is king. Having relevant, strategic content on your website is essential to converting visitors to paying customers. To ensure you’re formulating the right recipe for your business, make sure the agency you’re sourcing is asking questions like, 

• What are your short- and long-term business goals? 
• What are your current objectives? 
• What does your sales funnel look like? 
• What’s your current CPL (cost per lead), and CPA (cost per acquisition), and how can we use your website to improve?

“Without a strategically inquisitive partner, your new website will be designed to fit within an uninspired box.” 

While we’re not ashamed to say that we value a pretty website just as much as anyone else, we prioritize the website’s effectiveness and duty to help achieve business goals. Wouldn’t it be helpful if your site could collect warm leads’ contact information so that your sales team could make fewer cold calls and instead be given warm lead lists as part of a nurturing campaign? What if, before discussing design and development, you brought your sales team into the strategy discussion, so you had some key features and content that are directly tied to your sales process built into the site?

We need to flip our thinking; as marketers (or as someone striving to be better at marketing within their own company), it’s our job to fill the gaps between our departments and outside agencies. After all, you are typically spending a good chunk of change for this marketing tool known as a website, so it’s best to ensure it’s going to carry its weight. 

But who’s running the show here? Is it the web agencies that put the site together? Or the sales team that drives the sales strategy? The correct answer is the CMO — if you find yourself without one of those, well… we know a team that could help. 😉 

The impact of a website as a sales tool cannot be underestimated. Did you know that a whopping 88% of online consumers are less likely to return to a site after a bad experience? On the other hand, businesses that adopt a conversion rate optimization (CRO) strategy see a 223% increase in conversions on average.

So, let’s talk tactics.

To improve website conversions, consider implementing the following:

1. Focus on the user experience: Your website should be user-friendly, easy to navigate, and visually appealing. Use high-quality images and clear call-to-actions (CTAs), and avoid clutter.
2. Utilize A/B testing: You can determine which elements work best by testing different website versions and optimizing accordingly. Even small changes can make a significant impact on conversions.
3. Use persuasive copy: Your website copy should address your target audience’s pain points, offer solutions, and use persuasive language to encourage them to take action.
4. Optimize your forms: Make it easy for users to fill out forms and only ask for essential information. There are two methodologies to consider here.
   1. Form Length: Keep your forms to just three input fields or less. This can be tough to swallow, but studies show forms with four input fields have a conversion rate drop of 4.4% compared to those with three input fields or less. Context plays a factor here, and studies vary, but test your forms with different variables for a few months and track the difference for your case. 
   2. Multi-Step forms (for longer forms): Consider using multi-step forms and adding social proof to increase form submissions. A study by Unbounce found that multi-step forms resulted in a 26% increase in conversions.
5. Use transitional CTAs. A Transitional CTA is a way to gently guide visitors toward the end goal rather than pushing them toward it. A Visitor is more likely to take the next step in the buyer’s journey and move closer to making a purchase or conversion if that step has a smaller ask.

Starting with a marketing strategist is essential and is a far more critical component of a new website than all of its technical design brilliance. Even though killer creative is one of our main shticks, if we had to pick between a fancy custom-built website with zero lead generation strategy or a low-budget Wix site with a sales strategy in mind, we’d go for the latter every time. 

But let the record show: We’d prefer the two come together and live happily ever after.

Dustin Keeslar, 

Marketing Strategist + Operations | CreativeCat.Co