Picture Mr. Clean as the chief instructor at your local Karate Studio.
Now imagine walking in there to inquire about taking lessons. You’d probably feel slightly intimidated as you shake his beefy hand and watch the light bounce off his polished scalp.
After listening politely to his sales pitch, you tell Mr. Clean that you are interested but need some time to think about it. At this point, instead of being offered additional material or contact information, you swallow your horror as he informs you that you are not going anywhere until you’ve signed up with him.
10 minutes later – after you’ve grudgingly made your first payment – you hastily scramble out the door and Mr. Clean never sees or hears from you again.
The first time I heard that story I laughed in disbelief and questioned the truth behind it. Unfortunately, this really happened to one poor soul who is probably terrified at the thought of ever visiting another martial arts studio.
While Mr. Clean won the initial argument, he destroyed a relationship with a potential long-term customer and has probably chased away a good deal of prospective business since. This may not be a scenario that takes place in the online business world but there are plenty of other ways to scare off your customers and say goodbye to them forever.
The following five points examine mistakes you should avoid at all costs if your business actually likes sales and conversions.
Is your website screaming at your visitors? Pages that are too loud and full of visual distractions are a great way to get your visitors to frantically pound the back button.
Obtrusive pop-ups and excessive on-screen motion can make for a very unpleasant user experience. If your website has the potential to give someone a seizure then you may want to reevaluate your strategy.
Visitors tend to come back to a site multiple times before they decide to make a purchase. Being overly pushy makes it unlikely that you will have more than one interaction with your visitors. It is possible to make the sale — while keeping your soul intact.
Trust is a critical factor for improving conversions and building relationships with customers. If you don’t give your visitors a reason to trust you then can you really blame them if they decide not to part with their money?
How you decide to achieve this will depend on your business and your unique goals. Some common trust signals include:
– Testimonials
– Product Reviews
– Social Proof
– Contact Information
– Trust Seals
– Third-Party Badges and Certifications
– Multiple Payment Options
Using a variety of trust signals is not only beneficial for increasing for conversions but for building the overall credibility of your brand.
Is every piece of information that you are asking your visitors to share with you absolutely necessary?
This involves both timing and quantity. If you ask customers for their contact or payment information too early in the process there will be a lack of trust and the transaction will end prematurely. Requesting information that you don’t need is also a bad approach and can enhance customer anxiety.
Being predictable may be boring but it is also comforting. Most of us are soothed by the knowledge that the steps in front of us are constructed with steel and not rubber bands sprayed with metallic paint.
In addition to reducing user anxiety, a consistent online presence makes your brand more recognizable. This can encompass your image, your activity on social media, your brand message and the level of quality you deliver.
Telling your visitors just how wonderful you are is great and all but it gets old really fast. If you are not describing exactly what you can do for THEM you will be saying your farewells sooner than you would like.
What are you offering that is valuable enough to keep visitors on your website – or even better – to take the next step and make a purchase?
