You might be (unknowingly) guilty of committing “conversion rate blunders” in your digital advertising campaigns. Bounce Exchange tested billions of A/B impressions to see what strategies are sure-fire winners when it comes to conversions. To help you avoid these conversion rate killers within your web site and digital advertising creative, we’ve taken Bounce Exchange’s Top 10 Conversion Rate Blunders and summarized the strategies on how to fix these common errors below for application in your own campaigns.
1. Humans Kill Conversions.
Straight-forward ads without human images always beat the same ads featuring humans. This is even true for celebrities. Including humans often creates unwanted emotional reactions from the consumer (“Who is this girl? Would I hang out with her? I don’t like her.”). Keep it simple and remember, the offer always wins.
2. Compliance Momentum (you don’t have a 2-step opt-in).
Surprisingly, the 2-step opt-in defeats the 1-step opt-in every time. This seems counter-intuitive, but it follows the psychological research of Robert Cialdini which states, “when you make a small commitment, that small commitment dramatically increases your chances to make another commitment.” Reel in your prospects with a 2-step opt-in.
3. Eliminate Distractions.
Too many distractions take away from the offer. The internet is constantly bombarding us with images and it is easy to ignore clutter. Don’t become background noise – eliminate any extra images and clutter.
4. Don’t Underestimate Your Consumers.
This one may come as a surprise, but if your offer seems too good to be true (even if it isn’t), consumers won’t buy it. Consumers are constantly sniffing out a scam – don’t look like one. Be honest in your advertising, and test out different messages to see what works.
5. You Send Visitors To Your Homepage.
Send your prospects to the page they are interested in, not the page you are interested in. If your ad features red boots, send your prospects to a page where they can easily find those red boots. Create unique landing pages for your unique ads, and send your prospects to the page they are looking for.
6. You Don’t Conduct A/B Tests.
When you have the chance, A/B test everything. Test subject lines, wording, call-to-actions, landing pages, colors, images, everything you can. You may be surprised by the results.
7. You Aren’t Directing Your Prospects.
It may seem tacky, but using directional arrows to guide your prospects works every time. The less work your prospects have to do to follow your path to conversion, the better. Use directional cues on your opt-ins and banner ads.
8. CTA’s Gone Wild (your call-to-action buttons stink).
When creating call-to-action buttons, think like the prospect and be as clear as possible. Instead of “click here” or “learn more,” try “get $5 off” or “download my PDF.” Outline the result that will follow the click.
9. Your Communications Are Scatterbrained.
Implement a clear, concise, step-by-step guide for the prospect to build their trust. Your subject line should foreshadow the email, which foreshadows the call-to-action, which foreshadows the landing page, which foreshadows the conversion. Make sure your brand voice and path to conversion are consistent.
10. You’re Not Using Testimonials Properly.
Use testimonials whenever you have the chance. Search Engine Land states, “88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.” This is huge, and will gain your prospects’ trust quickly. Contact your best customers and include their reviews in your next campaign.
