Your digital marketing is bringing plenty of people to your website, but are you converting site traffic into leads? To convert visitors into customers you need to create a website that instantly engages prospects and convinces them to take action.
When people visit your website they shouldn’t be scared into bouncing away or left digging through piles of webpages in search of contact information. Instead your web presence should be inviting and feature instant engagement opportunities. You only have a short time to make a first impression. Many people will leave your website after a mere 15 seconds if it has nothing to hold their attention, according to Hubspot. That’s barely enough time to type a URL, nevermind judge a business based on its website. However, it’s the reality of the internet. And in order to extend that tiny window you’ll need to create an engaging website.
More visual content, more conversions
Your website visitors don’t want to read about your business, they want to see it. Images and videos are key to making any website more engaging – especially the latter. In fact, video will comprise 82 percent of web traffic in 2021, according to Cisco. If you’re not leveraging video on your website, you’re relegating your business to a dark and lonely corner of the internet.
While you should definitely invest in videos you can embed on website pages and feature on social media, it’s also important to consider the growth of live video. It’s increasingly popular, especially on Facebook, itself a valuable resource. If you can find a way to take advantage of live video on a consistent basis to draw in traffic and create a collection of archived videos it would be wise to work it into your video strategy.
Locking into live chat
Live chat is growing, and there’s a good reason why: It’s no longer merely a support channel, live chat is now part of a strong lead generation strategy. It’s all about instant engagement. No one wants to dig for a submission form or send an email just to wait days for a response. Even phone calls aren’t always a convenient option, especially when people are at work or on the go.
But with a live chat widget installed on your website you can ensure web visitors are instantly engaged with your brand. That improves the chances they provide their contact information and are receptive to sales pitches down the line. In fact, businesses that use live chat see up to 40 percent more leads come through their websites than those that don’t.
Use UX to engage visitors
How well-designed is your website? If the UX is lacking your conversion rate could be lagging behind its potential. The moment people see an ugly-looking website they’re likely to leave. It’s a sign of a low-quality brand or worse, a scam. People clean, aesthetically pleasing websites that they can browse with ease. With the right website you can capture visitors’ attention long enough to engage via live chat or watch one of your videos. The Next Web suggested some UX ideas that can make your website more engaging:
- Use illustrations instead of photos: Illustrations can be targeted to your audience and tailored to your brand, according to TNW. This flexibility can make illustrated graphics more beneficial to UX than photos, which may present a disjointed look if not taken specifically for use on your website.
- Backgrounds are a big deal: Your homepage background shouldn’t be an afterthought. It should help generate interest. For example, use an image that changes slightly on each page, to give visitors the feeling your website is alive. Or use a video that isn’t too distracting and constantly loops in the background. Just make sure your background isn’t so complex that it’s slowing down load times.
- People like other people: Don’t shy away from using people in your photos and video. When visitors see a happy face on your website they’re more likely to start instantly building a connection with your brand. It’s natural: people like other people. Just keep in mind that these photos and videos should tell a story connected to your brand. They should also feature colors and elements aligned with your brand aesthetic.
Once your website is so engaging that people can’t help but stay there for longer than 15 seconds you’ll have a great opportunity to convert visitors into customers. By improving UX, building your website around visual elements and integrating live chat into your lead capture strategy you can ensure people are staying on your website and taking steps toward the ultimate goal: converting into customers.
