All of the money you are spending on SEO, PPC and link building may be wasted if you are not converting all that traffic into sales. According to industry analytics group Fireclick, the global conversion rate for all websites is about 2 percent, so almost all of your hard-won visitors are leaving before purchasing.

A website needs to be more than keywords and interlinks to some partner sites; it needs to grab the visitor’s attention and guide them through the conversion process.  It should provide welcoming visuals, numerous Calls to Action (CTA), and provide content that addresses visitor needs.  You may feel like this is the web designer’s responsibility, but even the best technicians require strong involvement and guidance from project directors.

You are probably losing sales because

• Your site’s CTA is not strategically placed: These clearly labeled offers should be tailored to a specific page; an introductory page should offer more generic deals, while a specific product page may offer something more appealing to a highly motivated buyer.
• Your site doesn’t have a welcoming visual: In the few seconds you have to engage the visitor you need to push your high production value, ability to meet their needs and friendly atmosphere.
• Your site isn’t mobile ready: If your website isn’t optimized for mobile access, those visitors you worked so hard to get will leave in a heartbeat.
• Your site lacks clear navigation:  With billions of sites to choose from, a visitor is not going to tolerate even a modicum of difficulty in accessing directories and content.  Make your site user friendly or you will pay for it in lost sales.

When you are designing your website keep these features in mind.

• Place your CTA above the fold: This buttons should stand out, easily visible, and provide real value to the visitor.
• Tailor your website for mobile:  This means employing dynamic views and HTML5 when creating your website.
• Engage the visitor:  Providing content through your blog, asking short surveys and posting appealing photos or videos are easy ways to keep the visitor on your page.
• Use appealing visuals:  Most visitors only give a new site a few seconds before they zip on to the next search result, so the landing page has to provide aesthetics that are attractive if not stunning.
• Clearly label your website’s message:  If you are selling a product or service, be sure to clarify how your product is different and superior to others.  You should also provide a clear content guide so that the visitor can navigate your site quickly and easily.
• Gather contact info: If you have high value content, allow visitors to access it but ask them to provide an email address first. This gives you the option of contacting them with email touches even if they decide not to complete their purchase first.

Converting leads into customers should be a serious part of your business strategy.  Even a 2 percent increase in your conversion rate translates into a 100 percent increase in sales.. If you would like to learn how to optimize your site for sales conversions, you will find advice from seasoned professionals at www.Coggno.com.