As I said in Intro to Conversion Rate, CR is one of the most popular key performance indicators out there. It tells you how many people have done what you wanted them to.
A high conversion rate sounds like a good thing, right? It usually is. That’s why conversion rate optimization is usually pretty important to advertisers and other marketers.
But what about when it’s low, maybe even on a steady decline? What’s causing it to drop and what can you do about it? Let’s get to the bottom of it and talk about five big issues that could be the cause of your low CR.
1. Lack Of SEO
If your website and landing pages aren’t optimized for search engines, you might not be getting as much traffic as you could be. When it comes to search engine optimization (SEO), ask yourself:
- Do you tend to neglect SEO because you think it’s a waste of time?
- Are the majority of the keywords you bid on long-tail or exact match, and thus super specific?
- Is your website only optimized for search engine bots instead of visitors and mobile users?
If any of these are true for you, they could be contributing to a low CR. Check out what Brittany Berger has to say about the dos and don’ts of modern SEO here.
2. Poor Calls-To-Action
If users are unsure about what your CTA is asking of them, there’s no doubt they’re going to move on. That option is much easier than trying to figure out your puzzling message.
Evaluate your CTAs’ weaknesses by asking:
- Is the desired action unclear?
- Is the CTA hard to find on the page?
- Are my CTAs irrelevant to my target audience?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, your CTAs might be inhibiting conversions. It’s important to figure out how to get crafty with your CTAs so that you’ll get people to click and convert.
3. Too Broad Of A Target Audience
When it comes to your target audience, quality triumphs over quantity. Appealing to a broader audience with a more general ad? You’re better off targeting a more segmented audience with a more specific ad if you’re looking for conversions.
Do you find that you are trying to appeal to a lot of people with varying demographics, buying history, and backgrounds? If so, potential customers might see your ad as impersonal and irrelevant, making them not want to click.
It’s important to figure out the specific group you want to target, and then do your best to appeal to them in a relatable, personal way.
4. You’re Not Persuasive Enough
A low CR could be the result of a lack of persuasion. If your ads and CTAs implore the user to complete a desired action without some incentive, people will be less likely to click.
It’s important to let your audience what’s in it for them. Here are some copywriting tips, brought to you by Michelle Brammer, that can help you get persuasive:
- Write a great headline
- Use differentiating characteristics to set yourself apart from the competition
- Add pricing to your ads
5. Poor Message Match Between Assets
Say you’ve got a killer CTA that really makes your potential customers want to click. That’s awesome, but it won’t work to your advantage if your link takes them to an irrelevant landing page that confuses them.
Like with a confusing CTA, if a user clicks your ad and is confused by your landing page, they are more likely to leave it than to stick around to figure it out. This is why it’s important to give users what they’re looking for and make sure that there’s a cohesive message match between your ad and your landing page.
6. Lack Of Follow-Up
If you’re not following up on your advertising endeavors, it will be difficult for you to understand what’s working and what’s not. Using an analytics program makes it easy to measure your success and find the root of your issues.
Google Analytics, for example, is a popular analytics program. It has a whole bunch of features like advertising reports, campaign measurement, and advanced segments. Some of the features could even help you to discover one of the other issues I’ve already talked about.
Carefully looking at all your analytics gives you a better chance of diagnosing and fixing a low CR.
Getting To It
So if you’ve got a low CR, you could be having any one of the problems I’ve just told you about. With some investigation, you’ll be on your way to diagnosing and repairing your issues in no time.
By the time Thanksgiving rolls around, your CR might be something else for you to be thankful for!
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