If you have a website for your managed service provider firm, then you need it to generate leads. Conversion optimization for managed service providers can help you identify where you can improve your conversion rate for your website.
Conversion optimization is the process of increasing your conversion rate. When it comes to websites, this could include optimizing the number of forms filled out, increasing whitepaper downloads, and generally receiving more contacts from your website.
As a marketing agency that specializes in lead generation, New North has spent the last decade increasing the conversion rate of websites. Here are four ways we’ve found to improve your CRO from your website.
Dive into the Analytics
Every website should have Google Analytics installed, or at least have some analytics tool that’s capable of measuring visitors to your website, what pages they visited and for how long. By diving into this wealth of data, you can start your conversion optimization for managed service providers from a place of knowledge.
In order to improve your current website conversion rate, you need to set a baseline and understand where you’re at now. Keep an eye on what forms are getting the most attention. What pages are they on? How long do visitors spend on those pages? What’s the most popular type of call-to-action? Is your website more successful with whitepaper downloads or with the generic contact form?
No matter how well or badly your website is performing now, it’s important to understand where you’re coming from, so you know where to go from here. These conversion optimization audits are one of the first things we do for every new client.
What are Your KPI’s?
When it comes to conversion optimization, what’s important to you? Key performance indicators are there to help you reach your conversion optimization goals. Do you need more visitors? Which page is the most popular? Can you format other pages to match it?
Some key performance indicators to pay attention to for conversion optimization for managed service providers include time spent on page, bounce rate, and email opt-in rate. The amount of time spent on the page tells you how engaging your content was. If visitors are heading to a page, but leave quickly, maybe the content isn’t engaging enough or easy enough to read. As for bounce rate, you typically want to strive for a lower one. But if a certain page is designed only to direct the visitor to a landing page, then a high bounce rate is to be expected for that particular page. The lower the overall bounce rate for your website, though, the better your content is.
No matter what your KPIs are currently, understanding what to look for in the metrics can help you determine when you’ve reached your conversion optimization goals.
Make Conversion Easy
Do you have an easily-accessible “cash register”?
Your website may not have a physical “cha-ching” cash register as you would see in a grocery store or shop, but it does have a button that functions as such. Your contact button is your cash register. That’s how you convert visitors to leads and how your website brings in money. Without a contact button, you’re essentially a store with no way to buy. Make sure you design your website with that in mind – and make it easy to access.
It’s important to make your contact button stand out from the rest of the site. Use an accent color to highlight and place it in an intuitive spot where it’s easily found. To make “checkout” as easy as possible, place contact buttons/forms in several different places. For example, placing one button in the upper right-hand corner is a great start, but it’s better to place one at the bottom of the page as well to account for the visitor to start scrolling down.
The easier your contact info is to find, the better.
When building contact forms for conversion optimization for managed service providers, remember to only ask for as much information as the visitor feels it’s worth giving away. For example, if you’re not offering anything in return for their information, they probably won’t be willing to give away too much. But if you’re offering a free network assessment or 30-minute consultation, then they’ll be willing to give you more information.
Who’s the Hero of Your Story?
Take a close look at your website. How often do you talk about yourself?
It’s tempting to sell your products and services by discussing your expertise, how you operate, what you can offer potential clients. But, like most of us, people enjoy discussing themselves and feeling heard. That includes your clients.
What will resonate better with your website visitors is if you discuss what problems they’re dealing with, your understanding of their business, and empathize with the issues that they face in their everyday lives. Speak to them on their level, about their problems, and their company.
You can greatly increase your conversation rate by starting off your web pages with an empathy statement about three issues that your customers face in their everyday lives. Move on to a personal value statement, i.e. “You deserve better IT.” Then, finish up the page with how your product or service can help them solve their problem. This method puts the customer first and is a strategy that we rely on when it comes to conversion optimization for managed service providers.
Increasing your conversion rate isn’t a walk in the park. Even the smallest details can have a big impact on your key performance indicators and whether or not you reach your business goals. Designing a website that turns visitors into marketing-qualified leads is no small task.
At New North, we pride ourselves on our unique combination of website design knowledge, marketing expertise, and familiarity with managed service providers. We can help you change your website from a branding piece to a conversion machine.
If you need help with conversion optimization for managed service providers, schedule your free 30-minute website optimization consult.
