27 Ways to Increase Conversions through Content

CopyPress

March 31, 2013 (Updated: January 26, 2023)

Content is great for driving traffic, but traffic for traffic’s sake isn’t the goal for a majority of marketers. For that majority, converting traffic into an action that has value is the main goal. There are lots of ways to convert content based traffic into sales, but you don’t see them being talked about very often. The reason for this is traffic is easy to attain, but conversion takes trial and error. Let’s take a look at 27 ways that you can convert content based traffic into conversions.

1. Content with a Purpose is Content that Converts

Content with no direction just adds noise to an already loud Blogosphere. When you have a direct purpose in mind (more sales, more click troughs, increased traffic to the website) you can tailor the content to meet your needs.

2. Include a Call to Action

Take the same goals you set before creating content and turn them into a call to action. If your goal is to direct traffic to the website, tell your audience that they can learn more there. A call to action that asks readers to comment won’t direct as much traffic as a call to action with a hyperlink to your landing page.

3. Create Opt-in Options

By setting up an opt-in box, you bring the content to the audience so they don’t actively have to look for it. This also keeps your target base fresh as people continue to subscribe and unsubscribe. Only the people who want to hear from your company or about your product will stay on the list. At the end of the day, they’re the ones most likely to buy.

4. Direct Visitors via Awesome Usability

A difficult or awkward website will frustrate your consumer. If they can’t easily find what they want, they will move on to your competition’s page to see if it’s easier to find there.

5. Respond to Comments and Questions

This is something small that takes less than 30 seconds but leaves a big impression. Responding to comments and answering questions lets your audience know that you’re listening and not just churning out content. This increases their likelihood of returning to your site to ask questions and look into your products. Plus, what’s the point of having a comments box if it’s just going to rust away unnoticed?

6. Look at Your Analytics and Plan

Don’t expect your target market to come to you. Look to see when the most traffic reaches your pages, what demographics they are and how they reached your site. You can use these analytics to tailor your site to their needs which will increase the likelihood of content conversion.

7. Provide Facts and Stats

Whether you’re looking to increase sales, drive traffic or create buzz, facts will help convert your content. Statistics can convince the consumer that they’re getting a good deal or buying a trusted product. They also make sharing content easier.

8. Make a Strong First Impression

If you can’t keep a viewer’s attention for more than a few seconds, you probably won’t drive them to buy your product, share your blog or visit your website. Your best bet at keeping them on your page is through a strong first impression. You wouldn’t be reading this right now if you hadn’t been interested by something we said at the beginning.

9. Retargeting Pixels

Retargeting is when you only target visitors who have previously visited your site. When visitors leave your site, banner ads for your page are featured on other sites. You can target the ads for certain sites and even for certain pages that your audience visits. For example, if your company sells Products A and B, you can set up retargeting ads for viewers who only looked at product B.

10. Coupons

Millions of research dollars are spent each year to come to the same conclusion: people like discounts. By creating incentives to take action through coupons, your target demographic will make the jump from on-the-fence to paying customer.

11. Triple Check Your Copy

Nothing loses your audience’s credibility faster than copy full of fractured sentences and spelling errors. You spent so long improving your product and designing your website, why throw it all away with a typo?

12. Keep Your Content Timely and Relevant

By regularly updating your content, you keep your audience coming back. They’re more likely to follow your social channels and opt-in to your e-blasts. By keeping your target market on your page, you’re building trust and setting up consumers to become brand-loyal.

13. Pop Ups

Sure they seem annoying, but they work. We have utilized one on CopyPress to double the size of our email list month over month for three months straight.

14. Case Studies

Case studies inside your content not only give that “show don’t tell” feel, but they also give creditibility to your capabilities. This is a great way to increase insight into your product or service.

15. Customer Testimonials

Placing quality content near customer testimonials means you can influence visitors directly.

16. Use Facebook to Build Credibility

Show them a group of their friends that like your content or product. The Facebook API enables you to manage this type of targeting for logged in visitors.

17. Display Products that Match Your Content

Utilize categorization from your content and your product pages to match the two. This will mean that once you have informed the visitor about your product you have that product directly in their view.

18. BUY NOW!

Urgency is key. You need to make sure the reader feels that waiting another minute is a bad decision.

19. Keep Conversion Information Below the Fold

People are not looking to be sold to when they read content, so having a site that looks like it is trying to sell from the get go is not going to grab their attention as easily. You want to grab their attention and move them into a conversion.

20. Split Test Opt-In, Pop Ups , and Other Conversion Points

Don’t just think, know. You should test, and test, and test some more to make sure you know exactly what converts.

21. Product Video

Video is highly coveted by marketers that sell online.

22. Quality Images and the Right Images

Awesome images sell products

23. Storytelling Sells

People love a story.

The best strategy here is what is known in sales letter writing as the reluctant hero.

We have all seen these by way of infomercials. The Proactive commercials with famous celebs are my favorite example. They show young girls their hero’s and that they were “just like them.” The concept of bringing someone of heroic status down a level, and showing the product that allowed them to take off to such amazing heights is why trained copywriters make big bucks.

24. Giveaways

Giveaways, sweepstakes and contests are amazing content in and of themselves. On top of that they are a great way to showcase products.

25. Tailor the Content for the Right Visitor

Are you selling servers? Well then a group of memes likely isn’t going to get you the traffic that is going to convert.

26. Speed Up Your Website

Load times cause bounces. Large images or a multitude of images can cause major loading issues. Also CMSs such as WordPress have loading issues unless configured to speed up properly.

27. Awesome Headlines Lead to Sales

The start of most visits is a compelling headline, and a great headline can lead a horse to water.

Dave Snyder

CopyPress writer