You have already created a website. You have first feedback. You can meet your standards or not. Nevertheless, you understood that a website that moves is better. Well done, I congratulate you because you are right. And because of this, you want to start a process of improvement. Well done, you are doubly right.
When it comes to designing a website, there is no given truth. We start with postulates that can come from two sources. Assumptions have been made based on the customer’s knowledge of the market. And on the other hand, the web communication agency’s knowledge of the web-supported you in this project.
Another source of the postulate can come from the analysis of the existing. That is to say, study in-depth what worked and what did not work on your previous site. Nevertheless, I regret that this study stage is very often put aside in the face of novelty. It is wrong.
Following the launch of your site, you were able to confront your assertions with reality. And it is in this context that you certainly want to improve your website.
What does it mean to improve your website?
Indeed, this generic term “improve your website” hides many things.
Indeed, behind each website, there are objectives for your website. Improving your website means making changes to achieve this goal. And the improvement process is not the same depending on your goals.
- An eCommerce website will focus on reducing the friction elements that limit sales.
- A site designed to be visible on search engines will be keen to develop content. And to reduce the technical problems improving its attractiveness for Google. However, these improvements will be invisible to the majority of users.
- A communication website will improve ergonomics and navigation.
- A website that has long load times will work on speed
It is possible that several of these improvements must be made for the same site. It is advisable to select those which will allow you to improve the achievement of your objective. Unless you can afford to do it all, you need to prioritize. You must unlock the brakes on your growth.
And how do you get to know them? Again, we are faced with a mixture of intuition. But above all, from a long analysis of what is happening on your website. And that’s the beauty of the web. While respecting the confidentiality of Internet users, you know their facts and actions. And the more visitors you have, the more statistics can speak. Indeed, after several thousand visits, it isn’t easy to make a decision.
A small additional note before moving on to the rest of this article. I regularly meet clients who are disappointed with their websites. Indeed, the objectives they set for themselves have not been achieved. Check that you have had enough traffic to be able to make decisions. With a conversion rate of 2%, to make two sales, you must have had 100 visitors. And to make 20 sales, you must have had 2,000 visitors. And qualified visits. Not your friends.
Now, I suggest you look at the different ways to improve your website.
How to optimize your site to make more sales?
This is a recurring question from many eCommerce sites. To improve the sales of your website, there are three solutions:
- Increase the number of people who visit your online sales platform.
- Increase the percentage of people who buy (improved conversion rate).
- Increase the average basket of your sales.
For point 1, improve the acquisition of traffic to your site, there are several solutions. Set up a paid acquisition strategy. It is implemented through platforms such as SEM, social networks, etc. Improving natural referencing, as we will see below. Or quite simply by communicating around its website. I am summarizing, of course, because it is more complex than that. As I said earlier, part of the troubles of online shopping sites come from this point. I encourage you to read my dedicated posts on this point in my blog.
For point 2, the conversion funnel should be analyzed. Between the moment the user arrives on your site and the moment he places an order. We must analyze step by step to understand those that block. Those on which there is a high rate of audience dispersion. You have to understand tunnel mechanics. The user must enter this path to be able to come out only on one side. That of the sale. Again, I encourage you to read my posts dedicated to conversion.
For point 3, it is an element that mixes the previous point (import in the conversion steps of elements to make additional sales). And understanding your market (which products could be complementary without cannibalizing my market). It is a work of optimization and marketing reflection on your website.
By following these 3 points, you will be able to improve the sales of your website. A sale is a funnel. We must ensure that both ends are enlarged. The top and the bottom.
How to do site optimization for Google?
Do you want to get your site up in Google? It’s a good idea. Moreover, if this was not planned from the start, you can blame your web agency. Optimizing your site for SEO is one of the first duties of a website. Here are some ideas that will make your site more visible:
- Put regular content on your website
- Mark up your website by respecting the rules laid down by Google. H1, Title, meta description.
- Have a site ready for mobile (responsive design site and web pages in amp format).
A little aside after this chapter dedicated to SEO and the website. I want to put an end to some misconceptions. 1) No, the natural referencing of a website is not free. Unless you do it yourself, it’s not free. Because it corresponds to human time. 2) No, good natural referencing does not automatically translate into sales on a website. There is a difference between traffic and the qualification of traffic. Once again, I encourage you to read my articles dedicated to natural referencing.
You also have to improve your website Google but also its visitors. The search engine is more and more demanding on qualitative criteria.
How to improve the ergonomics of your website?
This design optimization of a website can be valid for many cases. Indeed, your site ergonomics can be an obstacle to the generation of contacts, to the sale,…. To have an ergonomic website, you must analyze internal traffic. It is better to use design agencies or ergonomists. If you can’t afford it, spend a few hours on Google Analytics. Indeed, you can watch via the web page analysis tool.
This tool is very simple and very practical. By a set of superimposed colors on your web pages, you see the number of clicks received by each link. This represents incomplete information. But it’s a good start to seeing which sections of your pages aren’t useful to internet users. And sometimes it hides surprises.
Other key indicators that can help you improve your website:
- The bounce rate.
- The exit rate
With this data, you will be able to see which pages are the weakest on your site. Those that generate the most discontent.
Finally, the conversion tunnel path is a very valuable tool. This requires to be configured.
Another possibility is to install heatmap software.
What is the heatmap?
It’s an overlay of areas of your website that attract Internet users. Through a play of color, you quickly see which areas are clicked and which are not. Google Analytics offers this kind of property, but it is less reliable.
How to boost a website?
How to boost your site? The lips of many companies I meet are often asked. Again, it is important to understand what the demand is. Is it a sales boost? Does it boost your visibility on the Internet?
A good site boost consists of adapting your site for mobile. Indeed, the mobile takes an increasingly important part of the Internet. Moreover, some think (I am one of them) that the web will become completely mobile.
Technically, how do you do website optimization?
Another possibility is to think technically for an optimization of the website. It is estimated that the loading time has an extremely important impact on the turnover of a site. So don’t underestimate the importance of optimizing your site’s web pages.
Again, this optimization can go through different points:
- Optimization of the weight of the images. When they are too heavy, they are a brake on the proper loading of your site.
- Optimization of the technique. There are many discounts and cheap offers for websites. It is indeed attractive to see such small prices. However, be careful to look at what is behind these offers.
To improve your website, you have to ask yourself the right questions
The idea of boosting or optimizing your website is a vague notion. It is important to fully understand what needs you have. Whether your need is to sell more or be more visible, the options are not the same. Being more visible is a factor in making more sales. But sometimes being more visible isn’t the best path to more sales. It is therefore essential to analyze what is happening on your website to improve it.
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