This is the 1st post in a 3 part CRO guide series.
Your website exists because you want your customers to do something.
In order for them to be able to ‘do your something’ they must first solve three problems:
Know what you want them to do.
Know why they should do it.
Be able to do it easily.
It’s your job to solve those three problems for them. How are you going to do it strategically?
In case you are in a rush, here’s your three solutions upfront:
Show them what they need to do.
Convince them to do it.
Make it easy to do.
That’s it. Three problems, three solutions. No fluff, no industry jargon, no guru speak, no upsell.
If you have more time, take care of the basics first & you will be light years ahead of most eCommerce websites.
The basics:
Who: Do you know who your customers are? If not, the right data will tell you.
What: Your ‘something’, Their task: Conversion.
When: Their path: how far along are they? How can you shorten their journey?
Where: The place of conversion. You must lead them to their destination.
Why: Your value proposition. You must convince them to convert.
How: Your process: What do you need them to do? Make it simple.
When taking a strategic view, first break down the steps required & understand the reasoning behind your choices, & your customers’ behaviour.
We’ve been using the web for close to twenty years now. Within this time, common design conventions have developed, & as web users we have all been trained to recognise visual cues.
Ensuring our design adheres to these existing visual cues means that our websites ‘feel familiar’ to our customers, & a sense of trust is fostered.
A strategically planned website is easy to use; it provides answers laid out on clear paths, the customer intuitively glides through their journey unimpeded, all the way to conversion. Then they come back.
Conversely, a website that has no strategic direction falls short. Every time your customer encounters something they do not expect, they are forced to stop & think. When they think, they question, they doubt, & their mind is now working rather than behaving intuitively.
Your website should provide answers not questions, clarity not a distraction, your website must provide your customers with the answers they seek, laid out on clear paths they understand.
This means your website will feel familiar, easy to use, & trustworthy. A familiar, easy, trustworthy site converts.
Part 2 will focus on Strategy vs. Tactics & how you can use both to solve your customers’ problems & increase your conversions.