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10 tools and features to maximise your website’s conversion potential
Too often, businesses don’t get the best from their website. One of the most common reasons for this is that they’re not making use of all the features and tools available to them. Adding functions and features to a website can greatly improve the experience for visitors, but there are also tools for website owners to track performance. We take a look at ten features that can be added to your website and how they could help your business.
1. A blog
The benefits of blogging are well known – having a blog on your website provides the opportunity to regularly add searchable, linkable and shareable content. This is good for search engine rankings and generating direct links. As a result, we often think of a blog’s value in terms of this new content and how it can be promoted to drive traffic. However, Corey Wainwright at HubSpot highlights that it is often the back-catalogue of a blog that pays dividends. Around 70% of the traffic on the HubSpot blog comes from old posts. Furthermore, around 90% of leads are generated from blog posts from previous months or years. Not every blog post will have this enduring appeal, but the more often you blog the greater the chance there is of you publishing authoritative ‘evergreen’ content.
2. E-Commerce functionality
Adding an e-commerce function or online shop to your website allows you to sell directly to your customers. There can be significant benefits to this approach compared to selling on third-party platforms like Amazon or Etsy. Content Marketing Manager Sara Mills lists a number of advantages to moving sales in-house. These include greater scope for branding and developing customer loyalty, a reduction in selling fees and greater stock control. Hosting your own e-commerce site also leaves your business less vulnerable to changing algorithms on platforms affecting how your products are discovered and to sales impacts from any unjustified negative feedback.
3. Google Analytics
Google’s free analytics service is an essential tool for website owners. It’s simple to add and provides a wealth of information about who your users are and how they behave when they visit your site. Google Analytics will show you the age, gender, interests and location of users, as well as what devices they’re using. Technology media brand TechFunnel explain that Google Analytics helps business owners to create targeted campaigns based on identified market segments and make more informed decisions over promotions, offers, marketing channels and how to optimise for more conversions. If your website doesn’t have Google Analytics you’re missing out on these valuable insights.
4. Marketing automation
Adding a marketing automation to a website can save valuable time and also helps get more out of a customer’s visit. As an example, you could add a ‘sign up to our newsletter’ form, where the new user’s details will be automatically added to a client list on MailChimp ready for your next email campaign.
5. Social media integration
There are a number of ways of integrating social media with your website. Perhaps the simplest way is to feature a feed of your latest social media content on your website. This can help gain you followers on social media, but it also adds authority to your website by giving customers a way to engage with you and take confidence from your public presence. Other options are to incorporate social share and follow buttons on content and also allow social log-in. According to Hootsuite, 73% of users prefer to use their social login on a website compared to providing an email address and creating a new account.
6. Advanced personalisation
It’s possible to provide visitors to your website with a tailored experience based on factors like their geographical location, time of day they visit the site or whether they’re a repeat or first-time visitor. With targeted pop-up windows a user can be offered promotional discounts or invited to sign up to a newsletter, based on demographics. The overall aim of creating this personalised and targeted user experience is to increase conversions through informed marketing.
7. Contact form
Probably the most well-known reason for using a contact form compared to listing an email address on your website is that it can significantly reduce the amount of spam email received. However, there are a number of other benefits. A contact form means a user can get in touch without leaving your website and this reduces the risk of them getting distracted by their inbox. If a user has an autofill for common fields like their name and email address the contact form should also be quick to fill out. WordPress hosting company Flywheel highlights a further benefit that forms allow you to carry out a degree of prospect vetting. You can ask which of your services customers are interested in, when they might need a product by or find out how best to contact them all by asking a few questions upfront.
8. Instant chat
Digital marketing expert Neil Patel argues that adding instant chat to a website can make a big difference to lead conversion. Patel argues that consumers want quick responses to any questions they have when browsing. Delays mean lost leads and he cites a 10x decrease in the odds of making contact with a lead after just five minutes without a response. Indeed, responding in just ten minutes compared to five meant a 400% reduction in the odds of qualifying a lead. In an era where people can quickly find and switch to a competitor when browsing, instant chat can give a competitive edge. Improvements in bot technology also means that instant chat can still serve a purpose by directing users to FAQs or answering common queries even if you’re not able to respond immediately in-person.
9. Portfolios
Online shops and e-commerce functions are great…but they don’t work for everyone. If you run a services business or offer very bespoke work or products it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to populate an online shop with products at set prices. This is where portfolios are a great feature to add. You can display examples of previous projects, services, artworks etc. in an attractive gallery with additional text on click-through to provide context. A portfolio can bring your work to life and show customers the type of service they can expect from you.
10. Calendar
Depending on your business type a calendar can serve a number of purposes. A calendar can show your availability – which is useful for customers to book appointments, training sessions or accommodation with your business. They can also be used as a way of showing when you’ll be at certain places such as events, trade shows, festivals or exhibitions. It’s a great way for customers to find out how and when they can connect with you in person.
Adding functionality to your website
There are a whole range of features and functions that can be added to a website. Each business will have different needs and requirements and identifying the right tools for you and your customers is an important step. However, if your website isn’t making use of any additional features or customisations, it’s probably time for a refresh and redesign as you could be missing out on ways to connect and convert.
Feature-rich web design in Exeter
At QuayClick, our process is that we take the time to get to know all our customers and their businesses. By talking to you, we learn what both you and your customers need from your website. That way we can identify the features that will help you to convert visits to sales. Our web designers can review your existing site and make recommendations for adding features as part of a new-look website design. Find out more about a QuayClick website, or get in touch with us in Exeter today to discuss your ideas.
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We’re a website design and digital marketing agency based in Exeter. We help businesses grow online and have over 20 years of experience in Web Design. We offer several inbound strategies, including paid search and SEO. In addition, our content team can help with copywriting and email campaigns.