5 Ways to Increase Your Website Conversion Rates: Part Four

Businesses spend a lot of money setting up their website and driving traffic to it. However, converting visitors into customers is an important part of a digital marketing strategy that often gets forgotten.  Day four of our five part series explores the power of online reviews and testimonials.

Using Psychology for Persuasion

Ratings, reviews and testimonials are not just acquisition tools - they also help increase conversion rates; research from Bazaar Voice showed that for one of its clients the use of reviews achieved 60% higher conversion and 82% more page views per visitor.

This type of content is powerful because of social validation - according Susan Weinschenk (see recommend books) products with recommendations generate 20% more sales than items without them. This tool not only helps with the buying decision-making process but can also help with Google pay-per-click advertising
conversion rates. Research by Google Inside Adwords in 2011, showed that adverts with ‘seller ratings’ get a 17% higher click through rate (CTR) than the same adverts without ratings. However, a website needs at
least 30 reviews from the last 12 months to add Seller Ratings (see Trustpilot.co.uk).

Further Reading:
Weinschenk, S. M.,2009. Neuro Web Design: What Makes them Click?
Nahai, N., 2012. Webs of Influence: The Psychology of Online Persuasion

This article has been written by Tanya Hemphill, Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader in Marketing and Public Relations, based at the Warrington School of Management (University of Chester).

 @DigitalTanya 

@WSofManagement

STOP PRESS:

The Warrington School of Management is launching an exciting new business service that will include networking events and ‘Master Classes’ to help small and medium sized businesses grow. If you are interested in registering for more information, please send your details to Beth Morris at b.morris@chester.ac.uk