Make no doubt about it. The web is a competitive landscape, and in order to win, you need to be amongst the highest conversion rates in your product category. So how do you increase your website conversion rates? Here are some of the best ideas.

1. Make sure your website loads quickly.

The average person will wait on four seconds before clicking the back button and moving on.

2. A clear headline.

People shouldn't have to search your page to find out what your page is about. Put a clear and concise headline across the top of your landing pages and homepage.

3. An obvious call to action.

If someone hits your page and decide they want to know more you need to make it clear what to do next. Try a big colorful button, a link, a phone number. Whatever you want them to do next.

4. A way to contact you.

No matter how clear you try to make the informaton on your page people are still going to have questions. Give them an easy way to contact you to get those questions answered.

5. Ask for their contact information.

People usually won't buy from a website they're visiting for the first time. Capture at least their name and email address so you can follow up. Offer them an incentive for providing you the inforamtion. The better the incentive, the more information they'll be willing to give.

6. Send follow up emails.

Once you've capturd their email address it's important you stay in touch with regularly scheduled email follow ups. This will help keep your website top of mind.

7. An indication the site is being updated regulary.

There are so many abandoned websites on the internet. Don't let people think yours is one of them. Put something on the page that indicates the site has been recently updated. It can be a current event, or more simply just a blurb that says the last time it was updated.

8. Use a readable font.

It may seem fun to use a creative font on your webpages, but when people are hitting your site, they're going to want to consume the information quickly. So don't make it hard to read the text. 

9. Include testimonials.

If you have happy customers, or people who've used your product in the past be sure to share their feedback on your site. Show people they're not the first to buy from you, or try your product.

10. Include endorsements.

If there are awards you've won, or companies that you partner with be sure to share those on your website to increase the confidence of your site visitors.

11. Use bullet points.

When people are combing your pages, they're looking for just the highlights. Make it easy for them to skim the page by adding some bullet points.

12. Use white space.

Just like bullet points, white space, will make your pages easier to skim and find the information they're looking for. An overy crowded page can feel overwhelming and run people away.

13. Don't give your logo a lot of space.

The content on your webpage is premium real estate. Your logo probably doesn't convey important inforamtion to your site vistiors. So don't make it the focus. Focuse on what matters to those visitors.

14. Keep it above the fold.

Keep the most important information on your webpage above the fold. That means it needs to be in the viewable area when the page loads without having to scroll.

15. Include people on your website.

Friendly faces tend to help people feel more connected to your site. However, be careful not to use images that seem contrived. That can be a turn off.

16. Offer a money back guarantee.

It doesn't work for every business model, but if you can reasonably provide someone a refund if for any reason they're not satisfied that can help your conversion rates.

17. Include video.

Include a video on your page to help explain the advantages of your product or service. If you appear in the video it can increase the confidence of the visitor as well, leading them to make a purchase.

18. Include an FAQs page or section.

Make a list of the questions people most commonly ask you and then provide the answers somewhere that's easy to find on the website. This will help people who are looking to get their questions answered quickly and increase conversion rates.

19. Better target your advertising.

A big part of what affects your converson rates is the quality of people coming to your site to begin with. Make sure you're advertising to people who may be interested in your product. There are lots of traffic schemes that will send people to your site but they won't have the means to purchase. 

20. State the benefits of your product.

Make a list of the reasons people choose your product or service. Put that list front and center on your landing pages so people can get right to the point.

21. Show people your social media following.

Showing people that people follow you on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter is a good way to increase the confidence of your site visitor.

22. Show how many of a prouct you have in inventory.

If you're selling products online you'll want to tell people the number of that product you still have in stock. For example if you only have 3 left in stock of something.

23. Add a sense of urgency.

Give people a reason they need to buy something now or lose out. 

24. Tell people what they can expect.

Describe as much of your purchase process as possible on your site. For example: tell them what's going to happen after they submit their transaction. People like to know what to expect. It gives them confidence.

25. Don't give your visitors too many options.

Sometimes we can give visitors too many options and they feel overwhelmed. Focus on the one action you want each user to take on a page.

26. Offer multiple ways to pay.

Make sure you're giving people as many ways to pay as possible. Don't get cheap and decide you're not going to take American Express. Don't make Paypal your only way to pay. That comes off as unprofessional.

27. Share reviews.

If you have reviews of your product put some stars on your page and share them with the rest of the world.

28. Make it easy reading.

Use basic language to describe your products and services. The more difficult your copy is to read, the smaller the audience that will be able to consume it.

29. Create supporting pages.

Create pages like privacy policy, terms and conditions, etc. Although those pages won't get read, they'll add a sense of legitimacy to your website.

30. Choose the right color scheme.

Different colors mean different things psychologically to people. Try finding the right color combination for your product or service. Blues for example, tend to communicate loyalty and trust.

31. Separate yourself from competitors.

Share a reason you're better and different than your competitors. 

32. Be personal.

On your about page share a story about how you got started and what inspired you to get going. This will make your relateable and human.

33. Use releavant images.

Make sure your images reflect the category of product your selling. If you're selling pest control for example, you wouldn't want to show someone on a water slide. It wouldn't make sense.

34. Maintain a consistent look.

Make sure you're maintaining a consistent look from page to page. People like to know they're on the same website and haven't accidentally navigated away.

35. Make it easy to navigate your site.

Keep your website navigation in the same place on each page. This makes it easy for people to find the information they need.

36. Limit the number of fields at checkout.

If you're selling products online make sure to limit the number of fields required to checkout. The fewer field required the easier it is to make a purchase.

37. Use familiar logos.

People like to see familiar logos on a site. It makes them feel like the site is trustworthy. Be sure to include things like credit card logos if you accept those methods of payment.

38. Don't use geek speak.

If you're selling something technical be careful not to use too much industry lingo. Describe your products and services in a matter of fact way anyone can understand.

39. Use directives.

When creating your call to actions be sure to use directives. For example: you might have a button on your home page that says "Click here to learn more" rather than "learn more". 

40. Add trust and security seals.

If you have an SSL certificate or some other security feature be sure to add the relevant seals to the bottom of your pages. This will help communicate that you're a safe place to do business online.