9 Tips for Turning More Website Visitors into Returning Customers + Examples
Having a good website is key for getting new leads and sales for you business.
No matter what kind of business you run, one of your goals will be to retain as many website visitors as possible. Attracting new people to your site won’t be enough to help you grow unless you can provide something that will keep them interested and make them want to both convert and come back.
Let’s look at nine ways to achieve this goal, as well as examples of brands that have done it well.
Write In-Depth Guides
A great way to turn your website visitors into customers and ensure you see them again is to create detailed, in-depth guides about topics they are interested in.
Well-written, informative, helpful content will help your website in numerous ways. It will establish you as an expert on a certain topic. It will also help you rank better, as search engines realize you are a trusted and credible resource. And it will help your visitors find answers to their questions and gain new knowledge.
Make sure to write about topics that are highly relevant to your business. Take a look at this comprehensive overview on using Google Flights. It is directly connected to the brand’s service, which is finding cheaper flights. It’s also very detailed and easy to read, and the advice is easy to put into action.
Take your time when creating these extensive guides. You don’t need to write one every day. Focus on quality first and foremost.
Clarify Who You Are Targeting
In order for website visitors to want to come back, you need to be clear about who your website is for.
A lot of brands worry that narrowing down their target audience will reduce their potential conversion rates. This is true in a way, as there will be fewer people to convert, but the opposite is also true. By being clear about who you want to work with, you won’t waste the time of those who would not benefit from your products or services, saving time for all parties involved.
Check out Love the Night Sky, for example. They are clear about the fact that they are targeting backyard astronomers. They don’t pretend their website will help professionals, and they don’t try to please everyone. With the target audience clearly defined, the brand can go about catering to their needs perfectly.
Provide Multiple Conversion Opportunities
No matter how well you segment your target audience, they will still have different needs and interests. If you limit your conversion opportunities to a single one, you may inadvertently be alienating some of them.
Instead, try to think of different ways to convert website visitors. What can you offer them? What might their specific needs be? Are there different aspects of your service or products that can appeal to them?
Take a look at Lanteria for a simple example of how this tactic can be executed. Their two header CTAs offer completely different routes to conversion. One of them will book you a guided product demo, while the other one will let you take a look at its features yourself.
While both of these CTAs essentially lead to the same result, they have carefully taken into account the preferences of different kinds of leads.
Write Clear and Actionable CTAs
Another incredible way to turn visitors into customers is to write great CTAs. Don’t just say “Click here” or “Buy now.” Highlight the benefits of converting. Make your visitors feel excited. Give them something more.
Check out eTraining and how they have created a great header CTA. They ask, “What type of safety training do you need?” and then let you choose from a dropdown menu. This is a quite unusual and original way to design a CTA. The copy itself is actionable, clear, and highly targeted.
Write down several variations of every CTA you want to place on your website. Consider the action you’re asking your visitor to take and how you can make it worth their while with the wording. Make sure it’s easily understandable.
Be Clear About What You Do
A lot of brands forget about the importance of clarity when designing their website and writing copy. They fail to explain what they do, or they use terms and phrases that their target audience simply does not understand. This quickly loses them a lot of potential customers.
What you should be doing is creating headers that are crystal clear. Cover the following:
What do you do?
Who do you do it for?
What are the expected results?
What makes you good at what you do?
The first question is arguably the most important one. Distill your answer down to as few words as possible without sacrificing any meaning or information.
Check out Million Labs. They are incredibly clear about what they do: help non-tech founders launch their startups. They explain the benefits and the process and offer proof that they’re great at what they do. There’s absolutely no confusion, which is incredibly important for a brand like theirs, whose work can sometimes feel intangible.
Make It Easy to Get in Touch with You
In order to increase your conversion rates, you need to make it easy for your visitors to ask questions. No matter how well you write your website, no matter how detailed your FAQ section may be, there will always be those who want to know more.
Some people will also want to get in touch to get a feel for the kind of company you are. If you only provide contact information on a contact page, they might feel disappointed and less disposed to trust you.
Take a look at Greenback Expat Tax Services. They have a simple-to-use contact form on their homepage. You’ll spot it as soon as you land on their website, and you’ll instantly feel reassured. This company clearly wants you to get in touch. They want to help and are looking forward to hearing from you.
Write in a Tone Your Audience Will Appreciate
Another underrated way to turn visitors into returning customers is to write in a tone of voice that they understand and like. When you sound too generic, you lose all personality as a brand. This will make it more difficult for leads to connect with you and form the kind of relationship you want to have with a returning customer.
Ask yourself what kind of brand you are. What are your values? What do you stand for? How do you want your audience to perceive you? Then, find a tone of voice that will convey that message easily. Ideally, your choice will also match the preferences of your target market.
Look at this post on the top search fund investors. It’s written in a friendly, casual tone. It immediately established a rapport with the reader. The author has clearly walked in their shoes and understands the finer points of the issue.
This approach to the topic instantly makes it more likely that a reader will stay, read more, and ultimately convert.
Don’t Forget to Cross-sell and Upsell
Upselling and cross-selling are two of the simplest and most effective ways to increase your average order value and ensure customers keep coming back. By recommending products they are likely to like, you prove that you understand their needs and are there to make their experience the best it can be.
Check out this shirt dress page as an example. H&M is excellent at recommending products. They first suggest the items you might want to wear with the one you are currently looking at. Then, they suggest what similar items you might want to check out, too.
This strategy ensures that a customer is never bored and can easily jump from one page to another. They never have to return to the homepage or type in another search query.
Don’t Be Afraid to Stand Out
Finally, don’t be afraid to stand out and use humor and wit to differentiate yourself from your competition. You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing. By doing your own thing, you are much more likely to spark interest.
Here’s Sheets and Giggles as a magnificent example. Everything from their brand name to the way they describe their products is a bit tongue-in-cheek. They’re one of the funniest mattress brands out there, and their humor certainly pays off.
Try to come up with a similarly original approach to your own marketing and sales. Customers appreciate it when you go the extra mile and aren’t afraid to be unapologetically yourself.
Wrapping Up
Which one of these tactics do you think would appeal to your website visitors the most? Consider what your target audience is looking for, then take your time to ensure they have the best possible experience. Visitors who have had a smooth time browsing are more likely to return.