How To Make More Money From Your Website With This 25 Simple Tweaks

Are you looking to send your visitors to a platform that gives them the right information about your business as fast as possible? Are you aware that there a simple tweaks that you can make on your website that will ultimately increase revenue in your business?

Do you have a website that needs some tweaking to enhance the user interface and also get your visitors to sit and get comfortable reading from you?

In this article, I share with you 25 simple tweaks that will help you make more money from your website. It’s a long a pretty long article so we will have a part one and a part two of this article. But yes, I’m sure you will have fun reading it and also learn from the two articles.

In my years of doing business online, there are two things that I have not seemed to work without.

a. A user friendly, mobile responsive, easy-to-read website

b. An engaged audience of people that are willing and able to do business with me.

The two work like peas in a pod. The right people on the right website, reading the right information are the people that will ultimately buy something from you. So that website has got to have some serious mojo going on.

Building the pages on your online platform – website (forgive my sorry excuse for being officious) is not rocket science. It’s a simple art. You’ve got to be sending your visitors the “right” signals to your visitors.

A few of these small signals and how to correct this can be found in this article.

Now, with so much integrity, informed decisions, and sale intentions riding on the success of your home page, I’d like to help you remove any guesswork you might be making.

Want to learn how to generate leads, clients & income from your website? Then download this quick step by step guide to do so.

 

If your website isn’t getting you the results you want, I urge you to ask yourself a question.

What’s happening to the folks who never found you…? Who you could have helped? (Those clients who should have been yours…)

That’s right… They’re being helped by someone else…

 

It turns out that a few small changes on your web site can make a huge difference. Let’s begin to address those differences one by one.

 

1.  Page Scan-ability.

Eye-tracking and research studies have come out with studies of how people look at websites.

Eyetracking visualizations show that users often read website content in an F-shaped pattern: two horizontal stripes followed by a vertical stripe. Another study confirmed this. Take a look.

The red and yellow points show the points of focus. This is the reason why you want your value proposition in the top and why your menu should be either horizontal or on the left, vertical.

 

[image showing menu on left. Amazon for example]

 

The Gutenberg Rule is used to show a user behavior known as reading gravity, the western habit of reading left-to-right, top-to-bottom.

It is represented by dividing the visible content area in 4 quadrants:

Primary Optical Area

The higher left portion of the page is the user primary focus, it’s where the eyes will automatically focus regardless if the user is searching for something, wanting to read or just doing a quick scan on the page.

This area should contain your logo or brand name, a call to action, or items that highlight the page topic to pique a visitors interest.

Strong Fallow Area

The second stage of the reading habit is moving to the higher right portion of the page…

You can think of it as a follow up from the left portion but less important.

It’s not a good idea to break the reader’s experience created from the starting point.

Meaning that if you have a call to action the user will stop at this point and act.

The Strong Fallow area is great for items such as log in and log out functions, registering for a site and social media buttons. Users are in the habit of looking in this area for this type of information.

Weak Fallow Area

The lower left portion is the blind portion of the Gutenberg Diagram, although readable the user will not give much importance to content in this area of the page.

Given that this is the area of your page that the reader’s eye will slide past the easiest, it is not recommended to put core page elements here.

Although there are exceptions to every rule, using the Gutenberg Rule when planning your next web design project could save you time and money.

Terminal Area

When the user reaches the lower right portion of the page there is a break in the reading or “page scan” process and the user will need to take an action.

This is the perfect spot to insert call-to-action such as buttons, links, forms, video, etc.

The Terminal Area acts as a conclusion to your page and should feature such call to action items as contact information, sign-up forms, purchase buttons, and “next” links.

By understanding the reading patterns of the users who visit your website you are able to place the most important content in the areas where they will be most effective.

 

Note: this research was focused on readers who were interested in the content they were reading, not just casual readers.

 

2.   Keep the paragraph lines short and in a single column –  that’s how people are used to reading text.

 

This is why you want your value proposition in the top and why your menu should be either top horizontal or on the left, vertical.

[image with menu on the left]

 

 

If a person cannot identify

•        Who you are
•        What you do and
•        What to do next

Then you haven’t done your work well.

You don’t want your elements competing with each other, so keep it simple.

In general, people identify images first, move to large text, then to the ‘action area’ or your Call-To-Action (CTA).

Make sure to highlight the most important areas so they stand out immediately.

 

Can you figure out what Square wants you to do on this page?

[square image]

 

 

3.  CTA – Above The Fold

The “fold” is the area of a webpage that is viewable without the visitor scrolling down.

It’s very important to put your most valuable information, CTAs, etc. above the fold.

Having said that another research by Chartbeat, a data analytics provider, analysed data from 2 billion visits and found that “66% of attention on a normal media page is spent below the fold.”

Usability expert Jakob Nielsen’s eye-tracking studies show that while attention is focused above the fold, people do scroll down, especially if the page is designed to encourage scrolling. – Scrolling and Attention

This means essentially that your most valuable real estate is above the fold but you don’t have to force everything up there because people still scroll and will see your other Calls-To-Action/offers.

4.  Use Visual Cues

These are elements that push a visitor’s attention to a specific portion of your website. A very good classic example is the arrow. If your arrow points to a particular location people will look there!

[Img with no cues] [Img with cues]

 

5.  Avoid Slider animation

Sliders & animations disrupt eye movements and compete with your CTA. If you must absolutely use a slider, here are a few tips

•        Make sure the image file is compressed so as to load state
•        Turn off Auto-Sliding or Increase time between slides

 

6.  Well Constructed Headlines

Not everyone is a copywriting mistro, that’s why I recommend using fill-in-the-blanks headlines ‘cos they out perform more “creative” headlines by up to 40% Keep in mind that clarity trumps persuasion. e.g.

•    How to _____________________________ e.g. How To Win Friends And Influence People

•    Who Else wants________________________? e.g. Who else needs an extra hour every day? Who else wants a Hollywood Actress’ Figure
•    _________ in 3 simple steps! (numbered headlines are great)
•  Warning: ________________________ e.g. Warning: Two-Thirds of the middle managers in your industry will lose their jobs in the next 36 months.

•        How ____________made me _____________e.g. How a “Fool Stunt” made me a star salesman.

How relocating to Lagos saved our company $1 million a year

•  Secrets of ____________

The word “secrets” work well as well in headlines especially e.g. Secrets of Four Champion Golfers

•  Give Me ______________and I’ll ________________

e.g. Give me 5 days and I’ll give you a magnetic personality.

Give me just 1 hour a day and I’ll have you splashing French in a mouth

•   ___________________ways to ______________________ e.g. 101 ways to increase new patient flow, 17 ways to slash Your equipment maintenance costs

 

7.  Triggered Pops

Pop ups work no matter the argument any one makes, they work.

So there are two types, the ones that come up after a few seconds of someone landing on your webpage or the ones that appear after you’ve scrolled down.

Both work well. Note: Your Copy Must Be Great As Well.

 

8.  Fonts

There are two main types of font: serif and sans-serif.

A serif font contains structural details that adorn the ends of the lines used to make up a letter or numeral–these adornments are called serifs.

A sans-serif font is just what it sounds like–a typeface without serifs.

In the image below, you can see two fonts that are frequently billed as among the web’s most readable.

 

On the left is a serif, Georgia, and on the right is a sans-serif, Helvetica.

Designers love to argue on this topic, but the current consensus–at least as close as anyone can get to one–is that sans-serif fonts are still superior for screen body text, and serif fonts are best used for headings. For many users with newer displays, though, the difference is negligible.

 

9.  Images

Poor product images are worse than none at all. We recommend you hire a professional to do your images. Take this example from www.neilpatel.com

[images]

 

10.  Strong Ad to Website “scent”

Every online advert has a scent, some scents lead the prospect to the intended outcome, while other scents route them in the wrong direction and they end up doing something you didn’t want.

Take Farecompare for example, their Facebook advert tells me that they compare billions of fares online to find me the best price:

After clicking on their advert I am sent to their landing page where they emphasize that they have helped 36 million travellers save money:

Make sure, if you are doing ads on social Media to draw people to your website that you use the same images on both the Ad & the page they land on for congruence. Keep the ad scent strong.

3 Tips To Help You keep the  strong ad scent

It’s very easy, you only need to keep a few rules in mind:

1. Ad copy (or email copy, or copy of whatever promotional channel you use) needs to match the landing page copy. The closer, the better. Verbatim would be best.
2. While your landing page can fit much more content than a display ad, make the ad message the central piece of the landing page message.
3. Ad design (or email design, etc) needs to match landing page design.

That’s it! If you follow these three steps, you’re rocking.

Here is an example from highrise.com …

 

11. Testimonials

This is an age old-tactic that’s been working in marketing for decades. Why?

Because it gives potential customers reassurance that your product or service actually does what it claims to do.

Testimonials are so effective that when a visitor lands on your testimonial page, they are over 200% more likely to convert into a lead. Those leads are 190% more likely to convert into a paid customer.

When potential customers are researching you online, they’re getting to know you by way of the content of your website. Understandably, many of them might be skeptical or hesitant to trust you right away.

To prove the value of what you have to offer, why not let your happy customers do the talking?

Your testimonial page serves as a platform to show off how others have benefited from your product or service, making it a powerful tool for establishing trust and encouraging potential buyers to take action.

Here are a few examples …

This one is from codeacademy

 

 

Here is another one from xero

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is one from Clear Slide

12. Have customers give feedback as a part of your purchase cycle

Ask open ended questions like

•        Would you refer us to a friend?
•        What was the obstacle that would have prevented you from buying our product?
•        What did you find as a result of buying the product?
•        What feature did you like most about the product?

Testimonial gathering tools

•        Yelp
•        Google Reviews/Local/Places
•        Yahoo Listings!
•        LinkedIn
•        Twitter

13. Use videos

4 Reasons Why Video Converts So Highly:

Reason #1 – You can simplify complicated topics

Here’s an example Imagine you’re writing about  how to do an oil change in a car. How many words will it take to explain how to safely prop up the car, find the oil plug, and complete the rest of the procedure?

My guess is it would take at least a few thousand words but in a video, you’ll explain it in minutes.

Reason #2 – It’s more authentic

Reason #3 – Products are best seen in action

You can easily see the product being unboxed and tested, how big it is, does it look as good as the professional product images? Do the main features work as described?

Reason #4 – People are lazy

Reading is tiring and it takes mental effort to stay focused and to make sense of all the content. Most people don’t read much anymore.

Reason #5 –  Address objections people normally raise in buying your products

 

14. Use Email Autoresponders: You Must Have a way to nurture prospects into paying customers

Step 1: Collect emails …

You setup a sequence of emails once, and you’re done.

Thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands, of people will get exactly the same emails from you in the same order.

This allows you to create an unbelievably consistent level of service.

Next, send them an automated sequence of emails …

Want to learn how to setup an email automated sequence for your business? Follow this step by step guide to do so.

Autoresponders can be very effective in driving profit for your business.

How does an autoresponder fit into your business?

1.   Introducing new subscribers to your business

You can essentially offer an attractive free bonus also known as a Lead Magnet in exchange for a reader’s email address (more of that in a little bit).

As a result, you get way more opt-ins.

You can use it to build a relationship with your prospects.  

You want to show them your absolute best content. Blow them away so that they can recognize the value you have to offer and let you start building a relationship.

Obviously, you don’t want to have to send each new subscribers an email of your best posts manually.

And sure you want to deliver it, as soon as they sign up, an autoresponder is perfect.

1.  Selling Your Product Through An Email Series : if you’re selling a product or service continuously you can build it right into your autoresponder.
2.  Use it as a Lead Magnet Course

But …

A little caution …

The mistake many people do is, selling directly in an email.

People don’t really buy in emails.

They discuss ideas, they learn new things, but they don’t buy.

You send subscribers to pages, where they can buy safely and confidently.

•        Don’t be boring
•        Reserve it for value

15.           Get Social

For people to share your content from your website on their social network feeds for their friends to see, you must understand what content people share.

The New York Times Consumer Insights Group conducted rigorous investigation into why people share content. They found out that there are 5 motivations:

•        To entertain or enrich the lives of others
•        To define themselves
•        To network/grow relationships
•        To feel a sense of purpose
•        To support a brand/cause

So…

Here are some tips to make the content on your website  shareable which in turn exposes your brand to more people:-

Tip #1 Help your readers connect with others by publishing latest development in your niches & actionable and important articles that solves friend’s problems.

Tip #2 Readers need to trust you.

How?

•        By backing up all points with credible references.
•        By Leading With value not your product features
•        Showcase testimonials or demonstrate you are the expert.

16.           The 3 second Test

Did you know that the average attention span of a user online is 8 seconds?

What it means is that you have less than 8 seconds to keep them on your website.

Slow loading website … sorry! They are gone!

Confusing web page… sorry!  they are gone!

Here is a test that we definitely use to test our web pages.

•        What is it about?
•        Who is it for?
•        What is in it for me?

If they can’t answer these questions subconsciously in their mind in those 3 – 8 seconds they are gone.

Here are a few examples:

Checkout mikedillard.com

[Images]

And Ebenpagan.com

According to an eye-tracking research conducted at Missouri University of Science and Technology, when people view a website, it takes users less than two-tenths of a second to form a first impression,

Researchers found that their subjects spent about 2.6 seconds scanning a website before focusing on a particular section. They spent an average of 180 milliseconds focusing, or “fixating,” on one particular section before moving on.

The website sections that drew the most interest from viewers were as follows:

• The institution’s logo. Users spent about 6.48 seconds focused on this area before moving on.
• The main navigation menu. Almost as popular as the logo, subjects spent an average of 6.44 seconds viewing the menu.
• The search box, where users focused for just over 6 seconds.
• Social networking links to sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Users spent about 5.95 seconds viewing these areas.
• The site’s main image, where users’ eyes fixated for an average of 5.94 seconds.
• The site’s written content, where users spent about 5.59 seconds.
• The bottom of a website, where users spent about 5.25 seconds.

17.           Navigation

Make sure it is easy to navigate around your website in the simplest ways possible.

Make it very ordered and hierarchical.

With some exceptions, people read from left to right. This is also why the left side of your web page gets more attention.

Web users spend 69% of their time viewing the left half of the page and 30% viewing the right half. A conventional layout is thus more likely to make sites profitable.

Amazon is known for their left side menu:

If you have a vertical menu, put it on the left.

Navigation placed at the top of a homepage however performs best (seen by the highest percentage of test subjects and looked at for the longest duration).

Like Apple

18.  Make your website Mobile Responsive

The world is going bunkers with smart phones, iPads and tablets or every sort, type and shape.

More transactions are happening on mobile devices than they are on regular systems.

This means more people are viewing your website on mobile devices and so your website has to load to adjust to the size of the screen.

 

If your website doesn’t conform with this … the experience becomes so bad that your prospects will leave.

Here are a few examples.

[Images]

The website fits well on any screen, Mobile or Desktop

19. Website Loading speed

Again, I have to restate here that the average attention span of an internet user is 8 seconds …

If your website doesn’t load in time due, to flash, or heavy images on it…this is doing you more harm than good. Google will also stop referring people to your website because it takes a longer time to load your pages.

Google is all about keeping the user experience of the viewer at the highest level possible.

So be careful with all the bells and whistles that you want to hang up on your website. It might hurt your sales.

20.           Have a Lead generation strategy and system in place.

You have setup your website in such a way that it is able to capture the contact details of the visitors that come to it.

I am talking about a form on your site that promises to give them something of value in exchange for their contact details.

Ideally you have to lead with free information the people would be interested in. This will now act as bait for them to give you their email address in exchange for your valuable content.

Here a few examples …

[images]

Here is what this strategy does for you in the minds of the prospect on your website …

•        It allows you to change your positioning from another seller of stuff to an expert or helpful advisor about things.
•        It also allows you to setup the buying criteria.
•        You can pre-control the way they make a decision to buy in a way that favors us and disfavors our competition.

And finally be ready to generate different lead magnets, to target the various buyer personas that will visit your website.

The Lead Magnet must answer one specific problem for your buyers. The format could be any of the following:

•        blog posts,
•        articles,
•        checklists,
•        mp3s,
•        videos of your services,
•        social media post,
•        audio interviews,
•        ebooks,
•        images such infographics etc
•        slideshows on slideshare
•        Webinars
•        Cases studies
•        Podcasts
•        Live speaking engagements
•        etc

The idea is to give out something of value that solves a pain/problem in exchange for their emails.

Want a Copy Of this Post Sent To Your Email? Click here so we can rush over it to you now.

21.           Give Guarantee

Give your prospects some kind of Guarantee if they buy – e.g. 30 month money-back guarantee.

 If your receive payments online …

Then make sure you use a secure SSL page so your transactions are encrypted and hackers can’t break in to intercept the message and route it elsewhere..

You could use the free service of cloudflare.com to help you with this. Or as your web administrators to help you verify this.

One sure way to know is in the URL… For example

[image without SSL] [image with SSL]

22. Traffic: You must have a strategy to increase exposure to your website

What good would it do you, if you setup a website, looking all sexy and ready and no one shows up?

You have to be intentional about drawing people to your website.

You have to step out of your comfort zone and put some money behind traffic (drawing people coming to your website).

Now there are mainly 2 ways to do this.

The free way …

And the Paid way.

Let’s talk about the free way. It can take you very long if you don’t understand how to do Search Engine Optimization. This techniques is a bit cumbersome.

This is also called organic traffic.

Let me sound a warning here. In a test that Google conducted, they found out many people find what they are looking on the first 2 to 4 results and don’t go further than that.

This means if your website isn’t showing up on the google results for the business that you are in, people will not find you organically.

You could be losing some serious money.

I prefer the paid traffic way though. ‘Cos I have basically more control over what happens and how many people I want to get to see my offers.

Just pay a website like facebook.com for example to expose your website or what you offer to thousands of people, and they will.

No questions asked.

You just have to be pretty good at targeting right which is a skill you can easily pick up.

Remember that facebook.com has over a billion people on their network.

Is there possibility or a chance that your ideal clients are on facebook.com as well? I bet you.

How much you need to spend depends on how many people you want to attract to your website and how much sales you want to make.

Therefore there is no peak to how much you can spend. It’s all up to you and your budget. Ideally, I would recommend to start out with something about $200 – $500 a month.

23.           Copywriting

This is basically the way and structure words are put together to get the reader to do what you want them to do.

It could be to go and buy a product or go opt-in for an email course or anything.

Many people outsource (on fiverr.com, upwork.com) this part to others who do this for a living. You don’t have to do this, but if you do, it help your sales a great deal.

24.           Personalized Emails

You might not know, but …

People take you more serious when you write them from your own personalized email than you write them from a generic one like yahoomail.com or gmail.com.

It says you are serious and take your business and customers serious as well.

So make sure you get yours.

[images]

25. How To Reach You – Contact Number Must Be Readable on Home Page

Make sure how to reach you is boldly advertised on the top right corner of your website.

People who stumble on your website and are interested, should not be saddled with the extra burden of looking for how to contact you.

They should be able to instantly pick up their phones and call you to inquire about your services and or products.

[Images]

 

Just because I feel happy, I’m gonna give one more tweak you can implement on your website.

Use high quality, large images

People in pictures facing forward is more inviting and approachable.

Giving the users lots of choices

Having choices is considered a good thing. We are used to choices and we value it dearly if we can be in control.

However, the more choices a website or web application offers, the harder it is to understand the interface.

Studies show that having too many options often leads to decision paralysis and frustration.

Phew! So I’m guessing a lot of you are thinking this one hell of an article and there is so much to implement. It’s true but if this site is putting those 000s into your bank account, then it will not be wise if you do not tweak your site with what you have learnt today.