How to Build Websites that Sell: The Scientific Approach to Websites

Conversion optimization is the method of tuning websites or landing pages with the goal of converting more visitors into customers. The higher the conversion rate (%), the more sales (sign ups, subscriptions, etc) you get.

Insufficient information. A chair, two feet tall, black, $5,000. There are thousands of sites that hardly provide any information about the products they sell. Research says 50 percent of purchases are not completed due to lack of information. FUDs: fears, uncertainties, doubts. Much like the list of questions above, every person has some doubts in

A 2009 survey of 2,000 online British adults found that 50 percent of those who regularly shop online said that if their preferred payment method is not available, they will cancel the purchase.

Human photos on a landing page increase sales and conversions Medalia Art sells Brazilian and Caribbean art online and using photos of artists on their homepage increased conversions by 95 percent.

People are especially motivated to avoid any negative consequences like being socially rejected.

The Fogg Behavior Model—explains that three elements must come together at the same time for a behavior to occur: motivation, ability and trigger. When a behavior does not occur, at least one of those three elements is missing. Bottom line is this: Behavior = motivation x ability x trigger.

still a hypothesis and you need to test it. Pay close attention whether it seems you’re missing a step in your flow, or you have one too many. If you get the flow right, focus on optimizing different screens.

Three core motivators: sensation (pleasure/pain), anticipation (hope/fear), and belonging (acceptance/rejection) Best trigger: tell the visitor person to “do this behavior now.”

The more “work” prospects need to do to understand and/or buy what you offer, the higher motivation is needed.

If you decide to still charge for shipping, you have to do this one thing: mention shipping costs up front.