It can take as little as 50 milliseconds for a new visitor to form a first impression of your website.
In that short amount of time, you need to show a potential client that you have the confidence and expertise to be their number one choice. This makes your website an essential and powerful part of your business.
But let’s say you already feel great about your design. The issue you’re seeing is a lack of actual conversions from your website—how do you increase those numbers without sacrificing that luxury design?
The answer lies in understanding which elements need to be tweaked on your site for maximum impact. A few simple changes can dramatically improve conversion rates without compromising the aesthetics that give visitors a feeling of trust, authenticity, and professionalism.
Read on for some key strategies for doubling your website’s conversion rate while maintaining its high-quality and luxury appearance.
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Why should you care about conversion rates?
As a benchmark, lead generation websites see an average conversion rate of 2-5%.
A high conversion rate means that more visitors are taking action on your website, like signing up for a newsletter or filling out a contact form. This leads to increased sales, a higher return on investment, and more efficient marketing.
Plus, a high conversion rate translates into lower costs per lead or per sale. This makes your customer acquisition process more cost-effective in the long run.
Your conversion rate number acts as a key performance indicator (KPI) about the aspects of your site that are connecting with potential clients and where you could use improvement. By monitoring this data, you can make more informed decisions about your online marketing strategies and optimize your website for better results.
Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is an invaluable tool for determining where you can specifically increase engagement on your website. For example, try running A/B tests with different copy, links, and photos for a landing page. You can take the data from those tests and make slight adjustments to your site to increase engagement.
Think about high conversion rates as a direct line to your business growth—simply, more conversions mean more clients. This allows you to expand into new markets or services. In other words, making small adjustments to your website using a user-centric approach will open you up to more opportunities down the line.
9 proven strategies you can use to boost your conversion rates
Below, we’ve outlined several proven techniques along with estimates on how much they’re likely to move the needle toward higher conversions. It’s worth noting that the exact impact of these strategies can vary depending on multiple factors, such as your website’s design, the quality of your traffic, your target audience, etc.
1. Implement compelling CTAs
Real estate agents can use compelling calls to action (CTAs) on their websites to increase the likelihood of conversions and boost revenue. CTAs are essential tools for an effective website because they provide visitors with a clear next step and an opportunity to take action.
When designing your real estate website, consider how you can incorporate engaging and direct CTAs. For example, add a clear “Sell My Home” CTA button to your homepage to maximize conversions.
Make sure that your CTA stands out from the rest of the page by using fonts, colors, and other design elements that draw the eye. And try not to give more than one CTA at a time.
Conversion increase estimate:
By utilizing a compelling CTA, you may see an increase in website conversions of up to 7%.
2. Utilize exit-intent forms
Exit-intent forms are pop-ups that appear right before a visitor leaves the page. These forms capture information from visitors who have already shown an interest in your site but haven’t taken the desired action to contact you or book an appointment.
Think of this tool as a re-engagement strategy—in other words, how to keep them from leaving the site and impacting your bounce rate. Utilizing language like “Be the first to know” or “Are you sure you want to leave?” can help bring their attention back to your site.
However you choose to implement this strategy, make sure your exit-intent form design contains a clear CTA that prompts visitors to enter their information (and keep the contact fields to a minimum).
Conversion increase estimate:
Up to 12% of lost visitors can be “saved” by using strategic exit-intent popups.
3. Offer downloadable lead magnets
Lead magnets are a great way for agents to capture contact information and establish relationships with potential leads through valuable content. They must have a clear purpose that gives added value to the customer and provides social proof—allowing you to stand out from the competition while further establishing trust and credibility.
Create a unique value proposition for your target customer, offering something of real value that they need in this moment while guiding them further into the pipeline.
Ideally, lead magnets should be placed on your site above the fold, limiting the need for visitors to scroll too far down your page.
Conversion increase estimate:
A well-placed lead magnet can further increase the conversion rate by about 18%.
4. Include open-house booking widgets
Adding a booking widget to your website allows potential buyers to easily book an open house, making it more likely that leads will convert into successful sales.
The goal with this widget is convenience—make it user-friendly and quick for the visitor and they’ll be more likely to complete the process. Open house booking options also mean you can streamline the scheduling process on your end as well.
Look for options that are compatible with your existing design, or consider hiring a designer to create a custom widget tailored to your website’s look and feel. Remember to include actionable CTA language like “View Property” or “Book Now” to encourage conversion.
Conversion increase estimate:
A user-friendly and streamlined booking widget could potentially increase conversions by 10%.
5. Use forced registration strategically
Forced registration requires visitors to create an account before they can access content or services on a website.
Be strategic with where you create a forced registration section. For example, when it comes to the downloadable lead magnets, visitors can either enter their information to access the information or decide against it, click away, and continue browsing your site.
However, if you have a particular section of your site where you feel users may be more likely to complete a registration process—specific listings, for example—then you can set up a gated pop-up that won’t give them the option to click away.
With a forced registration design, ensure that the experience is seamless, intuitive, and not overused. You don’t want visitors alienated by their experience on your site, so make sure the process is relatively limited and straightforward.
Conversion increase estimate:
Forced registration, if used strategically, can boost conversions by another 6%.
6. Incorporate an instant home valuation tool
Real estate agents can use an instant home valuation tool to boost conversions by allowing potential customers to quickly get a rough estimate of their home’s value.
With this tool, you can provide visitors with a useful service that will continue to establish trust and expertise—making them more likely to continue scrolling through your site and eventually converting.
Keep your instant home valuation tool as unobtrusive as possible. Look for one that can embed directly into your site without taking up too much space. This way, the tool looks like it fits in with your website’s overall design without detracting from the user experience.
Conversion increase estimate:
By up to 15%, depending on the complexity and quality of the information included in the tool.
7. Provide exclusive access for email signups
Real estate agents that provide exclusive access for email signups means they can use the benefit of smart copy to acquire and nurture more leads. People often want to be the first to know about the newest options on the market, so consider this strategy a way to jump on that desire.
For example, think of enticing language like “Off-market” and “First access” when it comes to encouraging your website visitors to sign up for email notifications.
Incorporate this option with a minimalistic design by utilizing a clean banner or pop-up window that encourages visitors to sign up. The message should be clear and concise, and any required fields should be kept to a minimum.
Conversion increase estimate:
A well-designed exclusive email signup offer can result in a 10% improvement in conversion rates.
8. Install single sign-on options
Google One-Tap allows users to access multiple accounts with a single sign-on, eliminating the need to manually log into each account. It also means the lead details are more likely to be accurate since these visitors are using their pre-validated Google information.
Similar to Google One-Tap, offering a convenient, secure way to log in through a user’s existing social media accounts can make transactions easier. In fact, 86% of users have reported being frustrated by having to create new accounts on websites, meaning they’re more likely to leave your site if they don’t see an easier option.
This strategy is especially helpful if a potential lead is simply browsing your site or isn’t ready to give you all their information through a contact form. By keeping it seamless for the visitor, you can still gain that lead and nurture it through your pipeline.
Consider incorporating social media buttons, like Google, Facebook, or LinkedIn, that seamlessly blend into the design of your site while offering visitors the convenience of logging in via their existing accounts.
Conversion increase estimate:
Using single sign-on services can increase conversions by as much as 8%.
9. Leverage password-protected listing pages
Listing pages are great for providing interested buyers with the information they need to make an informed decision. By password-protecting these pages, you can ensure that only serious prospects have access to the details of your listings.
This can help boost conversions since interested buyers will need to reach out to you directly (or complete a contact form on your site) to get more information on a specific listing.
Remember to keep the design for password-protected listing pages straightforward. Make sure potential customers can easily contact you for access to these listings and that the process is a smooth and user-friendly experience.
Ready to skyrocket your conversion rates?
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to choose between a well-designed website and a high-performing website. By incorporating these simple tactics, you can see a significant increase in your conversion rates while never sacrificing the design of your site.
With so many CRO methods available, it can be difficult to choose the best way to increase your website’s performance. That’s why at Luxury Presence we help determine the best tactics for your unique website to guarantee optimal success.
If you’re serious about growing your conversion rates, work with our expert team today and start attracting more potential clients tomorrow.