Why Your Website Is NOT Converting Traffic To Subscribers {and how to improve your conversion rates!}

Why Your Website is Not Converting Traffic into Subscribers

As a website owner, you put a lot of effort into driving traffic to your website.

You create high-quality content, optimize your website for search engines + run targeted ads, among so many more things, to attract visitors {+ potential clients}.

But what if your website is STILL not converting traffic into subscribers?

Let me tell you - I have been in your shoes + there is nothing worse than putting in so much time + work only to find out that it isn’t paying off.

We are working towards our goal of growing our audience + building a loyal following because we know our business can actually help people + change lives.

But week after week, month after month, the numbers aren't growing. They might be stagnant or even {ouch} going down...

In this blog post, we'll discuss some common reasons why your website may not be converting traffic into subscribers + what you can do to improve your conversion rate!

📣 PSST... REALIZING YOU'D RATHER WATCH/LISTEN THAN READ? CLICK PLAY!

1. Your Opt In Is Not Compelling Enough - Or Too Broad!

One of the main reasons why visitors may not be subscribing to your website is that your offer is not compelling enough or is way too broad.

Your offer is what you're providing in exchange for a visitor's email address.

It could be an:

• eBook

• A challenge
• A video series
• A webinar
• A masterclass

• A discount code

• Any other incentive that encourages visitors to subscribe

I can't tell you how many times I've consulted on someone's funnel + had to examine their opt in, giving disappointing news.

It's totally normal, first of all. We've all "grown up" online + changed our opt ins over time. But the key here is to try to identify the issues early + fix them quickly.

For example, early on in my career, my opt ins were pretty generic. "Visibility Class" type of stuff.

Very general {even though I was one of the first to use the term in 2015}. It worked for awhile, but not for long.

I had to get more specific.

If your offer is not valuable {or relevant } to your target audience, then they won't see a reason to subscribe.

For example, if your offer is a meditation class - is that too generic?

What if it was a 5 minute morning mindset shift? Or an anxiety relief exercise?

The more specific you can get, the more it will truly benefit your client + they will see it's value!

To improve your offer, you need to understand your target audience's needs + preferences.

Ask yourself this:

• What kind of content will actually attract them?

• What problems are they trying to solve + how can YOU help them?

By understanding your target audience in a deeper, more tangible way, you can create an opt in that is relevant + compelling while gaining the opportunity to build a relationship that will keep converting over time!

2. Your Website is Not User-Friendly

Another reason why visitors may not be subscribing to your website is that your website is not user-friendly.

A user-friendly website is:

• Easy to navigate

• Loads quickly

• Is mobile-responsive

If your website is difficult to use or takes too long to load, visitors may get frustrated + leave before they have a chance to subscribe. This is also called bounce rate + you should be seeing your stats monthly inside of Google Analytics. It will show you what page is getting bounced the most + you can use a tool like HotJar to see why.

Can you imagine getting on a website to purchase a new limited-released product at your favorite store + not having the page load at all or taking a long time to do so? Disaster! 

To improve your website's user-friendliness, you can: 

• Simplify your website design: Remove unnecessary clutter + focus on the essential elements that encourage visitors to subscribe.

• Optimize your website speed: Use a content delivery network (CDN), compress images + minify code to improve your website's loading speed. {Kajabi does most of this automatically}

• Make your website mobile-responsive: Ensure that your website is optimized for mobile devices to improve the user experience for visitors who access your website on their phones. {Don’t forget this also includes tablets!}

The other thing I have to share is your homepage.

Is it clear what you actually offer + are the steps in place for someone to buy it?

I can't tell you how "mysterious" so many people's websites are! You go to their site + it takes a "Where's Waldo" type of investigation to actually buy!

People don't love any of us that much. And even if they do, they deserve an easy journey.

Don't put hedges up in front of your offers.

Clarity wins, every single time.

 3. You're Not Targeting the Right Audience

Simply put, It could be because you're not targeting the right audience - or you're too broad.

If you see that your website is attracting a high level of traffic but NOT creating subscribers, it is possible that you are attracting visitors but not attracting the RIGHT visitors!

To improve your targeting, you need to define your target audience + create content that is relevant + valuable to them.

You can use tools like Google Analytics to analyze your website's traffic + determine who your audience is.

• How old are they?
• Where do they live?
• What do they usually buy?

You can also create buyer personas to help you better understand your target audience's needs + preferences.

Once you've defined your target audience, you can create content + offers that are tailored directly to their needs + wants + preferences.

Let me give you an example.

I talk visibility, right? It's in my website name after all.

But when I was only focused on targeting people who needed visibility help, the only offer I could really present was the Visibility Lounge.

It was very limiting + didn't really showcase the specifics around visibility I could help with.

That's why I created The Podcast Pitch Kit. Then the Press Page Template.

As I was creating new offers, I was niching my audience.

Instead of "need visibility help?" - I became much more specific to help an audience that was actually ready to start pitching.

See the difference?

With the right audience, you can improve your conversion rate + attract subscribers who are more likely to engage with your content, subscribe to your content + start building rich relationships in your field.

 4. You're Not Using the Right Call-to-Action (CTA)

A call-to-action (CTA) is a button or link that encourages visitors to take action, such as subscribing your email list in exchange for value. Sometimes, conversions are low because there are some tactical errors that make it very challenging for someone to trust you. Or, even worse, there's a technical disaster that doesn't let them sign up!

If your opt in page has these issues, you may not get the sign up:

• The page detailing the opt in offer is too boring - it may be very basic like we discussed earlier, or way too small {like only having a line of text}.
•  The tech isn't set up right - so they may try to put in their details, but it doesn't succeed. Maybe the automations weren't put in correctly or one software isn't talking to the other.
• It sounds weird, but the wording - sometimes, the actual words we put in our CTA matter. For example, BUY may not be the right word for your audience. CLAIM might be a better fit, or if you have a very friendly audience, it may be GIVE IT TO ME. As bizarre as it sounds, these small tweaks can make a huge difference!

To improve your CTA, you need to create a button or link that is prominently displayed on your website {with good colors, of course} + uses actionable language.

You can get creative with your CTA, don't pigeonhole yourself into thinking you have to put the same CTA everywhere through your website.

For example, instead of using a generic CTA like "Subscribe," you could use a more specific CTA like "Get Exclusive Content" or "Join our community."

Your CTA should also be visually appealing + stand out from the rest of your website's content. We want this link to be very easy for your visitors to see + interact with!

 5. You're Not Providing Social Proof

Social proof is simply testimonials from your customers or subscribers. If your website is not providing social proof, visitors may not feel confident enough to subscribe.

This is something I've REALLY lasered in on over the last few months because I think it's one of the most powerful aspects to my business.

Providing social proof is important because it can help build trust with your website visitors + increase their confidence in your brand or product.

Social proof is a psychological phenomenon where people rely on the actions + opinions of others to guide their own behavior. {If you haven't read Jonah Berger, get to work.}

Essentially, when people see that others have already subscribed to your website or product, it can create a sense of validation and trust.

Social proof can be especially important for new or lesser-known brands that may not have an established reputation.

By showcasing positive reviews or testimonials, you can help build trust with visitors who may be unfamiliar with your brand.

To improve your social proof, you can:

• Display customer reviews or testimonials on your website: Positive reviews + testimonials can help establish trust + credibility with visitors who are considering subscribing.

• Show the number of subscribers you have: Displaying the number of subscribers you have can create a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) + encourage visitors to subscribe.

• Use social media to showcase your following: If you have a large social media following, you can showcase this on your website to establish social proof.

Let me share my secret weapon with you: SocialJuice.

This is my absolutely FAVORITE way to collect testimonials. It's essentially an easy way to collect testimonials by video or text that will auto-populate to your website.

I have started injecting them on my sales pages, checkout pages, even my homepage. Because what I say doesn't really matter, in all honesty. It's what other people think about my products - and giving them a chance to see what students/clients actually think is worth its weight in gold!

Social proof provides evidence that others have had a positive experience with your brand or product, which can increase the perceived value + credibility of your website.

In short, social proof can be an effective tool to improve website conversion rates because it increases confidence in your brand or product through “word of mouth.”

 6. You're Not A/B Testing

A/B testing is the process of comparing two versions of a webpage to see which one performs better.

If you're not A/B testing your website home page, opt in pages + sales pages, you could be missing out on opportunities to improve your conversion rates.

To A/B test your website, you can create two versions of your webpage with different elements, such as the headline, CTA, or offer.

You can then test these two versions against each other to see which one performs better in terms of conversion rate.

I know that this is an extra task that requires more resources for you, but I promise you it offers some of the best insight!

By A/B testing your website, you can identify what works + what doesn't + make data-driven decisions to improve your conversion rate!

Sometimes it comes down to small details.

Having the data to back up what works better for your site + target audience is the best way to know how to create a path to your future goal.

Conclusion

There are many reasons why your website may not be converting traffic into subscribers.

To improve your conversion rate, you need to understand your target audience's needs + preferences, create a compelling offer, optimize your website for user-friendliness, use a prominent + compelling CTA + provide social proof + A/B test your website to make data-driven decisions.

It's difficult to say which of these strategies is the most important, as each one plays a crucial role in improving website conversion rates.

The success of your website's conversion rate will depend on a combination of these strategies + how they are implemented.

It's important to note that every website is unique + what works for one may not work for another. So it's important to continuously test + refine your strategies to see what works best for your website + audience.

Remember, building a loyal following takes time + effort, but with the right strategies in place, you can achieve your goals + grow your audience over time.

It's not uncommon for it to take months or even years to build a sizable audience.

Don't be discouraged by slow progress or setbacks along the way. Stay focused on your goals, stay open to learning and trying new things + stay committed to your vision.

One of the best ways to stay motivated is to focus on the progress you've made so far.

Even small improvements in your conversion rate can make a big difference over time, so celebrate your wins + use them as motivation to keep going.

It's also important to approach the process with a growth mindset. Instead of viewing low conversion rates as a failure, view them as an opportunity to learn + grow.

By embracing a growth mindset, you'll be more open to trying new strategies + taking risks, which can ultimately lead to better results.

Another important factor in staying motivated is to surround yourself with a supportive community.

Seek out online forums or groups where you can connect with others who are working on similar goals. Share your experiences + learn from others + offer support + encouragement to those who are struggling!

We are all in this together + I can guarantee you that every successful entrepreneur had many struggles before their business bloomed! With persistence + dedication, you can achieve your goals + build a thriving community of subscribers on your website.

You Got This!!