If you’re at the helm of an SaaS company, you know how important it is to make sure that prospects becoming customers—and that they remain with your program for the duration. Thus, there are a number of valid reasons why you should pay close attention to conversion rate optimization.

Conversion rate optimization is critically important to your bottom line.

• There will always be room for additional improvement. Your site can own the best design in the world, and you may be converting visitors into users like there’s no tomorrow.  However, if you’re not converting customers you’re still stuck in the water. Anything you can do to make the conversion process easier works on your behalf. You’ll realize better results down the road.

• It’s no secret that paid advertising is only getting more expensive and competitive. Spending more isn’t the answer, especially if you haven’t figured out where the leak is in your conversion funnel. Conversion rate optimization can work with what you already have to identify and deal with problem areas.

• Conversion rate optimization is all about getting and retaining the customers who can find true value in your product or service. These are the customers who will tell others how much they love your product and how great your company is.

• Capitalizing on the traffic that you already have is free. Why spend additional money to get visitors to your site when you can do a better a job of converting them once they arrive? It’s more cost effective than attracting new customers. However, never stop the drive to attract new customers. Those new customers are your future business. Just apply the same rules of engagement to make sure they become loyal customers.

• Increasing your conversion rate will automatically lower your cost-per-acquisition (CAC). Conversion rate optimization also works to increase profits that are tied to conversion rates. You end up spending less money to acquire those new conversions, and the profit can be applied directly to your bottom line.

The following techniques will involve SaaS testing. It takes some work, but positive results can increase conversion rates by leaps and bounds.

Step #1: Redesign Your Site.

A redesigned website can increase sales.

A major benefit of redesigning your site includes greater customer trust. It’s like putting on a new, snappy, change of clothes.

A responsive website will also give you greater exposure. Today’s world is mobile, and your site will complement any screen size. Your goal is to win customers over without letting them get away. Your competition has likely taken this into consideration already. You’ll also give customers an improved user-experience.

Remember, customers are looking for a quick and effective solution to their needs. Humans will always get frustrated with a difficult process.

Another benefit is that you’ll increase user capacity. The best thing that could happen is that customers are drawn to your marketing campaigns. You want to be able to handle the increased load without your site crashing.

Faster loading times also means your customers can get to what they need in less time, which make both them and Google happy. Get an SSL certificate on your website (https), which lets customers know data being sent to their screen is encrypted.

Your site will also get a boost in ranking because of the certification. A redesigned website can also increase sales. New customers, that can be encouraged to remain loyal, will feed your bottom line.

Step #2: Make Your Copy Action-Oriented.

Your call-to-action button will be, arguably, the most important part of your website. Of course, SaaS marketing is never for the faint of heart. It’s nothing short of challenging and is different from every other type of marketing.

Your call-to-action (CTA) may be a free giveaway, information, a suggestion for your customers to get more information, or to upgrade an existing service. And remember, you’re not selling a product (even if it is a product)—you’re selling a service.

Step #3: Add Real Photos and Increase Conversions.

People rarely subscribe to anything without first seeing it. People are getting smarter at judging the quality of a website.

If they land on a website with fake, stock photos plastered in (what you think to be) strategic locations, they’ll react negatively. Take it from the experts—no real relationship will be built. Consider it to be a silent rejection that you’ll never have a conversation about. Original photos can give people a deeper connection to your products and services. A feeling of “real” makes visitors and customers feel they’re interacting with real people.

Original photos can give people a deeper connection to your products and services. A feeling of “real” makes visitors and customers feel they’re interacting with real people.

Step #4: Improve Your Value Proposition.

Customers, in general, care about how they spend their money. However, at the end of the day the customer will always ask, “What’s in it for me. What am I getting from the association?” As such, it’s a difficult task to present compelling reasons to induce a customer to deal with a particular enterprise instead of others who compete for the same customer.

Many companies have a great product, but they fail in the following:

•    Presenting an effective value proposition
•    Providing the customer with crystal clear information
•    A failure to test or measure their value proposition

Creating a Better Value Proposition

Continue to research your target audience and their needs. Your value proposition is all about your audience.

Continue to research your target audience and their needs. The fact remains that your value proposition is all about your audience. Take special care in aligning your product or service to match your value proposition. Help your customers to grasp your value proposition through clear language without using long winding sentences or unnecessary language.

Keep things simple. It’s also a good idea to conduct research with colleagues. They can be a valuable source of information. They can help you weave research findings into your value proposition.
Testing your value proposition is a way to discover any shortcomings. Rework it, and then test it some more. Without testing, it’s next to impossible to improve your proposition.

Step #5: Add Impressive Reviews.

Business reviews will vary widely from company to company, but the goal is to always create and demonstrate value for customers.

There’s a lot to be said about the value of customer reviews and an increase in conversion rates. Retaining customers will always be one of the biggest challenges of any SaaS company. Decision makers (your customers) must be able to see the value in using your product.

Your customer/account manager’s job is to help your company grow. The customer manager’s job is to ensure that customers are getting the max usage from company products along with the maximum results.

One of the most powerful tools at your disposal is a business review. Business reviews will vary widely from company to company, but the goal is to always create and demonstrate value for customers. In addition, business reviews can provide the following:

Knowledge

Through reviews, you can share knowledge about products and services.  It’s an opportunity to educate customers on the best ways to use your products. They’re always happy when they know they’re able to get the very best from your products.

Sharing of best practices

If customers are using your products in a unique and effective way, share that information with other customers. Customers will often surprise everyone with their ability to find creative ways to use products and services. You know the old saying, “A rising tide lifts all ships.” Find ways to create the rising tide and offer it to valued clients.

Explain upgrades in a clear and non-complicated way.

More than likely, hopefully, your company will continue to offer upgrades and new products—that’s simply the way of the SaaS world. It just creates greater value for your customers along with additional opportunities to upsell.

Keep following up.

Keep following up to find out if customers are utilizing all the information you’ve shared. Be able to link their knowledge with a newfound success on their behalf.

Make it a point to create visuals that you can share with customers.

There’s nothing customers enjoy seeing more than positive results. This all works to increase your company’s credibility, and to improve and build on existing relationships.

Business reviews are a way to help customers grow their business by using their SaaS technology more efficiently. Helping customers increase their bottom line helps to inspire loyalty and retention.

Step #6: Design a Page for Effective Pricing.

Getting your pricing right can affect sales tremendously. Consider the following.

1. Include a link to your pricing page from the navigation menu.
2. Offer concise packages that clearly show differences in pricing and what each package will offer.
3. Know you buyer’s personas, and match pricing to complement those personas.  This allows you to offer a plan they’re most likely to be attracted to.
4. Include content for frequently asked questions (FAQs). This section can include information about how a free trial works, pricing details, and additional information about services etc.
5. If you can offer live chats, that’s icing on the cake. This is where you can offer live conversation and quell any last minute uncertainties about your products or services.

Every SaaS company should focus on getting better conversion rates. Then, coming up with strategies to keep those valuable customers. Never stop coming up with ways to attract new customers. Just remember that “churn” rate is a reality, and what can stop good companies from becoming great ones.