The message and its representation on the website play a crucial role in optimizing the conversion rate.

Continuing with our discussion on visitor engagement and how it can be effectively used to fuel conversions; we would now like to discuss the design, layout and other technical aspects of the website which could be leveraged to enhance the visitor engagement quotient of a website.

The layout of the page would determine how effortlessly the visitor would navigate through the website.

If the website is large with multiple products on display, it becomes important that to make sure the visitors have a sense of where they are at any time.

Further, care should be taken to develop a consistent design and layout for each page on the website. This would translate to using the same general color scheme, logo, using header and footer in the same location, employing consistent link attributes and by using consistent navigation menu. This would ensure that the way visitors do not feel alienated or confused, and do not lose their momentum to keep looking.

In addition to the actual site layout, it must also be ensured that the shopping process is clear and easy to follow. When it comes to the sopping cart check out process, there is very little room for error before the website starts to loose customers.

The customers can be retained till they reach the desired end (the check out page) if the navigation is logical ad smooth.

The ease of the navigation will have a direct impact on the number of closures. Navigation is one of the crucial elements that need to be right. The entire conversion process revolves around it. Navigation consists of not just the top, left, right, and footer navigation areas, but also the links in the body of the text.

Site wide navigation, needs to be as user-friendly as possible, ensuring that the visitors find what they expect when they click on a navigation link. It must be ensured the navigation shows a logical flow of topics, subtopics and subject matter within the site and helps the user to find key information.

While designing the site navigation menu, it would help to use logical headings and link descriptions. Also, using Cookie Crumbs to show visitors where they are on the site also helps. The navigation should guide the visitors to specific pathways throughout the site. This can be done by using Call-to-Action links that instruct the visitors about the page that they should view or what action they should take next e.g. Click Here to Get in touch or View Our Online Catalogue Now.

The navigation can also be supported by site maps that help with the search engine promotion.

Site maps serve a dual purpose: First, they provide search engine spiders with an easy path to all the pages of the site and secondly, they provide site visitors easy access to all of the site pages. It is important to ensure that all the site map files stay current and are easy to find.

Irrespective of the size of the website, it should contain a detailed, text-based site map, with a link to every page and also carry a short description of what each page offers. The inherent advantage of using a site map is that it does away with the need to have a link to every page from the home page. However, the site map should be linked from every page.

The navigation would assist the visitors in moving to the intended pages and fill the desired forms. These forms help capture the necessary information to facilitate closure.

If the forms on the website do not function properly, it may make it difficult to capture the correct information of the visitors. This may also lead to a loss of a lot of visitors from frustration alone.

To allow the visitors to fill in the required information, inputting data should be made easy by labeling fields properly, keeping the required information to a minimum and making sure that the errors are easy to understand and correct.

To make the website interactive with feedback forms, newsletter sign-ups, and guestbook, extra care should be taken to ensure that the forms work. Each form should be checked and validated to accommodate all the information. The mandatory fields should be marked by an asterix or any other symbol. The form should also be duly tested to make sure that it submits correctly and displays the right confirmation message upon completion.

There is nothing worse than browsing a site or following a link only to find that it leads nowhere.

The same testing and validation should be carried out on the shopping cart as it is the most important link to complete the conversion process.

Though shopping car abandonment cannot be completely eliminated, it can be significantly reduced. It is usually the failure of the shopping cart page itself that leads visitors to abandon their selected items. Webmasters should make sure that the shopping cart navigation buttons (update cart, checkout, etc.) are easily noticeable. If the check out process has multiple steps, these steps should be outlined and any questions regarding security and shipping should be duly addressed.

Validation of the shopping cart is vital for any type of e-commerce site. It should be ensured that the page has adequate product descriptions, pictures, specifications and clear pricing. The page should also include information on shipping and freight costs and any other surcharge. The shopping cart pages should be protected by SSL or a secure certificate to give visitors the confidence to share their personal and credit card information without hesitation. Further, providing simple instructions for completing the online transaction, gives the visitors the ability to back out easily. A help email address or phone number on every page would also be helpful in case the visitor gets stuck.

To make sure that all this works smoothly, the shopping cart should be repeatedly tested to make sure that it is error free.

When competing for visitors that go beyond the initial sale and become long-term customers, every little detail helps. In the end, it is about meeting the visitor's needs, wants and desires. The more information that is provided to the visitors, in the format that they, the more likely they will convert to a buyer.

And the richer the customer experience is, the more likely it is that they'll keep coming back time and time again.

It should also be remembered that building a Destination Website is all about serving your audience. It is about understanding what they are looking for in a website, and providing it in excellence.

We hope that the above points would help you in developing a website that facilitates conversions, and helps you to generate more revenues and reduce bounce rate. Do tell us if these points helped you with higher conversions.