Conversion-Centered Design Principle 6: Closing

Now we are nearing the end of our conversion-centered design principles series. The principle of closing relates to closing the deal. This is where the user must make a decision. The clock is ticking, well figuratively at least. Your design and content got them to the landing page, but how can you optimize the close?

Let’s look at what influences a click:

Avoid using stop words. They can kill conversion-centered design. Stop words are defined as words that trigger a negative feeling. If there is anything that will make your user “stop” then reconsider its purpose. Is your copy compelling a positive feeling? Are you using negative words? Scrutinize everything to find what could cause anxiety for a visitor.

On the other side are positive influences. What can you write that will reduce anxiety and set expectations? If the offer is a demo of your software then be clear about the next step like “we will be in touch in the next 24 hours to schedule your demo.”

Is the button itself working for you? One way to find out which words resonate is to do A/B testing. Here’s an example of the power of the call to action. Back to the demo example mentioned above. Using the word “schedule” seems intuitive and relevant. But does it cause anxiety? Users may feel pressure because a schedule means they must actually put something on their calendar. So why not use “discover” and/or experience? These words imbue that the user will learn something and that the demo is an interactive event. Unbounce provides some great examples of A/B testing and what was successful.
Conversion-centered design focuses on seven principles. You can’t just choose to focus on one. In case you missed it, here are the links for the first five: Attention, Context, Clarity, Congruence and Credibility. Stay tuned as we wrap up this series next week with conversion-centered design principle seven, Continuance.