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Improving Conversion Rates of New Visitors: Three Key Strategies
When it comes to improving conversion rates, particularly for new visitors, the challenge is both complex and critical. If you’re reading this, chances are you’re facing this exact issue. Fortunately, this is something I’ve dedicated 15 years of my career to solving, and I’m excited to share what I’ve learned.
The Unique Challenge of New Visitors
New visitors have unique qualities that make them very different from returning visitors.
New visitors don’t know your brand, origin story, or products. They’re skeptical and often overwhelmed by choices. What’s more, you have no idea if this new visitor will return, so we have to assume this might be their first and final visit.
We have, at most, between 2 and 3 minutes to make an impression, engage them, and guide them towards a purchase. That’s not much time, so every second and every piece of content must be intentional.
This leads me to 3 key areas that are crucial in turning new visitors into buyers.
1. Demonstration of Expertise
We’re living in a world of expertise. Shoppers today aren’t just looking for a running shoe; they’re looking for a running shoe engineered specifically for marathon runners—lightweight, with superior cushioning for long distances, and breathable materials to prevent overheating (think Nike Vaporfly).
The fact is that you most definitely bring a ton of expertise to the table. The challenge is communicating it to the buyer in the least number of words possible. Remember, we only have 2 to 3 minutes with this new visitor.
If you need help crafting your expertise pitch, drop me a comment, and I’ll help you.
2. Price Justification
One of the biggest hurdles in converting new visitors is pricing. When a shopper lands on your website, they have an abstract idea of what they expect the product to cost. More often than not, your asking price is higher than their budget.
This is why price justification is critical. You can’t assume visitors will automatically understand the value of your product. You must explain why your price is justified without overwhelming them with information.
For example, if you’ve spent 5 years developing and refining the product, explain how those iterations have improved it. Emphasize the research, customer feedback, and improvements that have led to the version they see today. The goal is to have the reader read this information and think, “Man, for $130, I’m getting the results of 5 years of effort. That feels like a good deal.”
3. Us vs. Them: Differentiating from Competitors
New visitors know they have options. Even if they haven’t researched your competitors yet, they instinctively know alternatives exist. This creates a natural hesitation—they don’t want to make the wrong choice and be left with buyer’s remorse.
It’s crucial to address this head-on. You need to explain why your product is the better choice. But be strategic. Visitors may discount your credibility if your messaging feels overly biased or hostile toward competitors. Instead, subtly highlight your advantages by focusing on your unique value proposition. It’s important that the reader understands that you have studied competitor products and still believe your product is the right choice for a very specific type of buyer.
Focusing on What Matters
When trying to convert new visitors, the temptation to say everything is strong. After all, you have so much to offer. But remember, new visitors are only willing to give you a small window of time. If you overwhelm them with too much information, they’ll leave without taking any action.
That’s why it’s important to focus on these three areas—demonstrating expertise, justifying the price, and differentiating from competitors. These are the levers that will move the needle.
Final Thoughts
Improving conversion rates for new visitors is not easy. It requires a laser-focused strategy that prioritizes the limited time and attention a new visitor is willing to give you. By narrowing your focus to these three critical elements, you increase your chances of turning first-time visitors into long-term customers. After 700 A/B tests designed to improve conversion rates of new visitors, I can confidently say that these strategies work.
Are You a Marketer?
I suspect you are because only a marketer would be interested in an esoteric topic like improving conversion rates for new visitors.
I’m glad you are here because I’ve got something for you.
Revealing It All
In our marketing lab 🥼, experimenting 🧪 for the last 15 years, we’ve discovered that one reason marketing campaigns fail is because they try to do too much.
Site visitors fall into 3 groups:
— Ready to buy
— May never buy
— Interested, but need a little more convincing
The 3rd group has the biggest revenue potential.
Evidence Our Formula Works
This strategy mentioned above isn’t a theoretical framework. It’s the base formula for all our conversion work for clients. This marketing framework can be used to boost sales for sports products. To sell skincare products. Pet products. Consumer electronics. Athletic gear. Back pain solutions. Food items. High-end cooking tools.
Does the sales pitch always need to be shown as a popup? Nope.
It can also convert cold Facebook ad traffic, improve mobile conversion rates, generate calls, optimize your most important landing page, etc.
It can even be used to improve your overall conversion rates.
Converting Interested, but Need a Little More Convincing Group (With Examples)
Explained in this👇🏼 Nine Truths article.
