There is an interesting contradiction that underpins online marketing. While marketers and developers themselves are often consumed with data points, metrics such as unique visits and the algorithms and determine their ranking, this does nothing to capture the consumer experience or the human element of interacting with a specific website. So although there are countless metrics that can determine positive site statistics, the only examples that touch on the consumer experience are bottom line revenue and sales conversions.

If your site’s rate of sales conversions offers a clear insight into the consumer experience and how humans perceive your business proposition, however, it makes sense that attempting to understand customer motivation should also help you to drive higher revenues in the first instance. With this in mind, here are three more keys to driving a successful rate of sales conversion:

Understand the ‘intent’ of your customers

The importance of human interaction draws us on to our first point, as successful sales conversion rates rely on your ability to understand the intentions of customers (or at least the individuals who visit your site). After all, if you do not understand what your visitors need, it is almost impossible to tailor the experience (or even your products and services) to ensure satisfaction. This is where analytics can be applied to understand and profile customer behaviour, helping to arrive at a solution. If specific website pages have a high bounce rate, for example, it is important to understand this in forensic detail. If there are other pages with excellent metrics, these could then be used as a template to help you create a relevant and attractive proposition.

Enable your customers to trust your brand

This is arguably the most important factor, as customers are unlikely to part with their money and invest with your firm if there is a fundamental lack of trust. One sector have a clear understanding of this is the remote gaming market, where popular online casinos such as casino.com have invested heavily in advanced software that provides a seamless and secure customer experience. With 128-bit encrypted websites and a number of channels through which withdrawals and deposits can be made instantly, online casino brands have developed a smooth financial process that encourages trust and reassures the customer. This should not be underestimated, no matter what sector your business operates in.

Eliminate distractions from your site

From widgets to paid advertisements, there is no end to the amount of data that can be integrated with your website. This can clutter your website over time, however, and provide considerable distractions to motivated customers who are keen to make a purchase. You need to ensure that there are no design flaws or items of content that distract customers from graduating to the next phase of the sales cycle, and one of simplest ways to achieve this is to create a seamless process that lets individuals complete their transaction as quickly as possible. Beyond this, be sure to keep all messaging on point and invest in a clean design that prioritises ease of use ahead of everything else.

Related: The psychology of online buyers and how to win them over