Where are you right now? Somewhere private, I hope? Because I’m about to tell you a big, juicy secret about Showit websites:
You’re not the only one whose website isn’t converting the way they want it to.
Yep. There are tons of people surfing the Internet right now, frantically typing “how to make my website convert” into Google, scrolling the depths of Pinterest for the “quick and easy ways to improve a website” praying they’ll find a solution for their website woes.
And, actually, that’s a GOOD thing.
Well… not so good that your website isn’t getting you the results you deserve.
What I meant was: it’s a good thing you’ve made it to this post, because you’re one step closer to improving your website—and because I’m about to tell you exactly how you can fix it with the non-negotiable Showit website must-haves all business owners need in order for their sites to WORK.
In just a moment, I’m sharing FIVE things that every Showit website needs in order to convert.
But first, we need to have a quick chat about why you need a Showit website, a quick vocabulary lesson, and then we’ll get to the good stuff.
Of course, you can scroll past this part—it’s okay, I know you were thinking it—but then you’d miss all the reasons why Showit is the most ELITE website builder, and that would be tragic.
Why do you need a Showit website, specifically?
Oh, you mean other than the fact that Showit is the best website builder for creatives?
And other than the fact that it’s the most customizable website building platform?
And that — without a single line of code, or a single stress tear shed — you’re able to transform your website from a blank slate into the exact picture inside your head?
(I feel like Showit should use that last line in their own marketing. I’m going to send it to them.)
If those reasons aren’t enough to convince you to sign up for Showit, that’s fine, I could go on for days.
→ Here’s 10 MORE Reasons Why We Love Showit
→ The Getting Started Guide: What You Need To Know About Setting Up Your Website
→ Showit vs. Squarespace: Which One Is Better?
Now, let’s talk about a website that actually converts.
⭐️ What Does “Conversion” Mean in Marketing? ⭐️
A Showit website that CONVERTS is a website that inspires viewers to complete a desired action, like inquiring to work with you, or signing up for your online course, or downloading your freebie, or purchasing a product.
…and a website that doesn’t convert is a website that doesn’t do the best job of inspiring those readers to take action.
Instead, it typically means a lot of X-ing out, a lot of browsing then forgetting, a lot of “I’ll do this later”, and a lot of almost-action.
How Do You Get Your Showit Website to Convert?
Before you can start working on improving your Showit website to make sure it converts, you’ll first need to determine why your current site isn’t converting right now.
The best, most conversion-friendly powerhouses of a website render results like THIS on the regular 👇
✅ Consistent inquiries from ideal clients and customers
✅ Increased positive impression of you, making you look credible and worthy of trust
✅ A high priority on user experience, making it easy for visitors to navigate, find information, and complete desired actions. This enhances overall satisfaction and encourages repeat visits.
✅ Improved Search Engine Rankings (we have an entire series on about Showit Website SEO here.)
And if your website ISN’T doing those things for you? Well, it’s time to consider why the heck not.
ENTER: The 5 Non-Negotiable Showit Website Must-Haves For Conversion
Aka the top five things every Showit website needs in order to convert a viewer into a buyer.
(Or a downloader, or an inquirer, or a follower, or a subscriber… you get the picture.)
If your Showit website has all of these five things, you’ll be on your way to maximize your website traffic and generate more leads — from the right people! — in no time.
#1 — A clear message, right from the jump
The main reason why your Showit website might not be working is lack of clarity, making sharing clear, easy-to-understand details about your brand a top website must-have for conversion.
No one can make a move — aka take your desired action — if they can’t find these 3 key elements of information:
→ Who you are
→ What you do
→ What makes you different
When a new lead visits your Showit website for the first time, it only takes a matter of seconds for them to decide whether or not it’s a webpage worth staying on.
That “back” button is right there, offering them a safety net to get back to solid ground, if your site doesn’t do its job of convincing them to stay.
…and there’s nothing LESS inviting than a Showit website that confuses a reader, or makes them work to find basic information like who is behind the biz, what the biz does, and why the biz is worth continuing to learn more about.
SIDE NOTE: If you need help figuring out exactly who your target audience is, download our FREE Attract & Repel Guide — this in-depth ideal client exercise will help you figure out how to attract the right dream clients, and how to repel the people who aren’t ideal for you + your business.
#2 — A reason for your readers to believe you’re the best option
Once you’ve given your reader the run-down on the basic information about you and your brand, it comes time for the 2nd Showit website must-have: Give your readers a reason to believe that you are the best person for the job.
Specifically, answering the question of: why should someone invest in working with you or purchase from you?
Everyone is searching for a solution to a problem, or for a need to be met. That’s the bottom line; the “why” of their website scroll.
And, because you’re hoping to be that solution, or the person to meet that need, it’s YOUR responsibility to tell that website viewer why you’re worth their $$$ (and why you’re worth your salt).
#3 — A way to back up those claims
After giving your reader a reason to believe you’re worth investing in, it’s time to back up those claims with the 3rd Showit website must-have: social proof.
Social proof is an element of evidence showcasing the popularity, usability, or quality of a brand, product, or service, in an attempt to influence a customer’s purchase decision.
Basically, it’s an easy way to show your readers that other people trust you and like you, so they’ll hopefully take their word for it.
According to Sprout Social, the phenomenon is also called “informational social influence,” and the effectiveness of social proof revolves around the idea that “people copy the actions of others in an attempt to emulate behavior in certain situations.
Translation: people want to know about others’ experiences with a person or a product before they buy it for themselves, so they know how to feel about it.
And, when done right, using social proof is one of the BEST ways to increase conversion on your Showit website, because—thanks to our likelihood to trust reviews from a third party more than we trust the word of the person trying to sell us the thing—makes your readers feel empowered to work with you.
There are lots of different formats of social proof, but our favorites are 👇
→ Testimonials — reviews from past clients or customers sharing the details of their experience working with you and why it’s so great
Here is some real life social proof from our very own social media templates:
→ Stats — nothing works to pique a lead’s interest quite like an impressive stat, so showing off your brand by the numbers is always a great idea.
It’s also why we’ve integrated a [stats bar] into lots of our TONIC Showit website templates, to make showing off a little bit easier (and more fun).
Here’s a stat bar we implemented on Jenna Kutcher’s Showit website
→ Awards and accolades — want your future clients to feel like they’re working with a winner? Showcase any relevant awards, accolades, certifications, or other impressive distinctions you have by mentioning them or adding a logo badge to your site.
Jenna Rainey does this beautifully with the help of one of our TONIC templates!
Other elements of social proof can include case studies (like these!), or user-generated content (hellooo, affiliate marketing!), or screenshots of customer love (you know when we show you DMs from our TONIC regulars? Yeah).
#4 — A call to action that people actually feel motivated to take
The 4th Showit website must-have is arguably the MOST important, because you quite literally will not get a single inquiry or sale without it:
ADD SOLID CALLS TO ACTION.
Contrary to popular belief, most people actually aren’t mind readers. They don’t know what they’re supposed to do unless you TELL them what to do and how to do it.
As the owner of your website, it may seem obvious to you what the next step for your reader should be.
“Well, of course their next step would be to inquire…”
“Obviously they know they need to add the product to cart…”
“They’re for sure gonna download this freebie…”
However, it’s only obvious to YOU because YOU created the site and wrote the copy—and you’re looking at the full picture, as the business owner behind it.
But THEM? They’re just here for a scroll.
They don’t know what the heck is going to come next unless there is a call-to-action button sending them on their way to that next step, or a clear section of copy that explicitly TELLS them which action to take.
A confused lead never becomes a client, just a missed opportunity.
So, when auditing your own Showit website and determining why you may not be getting the results you’re hoping for, consider scrolling through and taking an extra hard look at your calls to action (or lack thereof?) to see if this particular must-have is missing.
Amy Porterfield has some awesome examples of solid CTAs 👇
#5 — A way to capture the interest of the reader if they’re not ready for the main action
The 5th and final non-negotiable Showit website must-have? Not letting your hot lead’s journey end with your website.
While getting an inquiry or making a sale is, of course, your most desired outcome when someone visits your Showit website, it isn’t always the case.
In fact, most of the time, people aren’t yet ready to make a decision.
So, you’ll need to find a way to capture their interest, then continue the relationship with that reader. This will allow you to stay connected to — and top of mind for — the people who are interested, but not quite ready to pull out their wallet.
Here’s how we recommend capturing that interest & keeping that lead close 👇
BLOGGING —
In addition to being the #1 way to attract more of the right people to your website, blogging is also the perfect low hanging fruit for continuing the relationship with your reader.
There’s no commitment (no subscribe or follow button required, like our next 2 suggestions below), making it an easy action to take — but that doesn’t mean it’s not an effective way for your viewers to learn more about how great + qualified you are.
Your blog posts provide an easy way for your readers to connect with you, while simultaneously learning about a subject they likely have questions about / need a solution for.
>> Click here to watch how to create the best SEO-optimized blogs!
>> Click here to subscribe to download our blog-focused SEO checklist!
(And, hey, side note – if you have a Showit website, you basically have a built-in blogging powerhouse, too, because Showit partners with WordPress — one of the world’s top 3 blogging platforms — for you to blog on, sans confusion or code.)
EMAIL MARKETING —
Not only is building a relationship with a lead via email the best, most effective way to foster personal connections, but email marketing is also one of the easiest ways to skyrocket your revenue.
>> Click here for our best resource about email marketing!
>> Click here to subscribe to our #longandweird newsletter!
SOCIAL MEDIA —
One of the easiest ways to stay at the forefront of your readers’ mind is to consistently show up on their social media feed.
>> Click here to read how to grow on Instagram organically!
Just because someone isn’t ready to work with or buy from you right now doesn’t mean they won’t want to invest in you or your offerings in the future.
Maybe it’s not the right time for them.
Maybe they don’t have the budget.
Maybe you don’t currently have an offer that aligns with their needs.
But who’s to say something won’t change, and they won’t eventually be in the market for exactly what you’re selling?
Don’t sleep on the importance of staying connected to your readers — immediate $ in your bank account isn’t the only positive outcome of a website click.
Curious what else we consider a non-negotiable Showit website must have?!
Then you’re in luck — we’re working on an entire non-negotiable series, to help you make sure every inch of your website is designed, written, and optimized for conversion.
For now, though, here are a few more Showit website resources we think you’ll find helpful:
→ 10 Reasons Why We Love Showit Websites
→ Are Showit Websites Actually Good for SEO?