21 User Activation Hacks You Need To Know

Entrepreneurial e-commerce: online shopping with style

1. A/B Testing

You’ve probably heard about A/B testing a lot, especially when it comes to growth hacking. It’s a simple yet powerful concept: you create two versions of a webpage or app and see which performs better. Sounds easy, right? But there’s more to it than meets the eye. Without a solid hypothesis and a plan, your A/B tests won’t give you meaningful results. Instead of guessing what to test, start by gathering feedback from your visitors through surveys, live chats, or emails. Once you know what issues to focus on, plan your test. Tools like Optimizely or Google Experiments are great for making changes and tracking results. Headlines are a good place to start—test different messages to see which converts best, and once you’ve got a winner, push it further to see what happens. You can do the same with images, videos, or emails.

2. A Clear Landing Page

Want more conversions on your landing page? Don’t overwhelm visitors with too many options. Before designing your landing page, ask yourself: “What’s the goal?” Do you want users to sign up, download something, or take another action? Once you’re clear on the goal, build your landing page with elements that support that. But don’t forget to make it unique and engaging! Include the following essentials:

  • Your Unique Selling Proposition (headline)
  • Hero image (a strong, contextual image)
  • List of benefits (short bullet points of what users get)
  • Social proof (testimonials or reviews from happy customers)
  • Call to Action (make it clear what you want users to do)

3. Proper CTA Button

Your Call to Action (CTA) button is a big deal. It’s the gateway to conversions, so it needs to be visible, attractive, and supported by great copy. Here are three rules to remember:

  • Be clear about what the button does. Avoid vague words like “Submit” or “Next.” Instead, be specific—tell users what clicking the button will do.
  • Highlight the benefits around the button. Most people don’t read everything on a page, so make sure they see why clicking that button is a good idea.
  • Reassure them. A small note that you won’t spam them if they enter their email can go a long way in building trust.

4. Right Testimonials

Testimonials are essential because, let’s face it, people don’t automatically trust your sales pitch. Hearing from real customers builds credibility. To make them even more convincing, ask influencers or respected voices in your industry for reviews. Testimonials with measurable improvements (percentages or time saved) are especially effective. Adding a photo of the person leaving the review helps it feel more authentic and relatable.

5. Use Counters

Social proof works wonders, and you can take it up a notch by showing how popular your product is with counters. This could be a counter displaying total sales, the number of clients, or times the product was used. People feel reassured knowing that others are already on board.

6. Explainer Video

If you need more than a few sentences to explain your product, consider making an explainer video. It’s a simple way to communicate your value without overwhelming visitors. Whether it’s an animation, live-action, or a screencast, videos are engaging and can boost conversions. If you’re on a tight budget, don’t worry—there are free tools to help you create a solid screencast.

7. Live Chat

Talking to customers in real time can make a big difference. Adding a live chat tool like SnapEngage or Olark to your site lets you answer questions and help visitors make decisions quickly. Make sure it’s personalized—use your photo, not a stock image, and time it to appear after a visitor spends a certain amount of time on the page.

8. Add a Local Touch

People like doing business with others who are relatable. By adding local touches to your website—like showing a phone number that matches the visitor’s location code or mentioning that you ship to their area—you can make them feel more comfortable.

9. Use Hello Bar

Hello Bar is a simple tool that places a small, non-intrusive bar at the top of your page with a single call-to-action. It’s a subtle way to grab attention without interfering with your landing page’s design.

10. Good Copywriting

Great copywriting can make all the difference. It should be about your audience, not you. Speak their language, address their needs, and show them how your product solves their problems. Tailor your message to your audience, and they’ll be more likely to take action.

11. Above the Fold

It’s often said that everything important should be “above the fold” (what visitors see without scrolling). This is mostly true—your headline and CTA should definitely be up there. But don’t cram everything into the top if it’s going to make things look cluttered. If your product requires a little more explanation, use that space wisely and balance it out with a CTA later on, too.

12. Keep Loading Times Short

Slow pages lose visitors. Even just a second’s delay can drop conversions by 7%. Use caching, avoid too many files, and limit CSS or JavaScript to speed up your page. Tools like Pingdom can help you find issues.

13. Create Scarcity

If people think they might miss out, they’re more likely to act. By creating scarcity (like a limited-time offer or a countdown), you can push visitors to make decisions faster. It doesn’t have to be dramatic—just letting them know a deal won’t last forever can trigger a sense of urgency.

14. Add Gamification

Everyone loves a little competition or reward. You can use this to your advantage by incorporating fun elements into your user experience. Progress bars, badges, or leaderboards can encourage visitors to keep engaging with your site.

15. Mouse-leave Pop-up

Don’t let visitors leave without trying one last time. A pop-up that appears when someone is about to leave can be a great opportunity to offer them something special—whether it’s a discount, a freebie, or just a reminder to complete their action.

16. Simple Onboarding

Once a visitor signs up, don’t overwhelm them with a complicated onboarding process. Keep it short and easy, and if you need a lot of information from them, break it into smaller steps. This makes the process less daunting and helps keep users engaged.

17. Try a No-sign-up Test

Offering a demo or letting users try your product without signing up can break down barriers. Let them experience the value of your product first, then ask them to register when they’re hooked.

18. Offer Free Credit Instead of a Free Trial

Everyone loves free stuff! Instead of offering a free trial, try giving away free credits for your product. It’s a more tangible offer and can motivate visitors to take action.

19. Host a Free Live Demo

Offering a free live demo is a great way to build trust. If you’re just starting out, offering your time for a one-on-one demo can be invaluable. It shows customers you care and gives you a chance to personally guide them through your product.

20. Craft a Great New User Experience

First impressions matter, and a smooth onboarding for new users is key to keeping them around. A good user experience (UX) should be clear, helpful, and guide them step-by-step through the process of using your product.

21. Use Clickmap Tools

Even with the best design, there’s always room for improvement. Tools like Crazy Egg or Clicktale allow you to see exactly how visitors interact with your page. This way, you can make adjustments to improve user experience and, ultimately, conversions.