In this report we provide average website conversion rates segmented by industry and by first-touch marketing channel. Average website visitor conversion rate refers to the percentage of a website’s total visitors who perform a specified conversion action. Depending on the nature of your business and marketing goals, these may include:
- Making a purchase
- Leaving an email for further contact
- Joining a mailing list
- Downloading a free demo
- Leaving a comment on a discussion board
The formula for calculating the average website visitor conversion rate is as follows:
Although the average website visitor conversion rate varies according to page type and marketing channel (see the sections below), our research team has provided the following overall averages for both B2B and B2C sites:
| Average B2C Conversion Rate | Average B2B Conversion Rate |
| 3.9% | 3.6% |
The sections below provide a more nuanced breakdown of average website visitor conversion rates according to industry and marketing channel.
Average Website Visitor Conversion Rate Benchmarks by Industry
The table below lists average website visitor conversion rates for several prominent industries. It’s worth noting that the broader an industry is (e.g., entertainment, which encompasses everything from Grammy-winning musical artists to your local video game arcade), the greater the potential disparity between the provided number and the real-world equivalent.
Average Website Visitor Conversion Rate by Industry
| Industry | Conversion Rate | Notes |
| Addiction Treatment | 2.2% | The emotional weight and financial cost of treatment are the two biggest obstacles to a high conversion rate. Focus on providing educational content and clear CTAs. |
| Apparel & Fashion | 2.8% | Although this industry has a high rate of impulse buying, some boutique and bespoke brands may cause longer deliberation. High-quality images and virtual try-ons may help push visitors over the edge. |
| B2B SaaS | 1.7% | B2B decisions have lower conversion rates across the board due to a longer sales cycle and multiple decision-makers involved in the process. Provide visitors with low-risk options to gather more information like mailing lists. |
| Biotech | 2.2% | Biotech’s highly technical nature requires a charismatic expert to make visitors feel confident in moving forward. Focus on thought leadership material and webinars. |
| Commercial Insurance | 2.3% | Often, the need for personalized quotes can muddy the decision-making process. Provide clients with free tools to help accelerate this process. |
| Construction | 2.4% | Rates for construction firms tend to be lower due to the exceptionally high cost associated with projects. To help clients take the first step, offer them access to free consultations. |
| eCommerce | 4.3% | eCommerce benefits from an audience who are already highly transactional to begin with, making initial progress much easier. These rates can still be increased by offering discounts and limited-time offers in exchange for leaving an email address. |
| Engineering | 1.9% | Engineering has a complex sales cycle because clients typically require custom solutions. Providing free consultations and estimates will make visitors more likely to leave contact information. |
| Entertainment | 3.3% | In-demand services like streaming subscriptions and ticket sales benefit from strong demand, but these rates can be improved with more personalized recommendations and a streamlined checkout process. |
| Environmental Services | 1.8% | Environmental services face ongoing compliance with multiple regulatory bodies, which can bog down the decision-making process. Case studies and educational content demonstrate your applied knowledge of these regulations, making visitors more likely to trust you. |
| Financial Services | 2.9% | Trust and credibility are at a premium in FS, leading to a lengthy application process. Emphasize security in your website and provide clear testimonials exemplifying the safety of your services. |
| Food & Beverage | 3% | Conversion rates differ depending on the size of the order, meaning that B2B tends to be lower since these are usually in bulk. |
| Healthcare | 3.5% | Compliance regulations and complex information often stem initial decisions. Focus on educational material and simple appointment scheduling. |
| Heavy Equipment | 2.1% | This industry struggles with expensive equipment costs, a long research cycle, and a B2B environment with multiple decision-makers. Offering a virtual demonstration or a free consultation in exchange for an email is the best way to encourage new visitors. |
| Higher Education & College | 3.4% | Higher education faces stiff competition and a longer overall sales cycle, however, initial decisions to gather information are made more freely. Focus on providing true transparency for tuition and fees to begin the process. |
| Hotels & Resorts | 3.9% | Especially in the case of last-minute bookings, these customers visit a site with the intent to buy. With that in mind, loyalty programs and limited-time offers will improve the initial performance of your sales cycle. |
| HVAC Services | 3.2% | HVAC has a shorter sales cycle in B2C situations where demand is high. B2B decisions take longer due to the higher cost of service. Both can be improved with transparent pricing information and customer testimonials. |
| Industrial IoT | 2.9% | IoT is a niche market in and of itself, but when applied to the industrial sector the sales cycle becomes significantly longer due to the technical nature of the content. Provide free consultations and demos for products offered in exchange for customer information. |
| IT & Managed Services | 1.9% | At nearly every stage of the sales funnel, IT sales are slowed down by long-term commitments and a high degree of research required for the purchase. Providing visitors with customized pricing information will encourage conversion. |
| Legal Services | 4.2% | Uncertainty about pricing and high levels of competition can slow down eventual sales, however, case studies and free consultations do a good job of getting initial leads through the door. |
| Luxury Goods | 1.8% | Luxury brands struggle to move buyers past high prices, which often extends the decision-making process. Provide visitors with exclusive offers and loyalty programs in exchange for setting up an account. |
| Manufacturing | 2.4% | Because manufacturing companies are dealing with custom orders, visitors tend to be looking for specific product specs rather than requesting quotes. Utilize gated pricing sheets and product catalog downloads to gather new lead information. |
| Medical Device | 2% | Medical device companies operate in a B2B sales environment with multiple decision-makers involved and a high level of regulation. Providing visitors with case studies and comparison guides will make them more likely to leave information for further contact. |
| Oil & Gas | 3.1% | The high cost of a typical sale prevents visitors from leaving their information freely, opting instead to do further research. Providing them with this research by releasing gated quarterly reports and industry insights will move them further along. |
| PCB Design & Manufacturing | 2.9% | PCB has a high level of competition which can stymie decision-making. Providing visitors with direct comparison guides will make the process easier, opening the door for downloadable design templates and free prototype offers. |
| Pest Control | 3.1% | High demand typically means that someone searching for a pest control company is more likely to buy. Offering free inspections as well as landing pages dedicated to specific local areas will make you more trustworthy in their eyes. |
| Pharmaceutical | 2.2% | Pharma companies are highly regulated and cater to a highly educated audience (typically doctors’ offices). Conversion optimization for your website typically means providing trust elements like webinars and exclusive industry reports. |
| Real Estate | 2.6% | Real estate decision-making is slow due to the high cost associated with an eventual purchase. Providing visitors with free alerts for local property as well as downloadable buying guides for the area is often the best method to gather new lead information. |
| Software Development | 1.7% | The rapid evolution of software development over the last several years has made potential customers more discerning before committing to a sustained process. Provide case studies and free consultations to show visitors you provide the best product available. |
| Solar | 2.2% | Solar’s high upfront costs can bog down the overall sales cycle at every stage. Offer free ROI calculators and information on government-provided financing to improve conversion. |
| Staffing & Recruiting | 3.3% | Staffing and recruiting face a great deal of competition from both employers and job seekers. Utilizing gated materials for resume templates and job alert signups is a great way to increase engagement and gather information. |
| Transportation & Logistics | 1.9% | Logistics has a notoriously slow decision-making process due to a high number of decision-makers and a high cost associated with services. Downloadable case studies and educational material covering the current state of the supply chain will help build trust in the eyes of prospective leads. |
Average Website Visitor Conversion Rate by Channel
In addition to industry, average website visitor conversion rates also tend to vary according to the marketing channel being used. The following table provides averages for the most used marketing channels, as well as notes on the kinds of audiences they attract most often.
Average Website Visitor Conversion Rate by Channel
| Channel | Conversion Rate | Description |
| PPC | 1.5% | SEM/PPC targets leads inorganically by placing Google ads in front of users for high-value keywords. It provides a high conversion rate, but only for as long as you pay for it. |
| SEO | 2.3% | SEO a relatively high conversion rate due to its ability to produce high-value organic leads by targeting user search intent. |
| Organic Social | 1.8% | Social media excels at driving lead engagement and performs best in B2C campaigns, however, B2B campaigns can also benefit from a strong LinkedIn presence. |
| Paid Social | 1.6% | Using paid advertising on social media allows users to target their intended audience more directly, providing a higher conversion rate as long as brands pay for it. |
| 2.8% | Because email is typically used to follow up with customers who have already left their information, the target audience is more engaged and results in a higher conversion rate. | |
| Direct Traffic | 3.3% | Leads who directly type your address into the search bar or use a saved link/bookmark are warm leads who have already expressed an interest in your company, suggesting a higher conversion rate. |
Improving Your Average Website Visitor Conversion Rate
As complex as understanding average website visitor conversion rates may be, implementing them for your own campaign is especially difficult. It takes a skilled eye to identify areas for improvement and an expert with a thorough understanding of the market to adjust your strategy as Google’s algorithm changes and industry trends shift.
This is exactly why most companies choose to work with an experienced partner to handle the heavy lifting for them. Our agency has worked with thousands of clients from every industry to improve average website visitor conversion rates and turn your website into an organic lead generation machine. Reach out to us through our contact page if you’d like to discuss a partnership.
