Website Conversion Optimization Basics

This is just an initial primer to get you thinking and stay tuned for more website conversion optimization posts in the coming weeks. The next one planned will address what Bryan Eisenberg the “Godfather of conversion optimization” considers to be the 30 main factors that influence conversions.

Wake up and smell the conversion coffee

Photo by Waferboard
For every 92 dollars spent driving traffic to websites only 1 dollar is spent converting visitors. This is a huge oversight and as click costs skyrocket and SEO gets harder, people will slowly realize conversion optimization is an essential part of your internet marketing strategy.

All marketers should be asking their agencies how they will measure the ROI on their campaigns. The internet has the best tracking capabilities in the history of advertising, which is fantastic for marketers. But you have to start with what your specific business goals are and then apply calls-to-action to your website that move people toward the goals you have set. Then you can figure out what your conversion rate is and make plans to improve it.

Before I go any further in this area, there are some terms and concepts that will help you better understand this red hot element of the holistic marketing package:

Conversion Optimization Glossary

A/B Testing
The act of testing two different options of creative (ads/graphics/headlines etc.) to see which one performs the best.

Abandonment
Losing customers in the middle of the conversion procedure of your website. E.g., the customer fills the shopping cart, but abandons the site without committing to the actual purchase.

Bounce Rate
This indicates the percentage of visitors who entered one particular page and left from the same page without going to any other page on a website.

Call to Action
A graphic or text block that directs visitors to act in some specific manner, such as requesting a brochure or filling out a form.

Conversions
The number of visitors who completed the required procedure to do business with you on your website. E.g., buying a particular product, filling out the contact form or calling the toll free number mentioned on the website.

Conversion Enhancement
Tactics to increase sales, such as making more visible buttons, bettering headlines and images, etc.

Conversion Rate
Calculate the conversion rate by dividing the number of visitors by the number of visitors who took a specified action.

Exit Rate / Exit page
The web page from which a visitor left. These indicate the pages that have less interesting content that failed to capture the visitor’s attention.

Google Website Optimizer
A free and “simple” tool that lets you do a/b and multivariate testing. Now integrated into Google Analytics.

Multivariate Testing (MVT)
The act of testing multiple options of creative (ads/graphics/headlines etc.) simultaneously to see which combination of elements perform the best.

10 Key Things To Test

1. UVP / Branding  No immediately obvious unique value proposition equals a bounce
2. Headlines Test emotional vs. logical
3. Call to Action Make sure the CTA’s are enticing and highly visible
4. Images Create images that connect emotionally
5. Trust Factors Add BBB symbol, Versign, Awards, Testimonials, reviews etc.
6. Copy Less about you and more about them/ Speak in the customers language such as YOU are looking for xyz. See futurenowinc.com/wewe.htm
7. About us pages More personal, less what, more who
8. Look and Feel Test with Usabilitytesting.com, Fengui, Clicktale. See below.
9. Addressing More Than One Persona – Have content for different types of people
10. Maintain Scent – Make sure from the initial ad  copy or banner to landing page and then to the “check out” process, whatever you promised the customer (Often in showing them exact keywords) is consistently reinforced in text and visually.

10 Conversion Killers

1. No obvious real value or relevance
2. Tiny call to action buttons
3. Small or no phone number
4. Lack of trust no photo of office or address, verisign
5. Too many form fields and poor layout
6. Forced registration on shopping cart
7. Complex checkout process
8. High price not inline with others unless clear positioning as the leader
9. Lack of reviews and testimonials
10. Too many features not enough benefits

Website Conversion Optimization Resources

• www.futurenowinc.com/wewe.htm We we calculator to help avoid talking about yourself to much
• www.google.com/websiteoptimizer Google’s free website testing and optimization tool
• www.usertesting.com/  Watch videos of users trying to use your website after you give them a few instructions. Hear them speak and watch their clicks for 15 minutes at $29 each.
• www.clicktale.com  Watch users click paths and how much they scroll etc .on your website. It is a lot of additional analytic info that Google Analytics does not have.
• www.feng-gui.com  See where users eyes are falling. This is a robots approximation verses very expensive eye tracking but provides great insights and is loved by many conversion experts.
• http://www.amazon.com/Always-Be-Testing-Complete-Optimizer/dp/0470290633 Always Be Testing: The Complete Guide to Google Website Optimizer by Bryan Eisenberg