| How Do I Improve My Web Site Conversion Rate? | | | | Question 4. |
| Part 1 | | | | How do you get the address, telephone no and the |
| In a recent teleconference I contributed too I was | | | | name of the owner of any company that you're |
| asked a number of questions about specific problems | | | | trying to get in touch with to see if they would be |
| people were having and what I would do if I were in | | | | interested in what you sell? |
| their position. This is the first article in a 3 part series | | | | You need to get permission from the visitor to get |
| which we'll publish over the next few weeks | | | | that information. It can't be done with any tracking |
| answering those specific queries, in the hope that it | | | | tools available. There is a very good reason for this |
| helps you to solve some of your issues. | | | | and it's called privacy. If you or I went online and |
| Question 1. | | | | could have our names, addresses and phone numbers |
| What do you mean by conversion? Getting someone | | | | tracked by software it could be potentially |
| to answer the simplest call to action i.e. "read more | | | | dangerous. Imagine if you were online and were |
| here" or actually selling them product/service? | | | | talking on a chat room about going on your holidays |
| What you're talking about here is two different ways | | | | in a far away land for the next few weeks and your |
| to measure your website. "Read More Here" is what | | | | personal information could be gathered. The person |
| I would call a variable effecting your conversion rate. | | | | who sees that information then knows when to go |
| I call these variables "Micro Conversions" because | | | | to your address and rob you while you're away. It's |
| they are all small (microscopic even) steps toward a | | | | ok to track browser behavior because no personal |
| full conversion. A micro conversion is something which | | | | details are ever tracked. I for one hope it stays that |
| you should test and measure. "Read More Here" | | | | way. |
| might be better clicked through as "Click here to find | | | | Question 5. |
| out how to win a months supply of vintage wine". So | | | | What should one look for in the web logs to |
| by improving this click through you get the browser | | | | determine conversion rates? |
| to take another small step toward your final website | | | | Web log files are a problem because they record |
| goal. By doing this you improve your overall | | | | everything. Web logs record every request to your |
| conversion rate, which in this case is to get someone | | | | sites pages from search engine indexes, to email |
| to register or subscribe to win a months supply of | | | | harvester software, link harvesters and visitors. So |
| vintage wine. Micro conversions can be tracked by | | | | you need to filter the information out from log files |
| measuring click through of links, or read time for | | | | which isn't relevant to visitors first. Then you're |
| content, or bounce rate for headlines and copy. Full | | | | looking for unique visitors (not visits) or unique sites. |
| conversion is persuading your visitor to do what you | | | | Once you have that filtered figure you have the |
| want them to do, in my example it would be | | | | approximate amount of visitors coming to your site, |
| registering to win wine, but it could be subscription to | | | | still not close to 100% because of proxy servers |
| a newsletter, downloading an audio file, buying a | | | | recording multiple visitors as one browser, but it's as |
| product, selling a service or whatever, but it should | | | | close as you can get with log files. Then you divide |
| reflect what your websites business objective is. | | | | the amount of people who complete the conversion |
| Question 2. | | | | action by the total visitors. That is your conversion |
| What strategies would you suggest when there is no | | | | rate. If you can get software which doesn't use logs |
| "online" conversion possible? I need them to call me | | | | like IRIS Metrics or log software which works out |
| for more info, to learn more and to eventually give | | | | the filtering like Web Trends it makes your job much |
| them a proposal. | | | | easier. |
| There is no such thing as "no online conversion". | | | | Question 6. |
| You're looking for leads that will eventually ring you | | | | What factors have the biggest impact on |
| but the visitor is the one with the power. If you | | | | conversions on my web site? |
| don't give your visitor a reason to let you continue to | | | | The short answer is differentiation, target marketing, |
| have a dialog with them then they won't. Using opt in | | | | your sites relevance to your desired audience, |
| is one answer. If for instance you ask for a name, | | | | measurement, experimentation and most importantly |
| email address and telephone number from your | | | | trust. Differentiation is the first step in the process. |
| visitor so that he can then get useful information | | | | You must find a way to stand out from the |
| from you in the form of a free report or audio file | | | | competition. It should start with the domain name, |
| you do two things. First you qualify the visitor as | | | | and continue throughout your entire websites |
| someone whom is interested in your services and | | | | strategy. Then in your content, your copy and your |
| second you get permission to contact him/her again. | | | | design you must smack your target audience |
| You need to build into your website a powerful | | | | between the eyes. You have to find out exactly |
| reason for your visitor to give you permission to | | | | what it is they want and answer the wants and |
| email or talk to them rather than expect someone to | | | | needs of that audience. Relevance is hugely |
| pick up the phone. In your case you say they need | | | | important also, if you're running a campaign on |
| to ring you to learn more, put what they need to | | | | Overture or Google with certain keywords your |
| learn into some form which they can opt in to get, | | | | audience should land at exactly the right place after |
| such as a white paper, report or audio file. Then you | | | | typing those keywords and finding your website. So |
| have a conversion rate which is the amount of | | | | if the audience types "Red Vintage Wine" into |
| people who give you permission to continue the | | | | Overture and your link appears, on clicking through |
| dialog with them by giving you their email address or | | | | they should be taken to the page on your site talking |
| phone number so that they can learn more about | | | | all about and selling red vintage wine. They shouldn't |
| your offering. People visit a website to get | | | | land at the home page of your website which has a |
| information, so give them the means to get it. | | | | small link to the red vintage wine section and 5 or 6 |
| Question 3. | | | | other types of wine for sale. Measuring and |
| What if the product you sell is also sold by several | | | | experimenting is then the key to improving |
| others on the website, how do you get someone | | | | conversion rates. You can't improve conversion |
| who is browsing the internet to notice your site and | | | | without measurement unless you're making educated |
| want to order from you? | | | | guesses or you're just plain lucky. So get a good |
| In offline marketing a successful tactic is | | | | measurement system, learn what it's all about and |
| differentiation. It's no different online. If you stand | | | | test your changes. Finally and most importantly trust. |
| out from your competition then you get noticed. | | | | You can't sell anything if your audience doesn't trust |
| What makes you different (not necessarily better | | | | you. You can help them to trust you by prominently |
| just different) from your competition? A USP makes | | | | displaying your privacy policy, your shipping |
| an enormous difference to conversion rates. We | | | | procedure, the fact that you use SSL encrypted |
| improved subscriptions by 11% per month for six | | | | protection for the forms on your site, that hundreds |
| months by differentiating ourselves. The second point | | | | of satisfied customers have already bought from |
| is that your site should be of use to your visitor. The | | | | your store, that you make it very easy to find |
| one thing that everyone online has in common is that | | | | contact information such as a name and address as |
| when they browse they are looking for information. | | | | well as support via email. You could educate via your |
| So give your visitors what they want in the form of | | | | website with articles and ‘how to sections' or |
| education. If your potential customer becomes | | | | newsletters and instill trust over time. In short your |
| educated about your offer and takes away | | | | prospect must trust you to part with his or her |
| something useful from your website they will | | | | money. |
| remember you over your competition. | | | | What's next? |