Conversion Optimization Part 4 – Landing Page Optimization
So now you are starting to get some decent traffic to your site or you have taken the plunge with Google Adwords, but, as fate would have it, none of these new visitors you have invested your time, energy, effort or capital in are converting into leads or customers. Why not? You have a great looking website, you invested in Adwords spend to drive traffic, what is going on? Great question…I’m so glad you asked. This article is going to discuss “Landing Page Optimization” for more (or better) conversions into leads or sales. Believe it or not, conversion optimization is a BIG DEAL out there in ecommerce land. There are hundreds (if not thousands) of companies out there that have built very successful business models just helping other companies master this much needed skill.
So what can I expect as far as a conversion rate on organic traffic?
The average website is converting less than 1% of all organic traffic! That’s right…less than 1%! A good site that has some experience and is making an effort to actually convert traffic may see as much as 1-3% organically. And, if you are in the 3-5% range for organic traffic conversions you are doing better than 98% of all websites on the internet. You may be thinking; “3-5%? That’s nothing! Why am I wasting my time?” Hold on there cowboy. Have you done the math? Try this on for size:
In this article, we’re going to cover how to guide your visitors through your website or landing page and point them to a further action. As we have talked about before, it does no good to have the best, coolest looking web site in the world if you are not turning any of your visitors into paying customers. The first steps of course Building Trust and Aligning Your Website and Business Goals, covers the basic of website design and flow needed in order to attract and hold your visitor attention. Now let’s discuss the science of getting them to buy something through the process of a conversion funnel.
Creating Value –
One of the very first things you need to establish and quickly mind you, is value. Your visitors need to see that you offer something of value to them. This can be accomplished numerous ways. I usually prefer a nice <H1> Header or Good Graphic with compelling text that is placed above the fold, has high contrast coloring and clearly states the value that you offer to your visitors. An example:
<H1>”We have the best mortgage interest rates in the country with NO closing costs”</H1>
For someone who searched for “low interest mortgage loans” or “no closing cost refinancing” and landed on a page with this at the very top of the page, it screams to them “You are in the right place!”
So now that they know they are in the right place, now what? Sometimes the above value statement is enough to get that conversion (lead data or sale). Other times you need to provide more information for them. This will also add credibility and authority to your page so don’t shy away from this part. Get real, show even more value and advantages about doing business with you. I prefer a short opening paragraph (2-3 sentences MAX) and then 3-6 bullet points. Anything more than that and you may lose their attention. Keep your information short and avoid industry jargon that might not be understood by someone not familiar with your business. Some example bullet points that would complement the above header:
Close in less than 30 days!
1st, 2nd and 3rd mortgages!
No closing costs!
Less than perfect credit is OKAY!
Call to Actions (CTA) –
Now that you created value and you have their attention, it’s time to start placing “call to actions” in the body of your message. A call to action is simply a statement that directs the visitor to interact with you on some level. It encourages them to take the next step. Example CTA’s:
Request more information now!
Apply Today!
Call Us Today!
Start Now!
Typically for CTA’s, I will use no less than 5 on a Paid Search campaign and no less than 3 on any Conversion Page on an organic site. I have used as many as 11 before. The point is, there really is no telling at what point the visitor will be motivated to take that next action. Make sure you strategically place your CTA’s throughout your landing page so that you don’t miss any opportunities to convert that visitor!
One last note on PAID SEARCH Landing pages. If you are investing in a Paid Search Campaign, you will want to concentrate your efforts and put a lot of thought into crafting your value statement and CTA’s. Then, once that’s done, make sure you strip your landing page of useless distractions like “about us” links and social media links. Save those for the confirmation page AFTER they requested more information, signed up for your mailing list or actually bought something from you!
Next up in the series…”Best Practices for Web Forms” followed by “Conversion Measurement and Testing”. Stay tuned for more!
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In Conversion Optimization Part 1 – Website Visitors Into Customers – We covered “Building Trust” with your website. In this article, we’re going to cover how to align your website with your business goals. After all, what good is it if you build a great website, build trust instantly with your visitor and get them to request more information…but it’s more information about something you don’t sell?!?!?! Not good right? So let’s take a look at how we can align our business goals and our website to make sure we maximize our branding and sales opportunities.
Obviously the first step in aligning your website with your business goals is completely understanding what your business is and what it is not. Only you can as a business owner, manager, executive can decide that. Once you know though, the hard part is finished. This is not a post about “how to define what your business is”, however, I will offer a few pointers that are important for your website strategy going forward.
Include all stake holders are included in these goal definition processes. There is nothing worse than you and the other key personnel giving conflicting marching order to the troops.
Make sure your employees are well informed about the companies goals, mission and direction and initial plan on how you are going to get there. The more informed/educated they are, the more apt they are to help you get there.
Stick to what you know! This is especially true of start-ups. Branching out into vertical markets and offerings only makes sense once you establish yourself as a player in the primary market of choice. It also helps keep your business goals, employees and marketing efforts aligned and manageable for a longer period of time.
Once you have the business goals outlined, the entire team onboard and ready to serve your customers, it’s time to get to work on your website and making sure you align the site with your goals. This may seem like a “no brainer” but trust me; there are a TON of sites out there that fail to match the message on their website with overall business objectives and goals. Some quick bullet points about this step:
Match the website design and color scheme to your existing (or new) marketing efforts. The llok and feel of the website should match and align with your Logo, Letterhead, Business Cards, TV Spots, Radio Spots, etc.
Be consistent with your branding message (beyond logo and color scheme).
If you custom build landing pages for Adwords Campaigns (or other Internet Marketing), be consistent with color schemes and branding there as well. Landing Pages get a little flexibility as you need to A/B Test and adjust, but color Scheme and LOGO should not vary across multiple platforms or campaigns.
Be sure to us Headings that clearly explain your value proposition “or” what problem you solve with your product and or services. Again, be sure to match your business goals here. [#SEOTIP – Do some solid Keyword research before or during this phase and inter-weave your best keywords into your headings, content and alt tags]
Be sure to use “plain language” on your website. Yes we covered this in Part 1, however, it’s too important not to mention again. Some people don’t even know they your services yet while others not only know it, they are hungry for your products and services. Make sure everyone can understand you and maximize your exposure and sales.
If you found this article helpful and you enjoyed it, please take a minute and share it through any of the social media share buttons located throughout the site. We love our social media friends and the shares we get and we certainly will return the favor when and where possible. You can also comment in the comments section below and regular commenters receive “Do-Follow” link status to help you with your SEO program!
That’s the real question isn’t it? What good is a website or even traffic to your website if once they get there they don’t buy something or at a minimum, request more information from you about the product or service you offer (otherwise known as a “conversion”). As a small business, there is nothing as important as making sales. You have to think about those sales, strategize for more sales and constantly test for improvement on your complete sales cycle and processes every minute of every day, if you hope to succeed.
Why would your website be any different?
Contrary to popular belief, your website does not have to be just another extension of your letterhead or business card. It can in fact be a revenue generating machine! Given the correct tools, processes and promotion efforts, your website can literally transform your business and catapult you to the next level, in fact, not only to the next level but to the TOP of your market if properly planned and executed and with an unwavering commitment to success.
Welcome to Part 1 of a 5 part series on website conversion optimization techniques.
In this post we are going to cover “Trust”. Building trust with your visitors is paramount. If they don’t trust you from the moment they open your home page you have lost a potential customer. So how do you build trust? Great question and I’m glad you asked. Let’s take a look at 3 key issues that build instant trust when someone visits your website.
Please have an “Updated Website” – Let’s face it, if you’re trolling along in a 1990’s or early 2000’s website you are losing business. Websites need to be update/replaced every 2-4 years. Yes, that’s right…every 2 to 4 years! Some quick design points –
Keep the design simple, clean and product/service related
Use a good modern color scheme that instills trust and confidence – there are plenty of color studies/websites out there. Spend some time on them studying the best color palette to match your business
Use images, graphics that tell a story about your products and services and avoid stock images as much as possible
Minimize industry jargon and technical mumbo jumbo. Explain your company like you were explaining it for the first time to potential customer who does not even know he or she needs your business yet
Stay abreast of the latest design trends, what your competition is doing, what your vendors are doing with their websites and emulate and build on the best sites you can find. Please don’t take that as you should “copy” what they are doing. I mean to say that you should “steal” them instead. If you are thoroughly confused or questioning my morals at this point, watch this short video to see what I mean by that:
Whenever possible use your own picture on your website home page with a meaningful, powerful quote about the value your business offers. Stock photos are okay, but nothing builds trust like a good picture or better yet video of the business owner(s) on the home page smiling and telling a story. It is hands down one of the best conversion tools out there. There are countless news articles, blog articles and conversion whitepapers you can read about images on the home page that verify this. A quick Google search will yield a treasure trove of data on the subject. In the picture, be sure to be yourself! Dress how you normally dress and smile like you normally smile. Faking it won’t cut it here and will be seen right through. Again…BE YOURSELF!
Lastly…build instant trust with references. These can be in the form of industry associations, the Better Business Bureau, customer and vendor references, Chamber of Commerce, etc. Wherever you can you should share who you have worked for (company logos work well), testimonials (quotes & videos) and bullet points. These send a powerful message that someone before the current visitor has trusted you enough to hire you. Don’t underestimate the power of this technique for conversion optimization.
If you found this article helpful and you enjoyed it, please take a minute and share it through any of the social media share buttons located throughout the site. We love our social media friends and the shares we get and we certainly will return the favor when and where possible. You can also comment in the comments section below and regular commenters receive “Do-Follow” link status to help you with your SEO program!
So now you are starting to get some decent traffic to your site or you have taken the plunge with Google Adwords, but, as fate would have it, none of these new visitors you have invested your time, energy, effort or capital in are converting into leads or customers. Why not? You have a great looking website, you invested in Adwords spend to drive traffic, what is going on? Great question…I’m so glad you asked. This article is going to discuss “Landing Page Optimization” for more (or better) conversions into leads or sales. Believe it or not, conversion optimization is a BIG DEAL out there in ecommerce land. There are hundreds (if not thousands) of companies out there that have built very successful business models just helping other companies master this much needed skill.
