Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Optimize for Conversions

By Carrie Serienz


In internet marketing, conversion optimization, or conversion rate optimization (CRO) is the method of creating an experience for a website or landing page visitor with the goal of increasing the percentage of visitors that convert into customers. Many people simply call it CRO, for short. Conversion rate optimization isn't only important for e-commerce and transactional sites. Specific methods must be designed for every website, to increase conversion rates for the company.

Most companies are working with a limited marketing budget, so getting the most return on every dollar they spend becomes a top priority. The ROI gained from customers who are returning to your website can be optimized using a retargeting campaign, and that will be much more effective than a basic display ad on the page.

However, to really squeeze every ounce of potential out of that ad spending, you need to consider where that ad is leading your customers because the higher your conversion rate and the lower your cost per action, the higher the final ROI you'll get on your campaign. And that's where website conversion optimization comes in - making sure that every visitor that lands on your site has the highest possible chance of turning into a paying customer.

Create a call to action that is not only highly visible, but that draws attention to itself and uses plenty of cues to lead customers there. The internet is not a subtle medium.

Visitors who come to your site through display ads have different needs and wants, and are in a different part of the sales cycle than organic visits. Pages should be designed specifically for those who clicked an ad as part of your campaign and end up on your page. In time, a website should build these pages that are tailored to traffic that is non-direct, while still a new site, a basic landing page for all non-organic visits will suffice.

These processes need to be constantly evaluated and updated so that the conversion process works optimally for those who visit your website. If a website visitor has an easy time navigating your site, they will be more happy and likely to become a paying customer. People get to your page one way or another, and they are there because your particular business has what they are seeking. They want answers to a problem, and you want to prove to them you have their solutions.

Optimization must be used where you can gain the maximum amount of effect. It's worth starting where the highest absolute increase can be achieved. On the final page of the ordering process, a giant conversion rate is good, but if they don't end up on that page, it is a missed opportunity since less people end up on this page than the homepage. A wiser move is to begin with the pages that get more hits, such as your landing page, which usually has a high bounce rate.

Engaged visitors are more confident and appreciate the experience more, so ensure this is how your site is, which will have a better chance of conversion, Trust is an essential element in the mind of a customer, so ensure that they feel this way in order to have a higher chance of converting them.




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