Friday, May 3, 2013

Optimize for Conversions

By Carrie Serienz


Conversion rate optimization (CRO) in internet marketing is the basic process of producing a type of experience for a visitor of a website that is intended to persuade them into buying a product or service. Many people simply call it CRO, for short. E-commerce and sites that process transactions are not the only sites that use conversion rate optimization. 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.

Carefully considering the exact page that an ad leads a potential customer is important, as the conversion rate will be higher if directed correctly, making costs per action lower and campaign ROI will be increased. Increasing the odds that visitors to your page will actually buy your product or service is the whole point of conversion optimization on your website.

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 online method of marketing is not for the weak of heart.

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. Treat them as a unique segment and make sure that when they land on your site, they land on a page that is built just for them. For a newer website, a basic page for all visits that come from non-direct sources will do, but in time, they should be tailored to suit these specialized leads.

Continuous testing brings you closer to finding the exact path to seamless usability for your web visitors. Visitors are much more likely to convert to buyers when their experience is simple and enjoyable. 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. Pages that get more visitors are a much better place to start, since more people will see them on the homepage, even if the bounce rater is higher there.

Have visitors to your page engaged and having confidence in your site, and keep them moving along the process in the attempt to have them convert into paying customers. Those who end up on your page should be able to trust your company, and that will make conversion rates more significant.




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