Over the years I have noticed a misconception among many of my clients, that they think volume is the key to making more money. They’ll say something like, I need a bigger email list or I need to rank higher in the search engines and that will drive sales.
In part, yes, some of that is true, but it is only a small part of the equation. You still have to think about converting your viewer when they reach your web site. Increasing conversion is more than just being visible.
I’ve helped customers achieve high rankings in the search engines, often position 1, 2 and 3 for a search phrase in Google, only to find that some of those high volume searches where they have the highest visibility possible, they cannot seem to convert.
A responsive web site designer should educate you on this, however, since this does not always happen, you as the client, need to be educated on the subject. I’ve decided to point out three of main things that increase conversions for your site.
3 Key questions to ask yourself are:
• Are you delivering on the promise?
• Are you offering enough value?
• When you close or convert are you creating a long term relationship?
Deliver on the promise
The promise here is the link from where the potential customer came from. When a potential customer clicks a link they are expecting to find something at the other end that services the need. The title and description of your listing in the search engine results pages, or the context of the link is extremely important and a fact that is often overlooked because some overzealous SEO wants to rank high and forgets that there is a person on the other end.
You need to think like your customer does. Use tactical and strategical thinking. When you choose a keyword or key phrase, place yourself in the thought process of the customer. What would you expect to find on the other end of clicking the link that brought you to the site?
Would you follow through? This fact is measured quite effectively and is known in Google analytics as the bounce rate. The percentage of visitors who bounce/leave your site once landing on a page. This affects your conversion rates in more ways than you can imagine. The secret is holding on to the prospect for as long as you can.
Offer value
Your value proposition must set you apart from the competition. This is a major factor in creating a long term relationship with your customers. You have very little time to hold the attention of your visitor. The visitor must perceive value in your offering or service as being more than what they were hoping for. Free offers for related goods and services that help the client is a means by which you build a competitive edge and convert more visitors.
Part of offering value is actually really caring about the needs of others rather than only thinking about yourself. No where is this more evident than on forums. You can browse these forums and there are some really helpful folks who are eager to help others without wanting anything in return. Then there are others who only want to chime in to post a link to their site without offering any valuable contribution. These people you can see coming a mile away and it is very repulsive.
Think long-term relationship
Just making the sale or converting the customer is one thing, but you must think long term. Offering value results in the building of a relationship between you and the client. If they trust what you say and you portray yourself as an authority on the subject, offering free advice or whatever it may be, then you position yourself to have that person’s ear in the future. This is where building your list becomes critical.
The execution of future emails you send out must continue to add value if you are going to convert them at a later date to purchase something else that you are offering. Remember that most people do not buy the first time they are introduced to a product. You just have to be sure that when they’re ready to buy, that you are there to service that need.