Website Conversion - A Skill In Short Supply?

[Colin Parker]

Website conversion skill is, without a doubt however, the area of greatest weakness in SEO's, SEM's and website designers in general.

And that is because website conversion is not a technical skill, a function or even a process. You might argue that it IS a process of split testing to continually improve results but I would only accept this up to a point.

In an earlier post on another thread I likened website conversion to painting a masterpiece. You could make the finest paints, the finest brushes, the finest canvas and the finest easel ... but it does not guarantee that you could paint the Mona Lisa. You need a Da Vinci for that.

For paint, brushes, canvas and easel read SEO and SEM, for Da Vinci read the skill to manipulate, excite, inspire, move and stir human emotions to take the actions that you desire your prospect to take. Truly great copywriters have that skill in abundance.

The internet is the greatest direct sales tool ever invented.

I have long defined direct sales not as selling direct to the prospect (although of course that is what you do) but being 'direct' with your prospect ie., ask what their wants, needs and desires are and what is THE main problem they have which has motivated their decision to buy NOW.

A professional direct salesperson will then try to close the sale there and then, on the first visit, because they know that once the prospect talks to other companies they may forget the benefits they found so appealing previously.

This URGENCY to identify wants and needs and URGENCY to close the sale on the FIRST visit is a paramount requirement of a would be website conversion specialist.

A truly professional direct salesperson also knows that every word, tone of voice, body language and sequence of their sales process affects conversion.

Also, they ask more questions, offer more choices and confirm more agreement with their prospect than the amateur who simply goes into a sales 'spiel' and boringly lists all of the features and benefits of the product/service in the hope that the prospect will be so impressed that at the end of this 'speech' they buy. Amateur, amateur, amateur!

Which brings me back to website conversion.

Another long held belief of mine is that anyone who do does not have professional offline experience of direct response marketing (mail order, direct mail etc) or direct sales may inevitably struggle to understand the physcology behind selling online - because in essence it is little different to offline.

A website must DIRECTLY answer the visitors questions and problems and IMMEDIATELY capture their ATTENTION.

By capturing the ATTENTION of the prospect we spark their INTEREST and that interest will keep them on the site and get them looking at your pictures and reading your copy.

The pictures and copy must creat DESIRE in your prospect for your product or service and raise that desire so high that they are motivated to complete the ACTION or SALE which is the goal of your site.

A.I.D.A or ATTENTION : INTEREST : DESIRE : ACTION (or SALE) is the basis of ALL advertising and selling. If you purport to understand website conversion and this is news to you I suggest you accept you have some way to go before you can tag yourself a 'specialist'.

And ... just as in offline every word, headline, picture, font, font size, paragraph length, picture and colour will affect conversion.

But the ability to do all of this AND write truly inspiring copy that stirs the emotions of a prospect is the real 'Da Vinci' skill.

Search engines rank the efforts of SEO by algorithms and with spiders ie., robotically. But never forget that humans are not robots, we are the most complex living creature ever on this planet ... and we buy and make decisions mainly on emotion not logic.

The true function of a website conversion specialist is to stir human emotions so skillfully that by the time the visitor has left the site a high proportion have been so motivated that they took the ACTION or SALE you desire. Because NOTHING ELSE matters.

Colin Parker
ONEPORTFOLIO

[JustOneUK]

Nice post.:)

I generally find that websites lack a call to action. They tell you info and show you products/services but there's never really that "BUY IT NOW!" kind of feeling.

Trust is also important in a website. I like to know who I'm dealing with if I'm about to part with my cash.

James.

[Colin Parker]

Nice post.:)

I generally find that websites lack a call to action. They tell you info and show you products/services but there's never really that "BUY IT NOW!" kind of feeling.

Trust is also important in a website. I like to know who I'm dealing with if I'm about to part with my cash.

James.

The biggest single reason why offline salespeople WORLDWIDE do not get the order is because ......... THEY DO NOT ASK FOR IT.

They either waffle on and can see that their prospect is so bored and unimpressed that to ask for the order would almost be an insult to the prospect or ... they do everything right, get the prospect interested and motivated, but then wait for the prospect to say 'Yes I'l buy one' instead of asking 'I will order one for you now as we only have two left, would you like it delivered tomorrow?'.

My point? A call to action is of no use if your prospect has not been motivated whilst on your site, and even if they have, the call to action must be direct, preferably have urgency and preferably deliver the information, product or service required/wanted by your prospect quickly.

Colin Parker
ONEPOTFOLIO

[Multivariate]

I also find that a lot of companies obsess about Google rankings etc rather than focus on conversion - not seeing wood for the trees, sort of way.

I have written on this in my blog dedicated to multilvariate testing:

http://www.culturalmultivariate.com/multivariate/conversion-kpi/

[Rags]

Great post - thank you.

By focussing on conversion first THEN traffic a site will have a better chance of success.

You're right - most emphasis seems to be on traffic, traffic, traffic.

In the offline world this amounts to shepherding hordes of people through your shop - but your products are poorly displayed, your sales assistants are dozy, your tills don't work and the shop is tatty.

[Colin Parker]

Great post - thank you.

By focussing on conversion first THEN traffic a site will have a better chance of success.

You're right - most emphasis seems to be on traffic, traffic, traffic.

In the offline world this amounts to shepherding hordes of people through your shop - but your products are poorly displayed, your sales assistants are dozy, your tills don't work and the shop is tatty.

I could not have put it better. An excellent analogy!

Colin Parker
ONEPORTFOLIO

[creospace]

Search engines rank the efforts of SEO by algorithms and with spiders ie., robotically. But never forget that humans are not robots, we are the most complex living creature ever on this planet ... and we buy and make decisions mainly on emotion not logic.

I've been saying this for ages. The battle of the SEO vs SEM will go on and on and it is a chicken and an egg scenario so balance is what is key.

[sirearl]

I've been saying this for ages. The battle of the SEO vs SEM will go on and on and it is a chicken and an egg scenario so balance is what is key.

What battle SEO's are SEM's or certainly should be.

But the SEO side will always be paramount or else you won't have anyone to look at your enticing copy.

Talking to yourself may be the first sign of....................:|

Earl

[creospace]

But the SEO side will always be paramount or else you won't have anyone to look at your enticing copy.

There's more than search engines to drive traffic to your site!

[sirearl]

There's more than search engines to drive traffic to your site!

well tell me more.?

Earl

[Colin Parker]

But the SEO side will always be paramount or else you won't have anyone to look at your enticing copy.

Earl

I think what Earl is saying - which I agree with - is that marketing ie., lead generation comes before sales ie., website conversion.

Creospace is saying that there is more to internet lead generation than SEO - and I agree with that as well.

However if we go back to an offline analogy - I would not send an untrained or poor performing salesperson on highly qualified leads as this would be a complete waste of advertising budget.

SEO site visits by definition should be 'highly qualified leads' and well before I got my site to No1* page positions I would split test (ie., train) my site (ie., salesperson) to convert these leads into sales.

The difference between offline and online is that you cannot 'train' a website until you evaluate it's conversion performance from the visits it receives. You can of course apply tried, tested and proven conversion techniques but ultimately you need visits to 'train' the site.

Therefore, initially at least, online you have to give qualified leads to an untrained site but you sure as hell better train your site fast if all the time your SEO is driving more and more visitors your way.

With offline you can train a salesperson before he visits a real prospect and you can role play the prospect (very rarely done but one of the best offline sales training methods) while your salesperson tries to close you.

Of course, if you have the budget, you could test your site before it is launched 'live' but very few businesses go to this length.

So, test and train just as fast and furiously as a good SEO is fast and furiously driving you up towards 1st page rankings or just as fast and furiously as you are driving traffic by offline advertising or via Facebook, Twitter etc., etc.

That's my real point.

Colin Parker
ONEPORTFOLIO

[sirearl]

I think what Earl is saying - which I agree with - is that marketing ie., lead generation comes before sales ie., website conversion.

Creospace is saying that there is more to internet lead generation than SEO - and I agree with that as well.

However if we go back to an offline analogy - I would not send an untrained or poor performing salesperson on highly qualified leads as this would be a complete waste of advertising budget.

SEO site visits by definition should be 'highly qualified leads' and well before I got my site to No1* page positions I would split test (ie., train) my site (ie., salesperson) to convert these leads into sales.

The difference between offline and online is that you cannot 'train' a website until you evaluate it's conversion performance from the visits it receives. You can of course apply tried, tested and proven conversion techniques but ultimately you need visits to 'train' the site.

Therefore, initially at least, online you have to give qualified leads to an untrained site but you sure as hell better train your site fast if all the time your SEO is driving more and more visitors your way.



Colin Parker
ONEPORTFOLIO

Totally agree.:D:D:D

Once your site is up the top.you would use every resource available to make sure it converts faster than a speeding bullet.Including professional copy writers e.t.c.

Or as in one of my projects, Mad Chinese people :|

Who in theory should not work ,but in practise goes down a bundle.:rolleyes:

So horses for courses,and no one fits all scenario.:)

Earl

[directmarketingadvice]

But the SEO side will always be paramount or else you won't have anyone to look at your enticing copy.

As Creospace said, there's a lot more to traffic generation than SEO.

If you can out-convert your competition, getting traffic won't be a problem.

Steve

[sirearl]

As Creospace said, there's a lot more to traffic generation than SEO.

If you can out-convert your competition, getting traffic won't be a problem.

Steve


Not quite sure I am with you Steve,but I suspect you are maybe talking about low value repeat orders.?

which I would agree with.

But high value once in a lifetime purchases,you only get one shot.

I am aware there are other forms of traffic generation,but as yet the world of e-commerce has not found a better one than being top of google.

If you know of one I would be most interested.

Earl

[directmarketingadvice]

Not quite sure I am with you Steve,but I suspect you are maybe talking about low value repeat orders.?

No, I'm talking about all business.

I am aware there are other forms of traffic generation,but as yet the world of e-commerce has not found a better one than being top of google.

Being top of google is only being top of google.

What percentage of online sales come from someone typing a search term into google and buying from the site that's listed #1 on the organic?

2%?

Less?

Steve

[sirearl]

No, I'm talking about all business.


Being top of google is only being top of google.

What percentage of online sales come from someone typing a search term into google and buying from the site that's listed #1 on the organic?

2%?

Less?

Steve

well that would depend on the product.

The benefit comes not just from the root search term you are top for,but for all related searches to the major keyword.

I.E every page that is related to you major No1 keyword will be lifted in ranking .Hence if you are No1 for Jet ski every page related to Jet ski will be elevated.

so the knock on effect is quite substantial.

Earl

[creospace]

'Sir'

You don't get what we are on about. There is such a thing as traditional marketing still. Not to mention pay per click, relevant link building etc etc.

[directmarketingadvice]

well that would depend on the product.

The benefit comes not just from the root search term you are top for,but for all related searches to the major keyword.

I.E every page that is related to you major No1 keyword will be lifted in ranking .Hence if you are No1 for Jet ski every page related to Jet ski will be elevated.

so the knock on effect is quite substantial.

Earl

That doesn't answer my question.

If people in the UK made 2 million purchases on the internet tomorrow, how many of the purchases would be made from sites that came up #1 on searches done by the purchaser?

(ignoring searches that included the name of the website - e.g. "ebay dolls house")

If I were to pull a number out of the air, I'd guess 40,000.

If that were right - which it isn't, it's just a best guess - that would mean a business that thinks #1 SEO rankings are everything are missing out on 98% of sales.

Steve

[sirearl]

That doesn't answer my question.

If people in the UK made 2 million purchases on the internet tomorrow, how many of the purchases would be made from sites that came up #1 on searches done by the purchaser?

(ignoring searches that included the name of the website - e.g. "ebay dolls house")

If I were to pull a number out of the air, I'd guess 40,000.

If that were right - which it isn't, it's just a best guess - that would mean a business that thinks #1 SEO rankings are everything are missing out on 98% of sales.

Steve


There are way to many factors to determine the percentage of sales a No1 site gets.

Product,quality,presentation,price e.t.c.

But suffice to say that very few people venture beyond the first page for the majority of searches and the No1 site gets 14 times the visitors of the No10 site and 3.5 times that of the No2 site.

Maybe someone has worked the stats out for every product on the planet.?:)

Earl

[IainW]

I saw the light
I didn't realise but a few years ago I waited for our customers to make the decision to book a holiday, we presented to them either online or on the phone the benefits of the holiday park they were interested in but invariably left it at that (maybe cos we thought it was such a large purchase that they needed time to decide or consult with a family member) but after going on a training course plus reading Joe Girrard's book on selling and other conversion mentors I soon found out that customers are looking to be converted.

Changes
I built my site and first business under the impression that everyone thinks like me and I soon discovered that this was a big mistake as customer's want to be guided where as I didn't cos I'm happy to make decisions and know when to decide to purchase a product however many people are very indecisive and are looking to "buy".
I very promptly changed my website and our approach to customers when on the phone and highlighted to them what I felt was the right choice for them, I have tried to emulate this on our website and set up a funnel process for them to follow - instantly page views increased, registrations and bookings converted. I also split tested (Steve will be happy with this) and to this day I have half the site with more call to action and conversion techniques in place than the other half of the site and the difference is very noticeable.

Customer confidence leads to conversions
Gaining the customers confidence in you is an art, too much glamming up and they're see through you, be to statistical or talk about yourself and you'll lose them - our new approach is the happy medium with copy that talks to the customer, gaining their confidence, showing you're credible through knowledge and expertise, you'll never get it 100% right and you should never stop improving but the key is definitely to UNDERSTAND your target audience and to connect with them through your copy and design, don't talk down to them and to be pretentious, once you have that human feel on your site and the call to action methods are in place then you're on the right road - for now!!!

Do you agree or disagree?

[sirearl]

Customer confidence leads to conversions
Gaining the customers confidence in you is an art, too much glamming up and they're see through you, be to statistical or talk about yourself and you'll lose them - our new approach is the happy medium with copy that talks to the customer, gaining their confidence, showing you're credible through knowledge and expertise, you'll never get it 100% right and you should never stop improving but the key is definitely to UNDERSTAND your target audience and to connect with them through your copy and design, don't talk down to them and to be pretentious, once you have that human feel on your site and the call to action methods are in place then you're on the right road - for now!!!

Do you agree or disagree?

100% agree to much spiel spoils the broth.

Take the micky out of them and yourself and your half way there,everyone loves a laugh and there's not a lot more human than shared laughter.

Earl

[Rags]

I think Steve has a valid point - for many products and services, only a tiny number of websites are found by using a search engine.

I think that heavy emphasis on SEO is only worth it if:

it's reasonably possible to get top of G quite soon
se traffic is a major way that people find a particular product/service

For example, I have clients are 'top' of Google without one jot of SEO - just a listing in Google Maps.

Many others are on page 1 by listing in directories - sometimes 4 or 5 times on the first page.

All independent of the 'SEOness' of their own site.

In fact to chase a page 1 listing for many relevant high-volume keywords would be sheer folly. After Wikipedia, Amazon, Ebay, About, directories, long-established authority sites etc have their say, there's not much left in the top 10.

That leaves long-tail, hard to optimise, low volume keywords - which may or may not be worth chasing.

I have another client who gets ALL his traffic from classified ads, content network Adwords and placed ads (banners etc). His site is an SEO nightmare - and we don't care. He's pulling in leads because his landing pages are geared 100% towards conversion.

Another client attends networking events, gives talks and generally gives out his business card (which has an offer) - all driving traffic to his site - which is once again an SEO wilderness.

The service he offers is not something that someone would type into Google necessarily (time management and productivity), but when he makes a presentation or meets someone and describes the benefits of what he does, he fills whole seminars and gets coaching clients from people who have an 'aha' moment - 'that sounds like just what we need'.

They would never search for that thing because they don't really know they 'need' it until they meet him.

Basically, there are so many ways that traffic arrives at websites that it can be a bit of an expensive and time-consuming gamble to optimise for all the necessary keywords hoping to get into the top 10 of however-many-hundred-thousand competing sites.

For a business needing sales or leads right now, SEO is usually the last thing I recommend as there are so many other effective no cost/lowcost avenues to try before chasing the 'holy grail' of no.1 in Google.

Of course, in the correct circumstances, securing a top spot on Google is undoubtedly a path to untold riches - I'm not closed to it's power or potential.

It's just that those circumstances don't appear very often and to get a small business making profits, right now with relative certainty - there are many cheaper and more effective proven methods.

[sirearl]

It's just that those circumstances don't appear very often and to get a small business making profits, right now with relative certainty - there are many cheaper and more effective proven methods.

I'd like to hear about those that relate to online selling.?

Earl

[Rags]

Earl - I mentioned at least 8 in the previous post.

All the examples I provided above have the sole aim of bringing prospective clients, to a web page tailored to the source of the prospect.

I accept that there are other ways too - I'm just sharing what I've seen working in campaigns/methods that I have personally created for clients who pay me well AND thank me when they pay.

[creospace]

I built my site and first business under the impression that everyone thinks like me and I soon discovered that this was a big mistake as customer's want to be guided where as I didn't cos I'm happy to make decisions and know when to decide to purchase a product however many people are very indecisive and are looking to "buy".

Very much so. We call it 'hand holding' around the site so they pretty much get told to 'do this' or 'do that' to get to the next stage ultimately making contact or buying something if e-commerce.

Confidence is very important, liberal use of testimonials, clear contact details with an address etc, a site that is well maintained and looks professional are all elements of confidence building with a visiting prospect.