Many mistakenly exclude conversions when evaluating SEO (Search Engine Optimization) performance. It is not enough to just get the great rankings. If no one is converting from the site / page visit, the money, time and effort to get the rankings are really wasted. This is why Conversion Optimization is the real bottom line of all Internet Marketing.
As with any task or project, you need to have, and know how to use, the tools necessary to do great work. Websites are nothing if not a great source of data; therefore you must install analytics software directly on the site in order to measure the key data points that are so essential to understanding website performance. The fact is: From the outset, no website owner or webmaster has all of the correct answers in terms of optimal design for optimal conversions. There is no magic set of criteria or formula that can be applied across all websites. Experience counts but even the most experienced cannot predict onsite behavior of a newly designed website. This is why analytics, the key tool in conversion optimization, is so essential.
Analytical software, such as Google Analytics, provides an immense data-set that provide inexperienced and experienced web designers statistical information to identify those pages and elements that are working well and those that need work. For instance, knowing the pages visited, the keyword that was sourced, the time on the page, the exit percentage and the bounce rate all paint the picture of success vs. failure. Further, the conversion funnel can be carefully analyzed and modified based on the data. The conversion funnel is the set of design elements and formulation of the pages containing the design elements that lead the visitor through a series of interactions inexorably leading to the final conversion step (product purchase, service sign up, phone call, contact us form, etc). Through careful analysis, you can identify how many are entering that conversion funnel, how many complete the conversion funnel and at what point in the conversion funnel do clients seem to exit rather than convert; all in a step-by-step manner. As with any analysis, the results entail action and clearly where the analytics are poor for a particular step in the funnel or a particular page, immediate corrective action is indicated. What is great here is that you can test various strategies, normally called split testing so that you can determine which approach works the best. This monitoring, analysis, redesign, process is at the center of any serious effort to seriously increase conversions.
You may ask, ok, so what exactly do I do to optimize conversions? The reason why this writing is solely focused on analytics is because you can never assume to actually know how to optimize a particular site without the information. It is also not enough for this writer to say things like “you must provide a clear call to action” or “provide attractive links” or “display your phone number prominently.” I can list a thousand more. But will that give you the right answer(s) for your site? Of course not … it requires careful analysis, testing and design unique to the data.
So the key to increasing your conversions is increasing your awareness of what is actually happening with your site before, during and after making changes to your website. You must make the commitment to regularly review your analytics and drill down as Google Analytics provides the tools to understand more than most people can imagine; and almost all of the information is useful and consequential.
If you have a serious desire to increase your rankings and your conversions, contact us for a no obligation initial consultation.
December 31, 2009
One Comment
Love this post, and other like the affiliates and life time value of user.
You guys are doing great work and i learned a lot.
Thanks,
Sharel