A cautionary tale of winning top search engine rankings and losing sales
Jupiter Research predicts on-line ad spending will reach and exceed 18 billion dollars by 2010. But how much of that site visitors actually converts to sales? Very first document Google ranking will be the ultimate quest of World-wide-web marketing, but converting targeted visitors into buyers could be the Holy Grail.
Heavy site site visitors and top look for engine rankings do not guarantee both impressive sales. Too often, SEO firms suck organizations into the mindless pursuit of getting variety one on Google. Claiming bragging rights to those coveted spots are seductive, but getting at the top doesn't pay the bills.
There's a dirty modest secret in the SEO marketplace correct now and knowing what it is and how to avoid it ways the difference among owning consumers who seem and ones who buy.
Before you hire an SEO firm or perform any optimization yourself, find SEO's dirty little secret first.
A case study over a damage SEO can do for your sales
An attorney hires an SEO business to generate leads from his world wide web site. The contract term is for 3 months at $1400 per month. Services include pay-per-click ads and Google AdWords. Very first write-up research engine benefits are guaranteed. The attorney expects leads to arrive pouring in inside the first 3 days. No SEO web site work or copywriting is performed or even suggested.
The first month netted 1 customer out of 2,356 hits. Billing Five hours at $200/hour resulted inside a loss of $400 for getting that a single client. Click-through rates inside ads had been respectable, but bounce rates have been too. Statistics showed targeted visitors spent a smaller amount than 2 seconds over a landing document and rarely clicked extra into the site. This trend continued throughout the 3 months.
$4200 goes down the drain. This situation understand isn't unique in any way. There's no shortage of corporations spending thousands or tens of thousands of income on SEO businesses and either do not measure the ROI or are grossly disappointed in the results.
If a firm doesn't divulge SEO's dirty smaller secret, run- don't walk, another way
The SEO company ought to have reviewed the web website copywriting and type before creating an SEO strategy, a smaller amount going full throttle from the campaign. Sure, the corporation delivered in traffic, but failed miserably during the sales department. Sales are the bottom line for any business, not traffic. And the following in lies the dirty little secret: SEO final results only in traffic. But conversion optimization outcomes in sales.
Business can't live on site visitors alone
Conversion optimization (CO) stands out as the program by which your internet site copy and site function removes barriers restricting site visitors from completing your site's goal- whether it is purchasing, subscribing, filling out a contact form or downloading material. SEO brings targeted visitors for your site, but CO compels them to act.
The attorney's web site content was weak and bleak- a mere bullet point list of services. All that traffic hit the net highway in search of another attorney who proved he cared about their case, had the skills to win it and also the experience to do so. This attorney quite most likely has these qualities and more, but traffic by no means gave him a chance.
Investing in a conversion optimization strategy first would have changed this situation find out drastically. Following signing a $4200 SEO contract, the attorney opted to forego the extra expense. But in the end, a CO investment would have saved him thousands of cash and who knows how numerous clients.
A bonus: conversion optimized web site copy would have improved his organic look for benefits lengthy following the PPC and AdWords campaigns ended.
4 steps to avoid the attorney's fate
Step 1: Evaluate your internet site's analytics and statistics
Through your site host or a process like Google Analytics, you've entry to everything visitor behavior-related. What post they nation on, what article they leave from and how extended they stay. This information tells exactly where to begin your conversion optimization strategy.
For example, a PPC ad delivers visitors to a landing page in your newsletter subscription. If the ad brings 100 visitors, 5 sign up and 95 click off in a smaller amount than 2 seconds, you know wherever to start- beef up the copywriting on the landing page. Bailing over a order form? Function stands out as the issue.
Step 2: Believe being a visitor, be the visitor
To optimize your site for conversions, you ought to see its usability from a visitor's perspective and improve the functionality while streamlining the action process.
o Enhance the navigation. The fewer clicks for getting for the desired action, the better.
o Streamline the action process. Navigate the procedure regularly to verify for error messages or snags.
o Test and double test the e-commerce system. Use a technique that does not bog down or scare away the buyer. Again, the less steps the better. And supply help along the way.
Step 3: Earn trust to earn business
Along with web site copy that does not read like infomercial regurgitation, add other items that promote and build trust.
o Use the latest secure encryption system and make certain your customers know you use it. Ordering pages have to have https, not http. Simple icons and verbiage go a extended way.
o Maintain security certificates current. Several browsers display invalid/expired certificate warnings.
o Emphasize support guarantees and item warranties. Look at offering an extra protection layer that competitors don't. Advertise this in PPC ads too.
o Review your content. Answer queries on-site that your CSRs normally field. FAQs jobs well for services. Offer spec sheets for products.
Step 4: Do not ignore human nature
Impulse buys come on the net just as they do in physical stores. Make it simple for shoppers to add on to a purchase. Amazon offers free shipping on orders more than $25.00. Do individuals add an solution to a $19.99 acquire to receive free shipping? You bet they do.
o Highlight other well-known products, best sellers or "others who bought this product also purchased..."
o Introduce new products/services alongside established ones. "If you like this, you will adore this."
o Enhancements as well as other complementary products/services like batteries, cables, etc.
Jupiter Research predicts on-line ad spending will reach and exceed 18 billion dollars by 2010. But how much of that site visitors actually converts to sales? Very first document Google ranking will be the ultimate quest of World-wide-web marketing, but converting targeted visitors into buyers could be the Holy Grail.
Heavy site site visitors and top look for engine rankings do not guarantee both impressive sales. Too often, SEO firms suck organizations into the mindless pursuit of getting variety one on Google. Claiming bragging rights to those coveted spots are seductive, but getting at the top doesn't pay the bills.
There's a dirty modest secret in the SEO marketplace correct now and knowing what it is and how to avoid it ways the difference among owning consumers who seem and ones who buy.
Before you hire an SEO firm or perform any optimization yourself, find SEO's dirty little secret first.
A case study over a damage SEO can do for your sales
An attorney hires an SEO business to generate leads from his world wide web site. The contract term is for 3 months at $1400 per month. Services include pay-per-click ads and Google AdWords. Very first write-up research engine benefits are guaranteed. The attorney expects leads to arrive pouring in inside the first 3 days. No SEO web site work or copywriting is performed or even suggested.
The first month netted 1 customer out of 2,356 hits. Billing Five hours at $200/hour resulted inside a loss of $400 for getting that a single client. Click-through rates inside ads had been respectable, but bounce rates have been too. Statistics showed targeted visitors spent a smaller amount than 2 seconds over a landing document and rarely clicked extra into the site. This trend continued throughout the 3 months.
$4200 goes down the drain. This situation understand isn't unique in any way. There's no shortage of corporations spending thousands or tens of thousands of income on SEO businesses and either do not measure the ROI or are grossly disappointed in the results.
If a firm doesn't divulge SEO's dirty smaller secret, run- don't walk, another way
The SEO company ought to have reviewed the web website copywriting and type before creating an SEO strategy, a smaller amount going full throttle from the campaign. Sure, the corporation delivered in traffic, but failed miserably during the sales department. Sales are the bottom line for any business, not traffic. And the following in lies the dirty little secret: SEO final results only in traffic. But conversion optimization outcomes in sales.
Business can't live on site visitors alone
Conversion optimization (CO) stands out as the program by which your internet site copy and site function removes barriers restricting site visitors from completing your site's goal- whether it is purchasing, subscribing, filling out a contact form or downloading material. SEO brings targeted visitors for your site, but CO compels them to act.
The attorney's web site content was weak and bleak- a mere bullet point list of services. All that traffic hit the net highway in search of another attorney who proved he cared about their case, had the skills to win it and also the experience to do so. This attorney quite most likely has these qualities and more, but traffic by no means gave him a chance.
Investing in a conversion optimization strategy first would have changed this situation find out drastically. Following signing a $4200 SEO contract, the attorney opted to forego the extra expense. But in the end, a CO investment would have saved him thousands of cash and who knows how numerous clients.
A bonus: conversion optimized web site copy would have improved his organic look for benefits lengthy following the PPC and AdWords campaigns ended.
4 steps to avoid the attorney's fate
Step 1: Evaluate your internet site's analytics and statistics
Through your site host or a process like Google Analytics, you've entry to everything visitor behavior-related. What post they nation on, what article they leave from and how extended they stay. This information tells exactly where to begin your conversion optimization strategy.
For example, a PPC ad delivers visitors to a landing page in your newsletter subscription. If the ad brings 100 visitors, 5 sign up and 95 click off in a smaller amount than 2 seconds, you know wherever to start- beef up the copywriting on the landing page. Bailing over a order form? Function stands out as the issue.
Step 2: Believe being a visitor, be the visitor
To optimize your site for conversions, you ought to see its usability from a visitor's perspective and improve the functionality while streamlining the action process.
o Enhance the navigation. The fewer clicks for getting for the desired action, the better.
o Streamline the action process. Navigate the procedure regularly to verify for error messages or snags.
o Test and double test the e-commerce system. Use a technique that does not bog down or scare away the buyer. Again, the less steps the better. And supply help along the way.
Step 3: Earn trust to earn business
Along with web site copy that does not read like infomercial regurgitation, add other items that promote and build trust.
o Use the latest secure encryption system and make certain your customers know you use it. Ordering pages have to have https, not http. Simple icons and verbiage go a extended way.
o Maintain security certificates current. Several browsers display invalid/expired certificate warnings.
o Emphasize support guarantees and item warranties. Look at offering an extra protection layer that competitors don't. Advertise this in PPC ads too.
o Review your content. Answer queries on-site that your CSRs normally field. FAQs jobs well for services. Offer spec sheets for products.
Step 4: Do not ignore human nature
Impulse buys come on the net just as they do in physical stores. Make it simple for shoppers to add on to a purchase. Amazon offers free shipping on orders more than $25.00. Do individuals add an solution to a $19.99 acquire to receive free shipping? You bet they do.
o Highlight other well-known products, best sellers or "others who bought this product also purchased..."
o Introduce new products/services alongside established ones. "If you like this, you will adore this."
o Enhancements as well as other complementary products/services like batteries, cables, etc.
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SEO's Dirty Small Secret - How to Score Top Rankings and Lose Sale - Check Out seo site and seo optimization tips
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