Archive for the ‘Conversions Optimization’ Category

Matt Cutts’s TED Talk: How Can it Improve Your Website?

Tuesday, August 30th, 2011

Matt’s message on TED had nothing to do with webspam—his day job at Google. It is a road map on how to improve your life. Since it is difficult to change your behavior it is best to try something for 30 days. Learn more by listening to his lecture:

The essence of the message is that to change behavior you should break down change into more steps so it is less intimidating. That way it is more likely that people will start a chain that will culminate in the behavior you want. Let’s say you are selling something:

  • You might first ask your website visitor to read a sample newsletter
  • Then you can ask them to sign up for the newsletter
  • After reading your persuasive newsletter they may then buy your product

Facebook does this very well. It is explained very clearly on BJ Fogg’s Behavior Model website.

Try implementing this conversion optimization idea on your website within the next 30 days :)

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Conversion Optimization, Flash, Websites and Ownership

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

Most companies know that they have to own their URL, and website. What is surprising is that they don’t know always know that they must own their Adobe Flash website presentations.

In order to increase conversions it is necessary to makes changes on the website and Flash presentations are no exception. Unfortunately, this is not possible without access to the source file.

edit and optimize your website Flash presentations with Adobe Flash source files
If conversion optimization is important make sure you have all the Adobe Flash source files so you can edit and optimize your website Flash presentations

The Flash source file is usually with the designers or one of their subcontractors. Even if you just want to change one of the links on the presentation, you first need to retrieve the flash source file from the designer.

Our experience shows that it is not always possible to get this file for various reasons.
The web site owner either has to compromise his conversion optimization efforts or pay for a new flash presentation.

In order to avoid this, you should always insist that you receive the Flash source file so changes can be made. Conversion optimization means you control the user experience. Technical and other obstacles have to be removed.

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Conversion Optimization — People are Starting to Get It

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

One thing I learned from experience was not to talk to potential clients about conversion optimization. They wanted traffic. And more traffic.

If I mentioned conversion optimization I could hear their eyes glaze over through the phone.

Recently, we had some calls from companies that wanted us to manage their Google Adwords campaign. However, after a couple of minutes it became clear to me that they need conversion optimization first.

I took a chance and explained that if existing traffic is not converting enough it doesn’t make sense to increase traffic even more.

And they agreed.

People are finally starting to get it. For the first time we are starting with conversion optimization before we work on increasing traffic.

Take a look at your conversion rates

Multiply your average revenue from each conversion. Now take that number and assume you can increase your conversion rate from 3% to 4.5 % which is the same as increasing your revenue by 50%. That is a worthwhile investment—don’t you think?

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Conversion Optimization Upselling, The Economist and Relativity

Saturday, October 31st, 2009

In his book, Predictably Irrational, Dan Ariely’s 1st chapter is something every one who is interested in conversion optimization should read. Actually, everyone who buys anything on the Internet (and offline) should read it too. If everyone takes my advice, Mr. Ariely will make a lot of money.

Airely’s experiment proves that we are easily manipulated by the way price options are presented on the Internet (and offline too)

He found that The Economist had 3  subscription options:

1. Web Subscription for $59
2. Print Edition for $125
3. Print and Web Subscription for $125

When faced with these choices students at MIT chose:

  • Web Subscription: 16 students
  • Print Edition: 0 students
  • Print and Web Subscription: 84 students

This makes sense as the Print Only Edition was the worst deal.

However, When Ariely removed the Print only edition you might expect that rational students would make the same choice as no one chose this anyway. Here are the results:

  • Web Subscription: 68 students
  • Print and Web Subscription: 32 students

Apparently the decoy Print Edition option was added by The Economist to increase revenues. The take away for conversion rate optimizers and consumers is to understand that: How the information is presented can be used to manipulate buyers. We focus on comparing things that are easily comparable. That is why the students tended to compare option 2 and 3 above  – and ignore option 1.

For more information on the concept of relativity read the book and take a look at this video.

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