05 January 2011 | Author: A. McInnes Usability Account Manager
In the past, it was believed the more customers you brought to your site, the more sales you would profit from. However, times have changed, as businesses have realized it's how you communicate with your visitors that turns them into clients.
Only by removing usability 'roadblocks' or 'barriers to conversion' can businesses increase conversions - hence the development of conversion optimisation.
However, as Rand Fishkin of SEOmoz stated, conversion optimisation "is still the most under-utilised and highest ROI activities in the marketing department." So it begs the question: why aren't more companies embracing it?
In a competitive marketplace, attracting time-stretched consumers who use an evolving array of devices, it's no longer adequate to focus solely on increasing the amount of traffic driven to a website. Businesses need to focus on user experience as a crucial way to improving conversion rates.
Without offering a credible user journey with clear and precise calls to action, consumers will simply go elsewhere due to the vast amount of readily available competition. Whilst retailers are aware of the benefits of improving search exposure using a variety of digital mediums (SEO, PPC, Display, Affiliates) many remain unaware of the impact that conversion optimisation can have on their ROI.
The focus on conversion rates is clearly a growing phenomenon, shown by the number of free analytics and testing tools available, including Google Analytics, Yahoo Analytics, and Google Website Optimizer.
And, with nearly two million search results on Google today and an increasing number of searches month on month, "conversion optimisation" or "conversion analysis" is clearly not just a passing phase.
This transition from early enthusiasts to mainstream online businesses has accelerated especially in 2010 thanks to usability blogs and regular posts from industry experts such as Bryan Eisenberg, Avinash Kaushik, and usability evangelist Jacob Neilson. In addition, the demand for conversion optimisation specialists in advertised job vacancies indicates interest in the field for the long haul.
These proponents encourage businesses not to let customers stray to competition through poor web design, to continually test their websites and, in turn, increase ROI.
With current economic conditions forcing companies to re-evaluate where they are investing their money, businesses should concentrate not only on increasing traffic to their site, but also converting traffic successfully to increase revenue and invest in conversion optimisation as a key strategy for change.
The rise and rise of conversion optimisation
The black and white of web designIn the past, it was believed the more customers you brought to your site, the more sales you would profit from. However, times have changed, as businesses have realized it's how you communicate with your visitors that turns them into clients.
Only by removing usability 'roadblocks' or 'barriers to conversion' can businesses increase conversions - hence the development of conversion optimisation.
However, as Rand Fishkin of SEOmoz stated, conversion optimisation "is still the most under-utilised and highest ROI activities in the marketing department." So it begs the question: why aren't more companies embracing it?
In a competitive marketplace, attracting time-stretched consumers who use an evolving array of devices, it's no longer adequate to focus solely on increasing the amount of traffic driven to a website. Businesses need to focus on user experience as a crucial way to improving conversion rates.
Without offering a credible user journey with clear and precise calls to action, consumers will simply go elsewhere due to the vast amount of readily available competition. Whilst retailers are aware of the benefits of improving search exposure using a variety of digital mediums (SEO, PPC, Display, Affiliates) many remain unaware of the impact that conversion optimisation can have on their ROI.
The focus on conversion rates is clearly a growing phenomenon, shown by the number of free analytics and testing tools available, including Google Analytics, Yahoo Analytics, and Google Website Optimizer.
And, with nearly two million search results on Google today and an increasing number of searches month on month, "conversion optimisation" or "conversion analysis" is clearly not just a passing phase.
This transition from early enthusiasts to mainstream online businesses has accelerated especially in 2010 thanks to usability blogs and regular posts from industry experts such as Bryan Eisenberg, Avinash Kaushik, and usability evangelist Jacob Neilson. In addition, the demand for conversion optimisation specialists in advertised job vacancies indicates interest in the field for the long haul.
These proponents encourage businesses not to let customers stray to competition through poor web design, to continually test their websites and, in turn, increase ROI.
With current economic conditions forcing companies to re-evaluate where they are investing their money, businesses should concentrate not only on increasing traffic to their site, but also converting traffic successfully to increase revenue and invest in conversion optimisation as a key strategy for change.
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