Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) Strategies for Small Businesses

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As a business owner, digital marketer, or website operator, one of the biggest indicators that you’re effectively managing your digital assets is how high or low your conversion rate optimization numbers are.

It isn’t surprising that everyone wants to drive more value from the traffic and visitors that their site generates, but if you aren’t earning enough sales and revenue, you’re left wondering what you could – or should – do to improve your conversion rate optimization metrics.

While the premise of making a conversion (sale) from your site seems relatively straightforward, there are a lot of technical details that go into creating an effective conversion funnel. Just because you have a trendy website with products available for sale does not guarantee that fresh, hot leads and sales are going to pile up on “Autopilot.”

Factors including your site design, website load times, and “Calls To Action” on your site all impact the number of times one of your visitors complete a desired action – or a Conversion.

One thing to remember is that for the highest conversion rates, having your website pages targeted for your desired end-result is a surefire way to rev up your results. These are known as Landing Pages. Professional Landing Pages are effective and are commonly used to gather information for List Building, Lead Generation, and Direct Sales.

For the most part, Landing Pages are created with one specific “Goal” in mind. Often, extraneous navigation and unimportant links get eliminated from these type of pages so that that site visitors will complete the desired page action instead of ‘surfing’ your site and leaving without taking the action you seek. Someone who fills out the information you ask for is considered a successful conversion.

If your website or your individual pages are underperforming, it is worth your time to review the Conversion Goals you have in place. By using data, you can pinpoint where the problem exists and take proactive steps to fix the issue.

Don’t be afraid to test and analyze to recognize bottlenecks or other obstacles that stand in the way of a customer conversion. Sometimes one of the best methods to test your site is by having someone who is not familiar with your site use it. By observing their Click Paths through your Analytics Programs, you can get a better understanding of how people navigate your site. If you find that your site visitors are making the same navigational mistakes over and over, you can make adjustments to address these missteps.

Another invaluable resource for data concerning visitor behavior is Google Analytics. This robust platform gives you access to all of the data associated with your website, giving you clues to errors or flaws that affect your conversion rate.

Here are a few finer points to investigate when examining your Website Analytics:

Most Viewed Pages – Your most viewed (or visited pages) are likely to be your most profitable pages. If your conversion rate is low on your high traffic pages, invest some time to ensure that your page has adequate Calls To Action, so your visitors have an idea of what they’re supposed to do next.

Similarly, if your pages have a high “Bounce Rate” (People only visit one page and leave), you’ll want to make adjustments to reduce the overall Bounce and retain the visitor. The simple addition of an Email Opt-In Pop-Up could be the difference between letting a visitor slip away for forever or adding them to your ongoing Email Marketing List.

Traffic Sources – It’s critical to know where your website traffic is originating. A healthy site should have a variety of traffic sources including major Search Engines, Social Media Platforms, and Direct Links. Free organic traffic is increasingly harder to cultivate, so you want to be sure that your site is optimized to turn free website visitors into new leads or sales.

User Devices – Now more than ever, people are using more types of devices than ever before to access the Internet. A mobile-friendly or Responsive website design helps ensure that every site visitor gets an optimized version of your site for their viewing screen or display, regardless of whether they’re on a Samsung Smart Phone or a Smart TV.

Website Response Speed – Think about the last time you visited a really slow site. How willing were you to stick around while waiting for the site to load? If you answered ‘not very,’ you are among the many who would respond to this question the same way. Site speed matters – especially when working with Conversion Traffic. Any unexplained delays give your visitors reason to leave as quickly as they arrived, which is no good! In other words, the faster your site is, the better.

Test Multiple Versions Of Your Conversion Pages – A/B Testing is one way to determine which of your sales pages outperforms the other. After this initial testing, you can advertise and promote with more confidence that you’re leading with a winning offer.

Split Test Email Opt-In Forms and Pop-Up Boxes – The ultimate goal of Email Opt-Ins and Pop-Up Boxes is to collect information from your website visitors so that you can market to them again later. By Split Testing, you can determine which form or landing page works best for your site demographics.

Establish Your Conversion Goals In Google Analytics – This one is important because every Conversion Goal must be setup in Google Analytics to track them properly. If you haven’t setup conversion goal tracking, there is no truly accurate way to track your progress and conversions, which offers you no competitive advantage whatsoever!

Document Any Changes You’ve Made For Reference – Should you decide to make any significant changes to your site, be sure that you document them. By doing so, you’ll more easily be able to analyze whether the adjustments you made are working or not.

Conversion Rate Optimization [infographic]

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Denese EakinsDenese is a lover of knowledge and puts her research skills and creative eye to good use with her infographics. When she’s not researching and designing visuals to present data, she spends time volunteering in her other passion–health education.

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Why Your Conversion Rate Matters and What You Can Do To Improve It

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When conducting business online, the more you understand about your website metrics and conversion rates, the more equipped you are to make improvements and adjustments to optimize your results.

One of the most relevant metrics to most website owners is their “Conversion Rate.” If you aren’t familiar with what this term means, simply put, it is the total number of visitors at your site who complete a desired action while on your pages

Classic examples of a successful “Conversion” include getting someone to sign up for your newsletter, buying products or services from your website, finishing a lead capture or generation form, or even sending a message via your Contact Page

Conversion rates are calculated by taking the total number of conversions and dividing it by the number of total clicks or website visits that logged a conversion during any given time frame.

The ultimate goal of every website owner and business person is to have as high of a conversion rate as possible – regardless of whether you are building a mailing list or selling items online

Conversion Rate Optimization Explained

Now that we’ve discussed what a Conversion Rate is, we’re going to discuss “Conversion Rate Optimization.”

While every Conversion is a ‘win’ for you, some Conversions are more valuable than others. For instance, getting someone to sign up for occasional newsletter updates may not have the immediate monetary return that a direct sale has. However, since your visitor opted into further marketing messages, you get the opportunity to connect with them via Email or SMS for future promos, special offers, or new product and service launches.

It goes without saying that setting up Conversion rate optimization strategies on your most lucrative pages is the most straightforward way to increase your conversion figures. Keep in mind how much differently your results will be, based on your offer. If you have a ‘free’ offer, the chances are good that you’ll have a higher Conversion rate than if you have a ‘paid’ offer that requires the visitor to buy something from you. Giving up an Email address is a lot less of a commitment than making a purchase.

The trick is to make sure that you’re tracking all of the different actions that are taking place on your pages.

Many web developers choose Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools to establish Conversion Goals for their personal and client projects.

Setting up Conversion Tracking takes a bit of time and planning since each Goal must get setup separately. Once the Conversion Tracking is set up and properly installed on your website, any site visitor who completes the desired action for the conversion gets counted in your statistics. These statistics are helpful for conducting A/B Testing to establish which pages are most effective at creating a Conversion for you through Organic or Paid website traffic campaigns. By running a campaign for your A/B test, you’ll quickly find out which version of your web page is helping you meet your sales goals and objectives the fastest. In the interest of running very targeted marketing campaigns, choosing the best version of your conversion page returns the best Return On Investment for your campaign, which is always smart business! (If you are unsure of how to setup Conversion Tracking for yourself, the professionals at Colleen Eakins Design are happy to help!)

Double Check Your Website For Navigational Obstructions

No one likes to run into difficulties when they visit a website. In today’s day and age, site visitors can be fickle. Many seemingly small issues could be the difference in making a sale or losing the attention of your site visitors forever. Before proceeding with a Paid Advertising Campaign to increase your overall Conversion rate, it is always a smart idea to review your site with a ‘fine tooth comb’ to make sure that everything operates as expected.

Always make certain to double check that your CTA’s (Call to Action) are clearly visible to your site visitors. Think of your CTA’s like a Road Sign that direct your visitors to complete your desired action. If these ‘Road Signs’ aren’t present, you can’t be too surprised if people leave your site quickly and without taking any action whatsoever. (This is known as your “Bounce Rate.”)

If you are selling products or services, answering any questions and addressing concerns that would interest a potential customer is a shrewd business move. Not only does this help increase sales, but it also makes your company or Organization more efficient by removing the need for an employee or staff member to have to answer common questions as a part of the sales process.

Providing information regarding your Shipping Policies, Return Policies, Money Back Guarantees, or other Terms and Services helps protect both you and your customer. You want your client to feel comfortable in their decision to do business with you, so the more pertinent information you provide online, the better. You don’t want to take the chance that they’ll leave your site to search for a competitor who has taken the time and made the investment in providing a better User Experience. Responsive or Mobile-Friendly design facilitates a streamlined user experience regardless of whether the end user is surfing your site on a mobile device or a large flat-screen TV.

Credibility is critical, so all steps you take to establish trust and authority on your site are worth exploring. Don’t overlook how important TLS/SSL Security, Security Seals, Customer Reviews, and references from respected Organizations like your Local Chamber of Commerce or the Better Business Bureau are beneficial in building your credibility and consumer confidence.

Push Notification Marketing Best Practices

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If your business has recently launched a mobile app, you’re probably enthusiastically entering the world of push notification marketing. Congratulations on your new app and for taking a powerful first step towards expanding your marketing program! However, it’s worth pointing out that you should temper your enthusiasm with some of the important realities of the technology.

For instance, the fact you CAN push messages doesn’t mean you should always do so. People will start to think of your brand as annoying if you send too many messages. That’s why most brand managers now expect push messages to follow the same general principles that email marketing follows. For example, get subscribers to opt into push messages and give them a way to turn them off if they don’t want to hear from you. The basic principles of exchanging value for their consent to send messages applies. Once that is in place, continue to follow best practices to achieve optimal results.

Seize on Events to Send Push Messages

People will be happy when you send them reminders of important events. If your product or service has updates, let them know. Reminding someone they have an appointment with your office is a perfect use of a push message! They’ll love knowing you care enough and are professional enough to let them know ahead of schedule. Obviously, the type of app and the nature of your app dictate the kinds of messages you send. Stay timely, and you will have an advantage.

Pay Careful Attention to Your Language Usage

Push messages are succinct. That’s fantastic, but means you have added responsibilities. You need to be entirely precise about what you say. Don’t ever use language that is scary or scolding! Be as friendly and professional as possible. If you have a new version of something, tell people! Also, include any information that you consider to be crucial to communication. It also makes sense to use a “voice” that’s congruent with your overall marketing. That way people will identify with your brand easier.

Location-Based Messaging Is Possible

You may want to notify people based on proximity to your location. If they are local customers who happen to pass within a mile or two of your business, let them know you’re open! You don’t want to be creepy about it, but a gentle nudge based on proximity tends to convert well. You have a unique chance to create a bond with people through the use of mobile marketing. Think like them and get feedback from individuals who use your app and frequent your business. They’ll have plenty of actionable advice for you to use to improve your offering.

Send Alerts That Users Simply Must Have

Another successful class of push messages is the alert of an important trigger. Perhaps a product reaches a certain price point that a user wants. In such a case a push message will drive them to purchase directly. You may even decide to offer a discount to someone who is on the edge of buying. There are a number of ways to approach the subject, but notifications that directly help create sales are always powerful.

Your Imagination Is the Only Limit

You can use push messaging in any manner you like, as long as you meet the technical requirements. If your app sorts or ranks, you can send notifications of items based on sorting and ranking! Whatever functionality your app has can be translated into messaging. What matters most is that the output is useful and demanded by users. There’s nothing wrong with experimenting, especially if you take feedback. Adding features based on customer suggestions is one of the strongest ways to encourage loyalty. Brainstorm with your team to come up with unique and engaging ways to use the technology. It may be surprising just what you discover!

Build in a Response Mechanism

As you know, people don’t like waiting around for answers! If people get in touch with your company, they expect you to respond. Don’t make people wait when using your app. If you do, they’ll simply drop it and move on to greener pastures. Give some serious thought to the structure of your messaging. Automation could be the road to take, when possible. If your user base grows rapidly, you may be unable to respond to messages or users individually. If that’s the case, set up mechanisms that help them discover answers for themselves. That will keep everyone happy when using your program.

Think Like a Marketer

Apps are a chance to reach broad markets. Push notifications are a way to keep people coming back. Those companies who implement marketing strategy across their entire spectrum of channels are making fantastic use of this form of messaging. All it takes is a mindset that says “how can I serve this customer best?” Once you think about what they need and how to provide it, the rest comes easy. You aren’t alone in your project. If you think handling this many details is overwhelming, find a qualified professional to handle it for you. Your campaign needs to work well but it also must satisfy your business objectives. If it doesn’t, you’ll be supporting an app without reaping the rewards. Put marketing at the forefront of everything you do and you won’t have any problems growing your user and customer base significantly.

These are exciting times for mobile marketers who use push notifications. In many ways, the industry is still in its early phase. There are plenty of opportunities to take advantage of if you’re willing to put in the effort. Don’t have a mobile app yet? Contact us today to have one developed. We’re big believers that small businesses benefit enormously from having a mobile app and push notifications are the extra frosting on the cake. Developing an app is a strong first step towards reaching the vast network of mobile users who dominate the digital landscape. Once you achieve a foothold, you’ll be able to work on growing your user count every year. With the right framework in place, you’ll find that this is the most responsive type of marketing you’ve ever done.

Push Notifications Are an Essential Marketing Tool for SMBs

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As more people engage, consume and make purchasing decisions using their mobile devices, the popularity of push notifications by business mobile app owners continues to grow. Not only will more companies build mobile apps and employ this technology moving forward, but they will also continue to explore the marketing potential it brings. For marketers, push notifications represent an ideal way to stay in touch with prospects and customers.

Push notifications are the fastest way to stay in contact with a connected customer and are a quick way to let people know about updates and new features.

Cross-Channel Promotions Are a Necessity

Small businesses need to use as many cross-channel promotional strategies as they can. There’s no reason to focus on just one channel because that’s not how the modern digital landscape works. These days, people spend time on their favorite sites and apps and respond differently to communications. Because of this need for diversity, the role of digital marketers keeps changing. It’s crucial to create specific content and messaging not just for specific platforms like social media, email and websites, but also for mobile apps.

Push notifications have proven efficient and should make up a significant part of any SMB digital marketing strategy. In addition to using social media channels and email marketing initiatives to highlight a new product offering; coupon; event or special, consider also using a push notification to make the announcement.

Following up with Customers Brings New Business Through the Door…or Site

Push notifications are a great way to augment your current follow-up process. Most companies already use newsletters and email autoresponders to stay in touch with customers. It’s worth going one step further, by implementing push notifications when possible. Not surprisingly, people tend to pay more attention to a push notification. They have been getting them for a while, so they are used to receiving them and know them to be important or to contain information of interest. Because users routinely ignore emails, marketers have been transitioning to push notifications instead or in addition to their email campaigns.

There are a few rules worth considering before you begin sending these out like a maniac! Remember they’re most effective when something unique and important is going on. For example, a coupon or special will get most people to look. Any vague or unrelated messages will eventually make them want to turn your business’ mobile app notifications off. That’s why picking your spots makes sense. If you don’t overdo it and get your timing right, you’ll have a very high click-through and conversion rate. The job is not to annoy people, but to give them something of interest instead. Make sure any messages you send are brief and to the point.

Add Some Extra Pizzazz with Rich Text Push Notifications

Rich text push notifications contain more than just text in their messages. They may contain web links to click for more information, a link to a specific area of the mobile app and even maps a user can click on for a location or directions that are specific to the push message notification.

Like with standard push notifications, you always want to be as focused as possible in your messages. Since push notifications tend to be short in general, make your meaning simple. People are busy, so don’t waste their precious time.

Push notifications are going to remain popular because of convenience. Any company that supplies an app will want to notify users about updates pertaining to their company and also to the app itself. In the case of bug fixes or feature upgrades, the fastest way to get users to update their app or try a new feature is with a push notification. Offer users the chance to install the new app and a significant percentage will do it quickly. Tell customers to allow notifications for the very purpose of receiving updates and if your mobile app allows for it, sign-up for the list that meets their specific interests.

Remind Inactive Users You’re Still Around!

Sometimes people forget they installed your mobile app or haven’t used it in awhile. In cases like this, a notification is in order. You can use the old “I missed you” ruse to try and drum up interest. Or, you may consider telling them about a new feature you added since they installed the app. That might be enough motivation to spur them back into action. It’s worth a try at the very least because people often install and forget apps. If someone is inactive, you have little to lose by attempting to spur them into action.

If you don’t have time or the staff to implement a push notification marketing strategy, you can always turn it over to a third party. There are many providers that can step in and fill that gap. If you used a third party to develop your business’ mobile app, your app developer may be able to assist you with a campaign strategy and implementation. Either way, understand this is a dynamic form of marketing and will require testing and tweaking along the way. Once you see patterns emerge, you’ll be in an ideal position to craft campaigns and push notification marketing strategies that work well. Just make sure your notifications are succinct and useful.

Now’s the Time to Begin Your Journey

Adapting your current strategies to mobile platforms will yield a whole new market of potential customers. The app market for small businesses has grown enormously and having the ability to “push” a message to an engaged user base is always going to be beneficial. If your business does not yet have a mobile app, get in touch with Colleen Eakins Design (CED) today, to get started developing one. CED has mobile app development plans that include push notifications (standard and rich messages) to your mobile app users.