Conversion Rate Optimization - How to Eat CRO and Increase Revenue Online

Conversion Rate OptimizationJosh PatriceDirector of SEOMay 22, 2014

Presentation Title Subtitle or Headline

First,thank you for having me!

What’s a “Portent?”Portent Inc. is a leading integrated marketing agency. Located in Seattle, WA., Portent is a full-service agency with experts in paid advertising, analytics, SEO, content strategy/writing and social media. As well as in-house design, creative, and development teams.

Greetings from the #smithtower


Who’s this guy?Josh Patrice has spent his entire career in online marketing; starting in the summer of ’03 with the drudgery that was early day PPC & Paid Inclusion work.

In the years to come, he became king of the search-nerds through his work in UX design, information architecture, CRO and SEO. Today, he educates clients and SEO experts how to optimize websites so search engines & users want to shout their URLs from the mountaintops.

When Josh isn't teaching everyone else how to be awesome, he is the epitome of a modern renaissance man, playing music,

cooking, and finding the perfect quip for any situation.

Josh PatriceDirector of SEO

What is Conversion Rate Optimization?

The Basics Conversion Rate OptimizationLearning why your visitors aren’t taking a specific action, and then working to fix it.


The Basics

Call to ActionThe foundation of Conversion Rate Optimization is the call to action.

Without CTAs, your website is a brochure. The power of influence is at the heart of CRO.


The Basics

AnalyticsTo address your conversion issue, you’ll need data.


Psychology


Fear v. GreedThe Psychology of the User

Getting Inside Your Users MindThe basis of users’ online interactions comes down to fear v. greed.

o Origins in market trading.o Users default to fear, yet more

conversions come from trusto Greed is good.

Fear Greed


TrustTrust builds Greed.

Privacy ParadoxUsers risk their privacy (info, address, etc.) against the value of your offering.

Value can be determined by more than just the object, it can be determined by the aesthetics and the ease of the process.

The more control your users have over their privacy, the lower the perception of risk.

AIDAAn oldie, but a goodie

AwarenessGetting folks to your site through marketing your product/service/etc.

InterestResonate with your users’ pain. What problem are visitors trying to solve? Your site needs to be about THEM, not about you.

DesireYour users have outcomes in mind when they visit your landing page. Be sure to address their outcomes. This is where your value proposition comes into play.

Help them answer: What’s in it for me?

ActionReason to believe you. Users need to trust you more than they need to be sold to.

It’s all UX

Awareness - TaglineManaging user expectations from search, email, etc. with appropriate messaging, imagery, etc.

Interest - BenefitsDrawing your users into your site, keeping them from bouncing, investing in the engagement. Investing in their needs.

Desire - FeaturesSimplifying the results. Details: shipping, size, price, screenshots, etc.

Action - ThingsSocial proof: testimonials, awards, call to action and buttons.


awareness

interest

desire

action

Really? AIDA?The silent converter

Awarenesso Brando Facebooko Twittero SEOo PPCo TVo Radioo Advertising!!!

Interesto Content

o Word of Mouth

o Reviews

o Videos

Desireo Aesthetics

o Ease of Process

o Design

o Trust

o CRO

Actiono Halo Effect

o Testimonials

o Social Proof

o Straightforward Process

Why CRO?

Why?

There’s Always Room to ImproveLet’s be honest, unless you’re at 100% conversion rate, you can always improve.

More Traffic ≠ More ConversionsYou can grow traffic volume all day, but if your visitors aren’t converting, what’s the point? Using CRO to improve your conversion rate is a no-brainer.

Test Products/MessagesNew products and new markets can be difficult to predict. They also offer a unique opportunity to test different messaging, landing pages, ad copy, etc.

Your new products/messaging might appeal to a new user that you hadn’t previously targeted. With CRO, you’ll be able to optimize for your new found audience.


Why CRO?

The average shopping cart abandonment rate is 67%

63% of consumers need to hear company claims 3-5 times before they trust it

73% of online consumers get frustrated with websites when content is featured (e.g. offers, ads, promotions) that has nothing to do with their interests

http://index.fireclick.com/fireindex.phpEdelman Trust Barometer, 2012Janrain & Harris Interactive

When CRO?

Always


AlwaysLong Term Benefits

Continuous EffortCRO is akin to SEO, the benefits of today’s efforts will payoff further down the line, and the benefits from tomorrow’s efforts will be seen even later still.

Additionally, this allows for iterative learning as each tweak and each test will result in new data to be analyzed and improved upon


AlwaysChanging

DifferentHabits change. Design changes. The Web evolves.

Additionally, since CRO is tied to UX at a higher level, you need to always be improving the user experience of your site to help find and fix pathways that make the visitor's life easier than before.

Where do I Start?

Benchmarks

Before/AfterUse your analytics platform to get benchmark data for the following:

o Site Conversion Rateo Landing Page Conv. Rateo Funnel Datao Bounce Rateo Time on Siteo Time on Pageo Pages Viewed per Visit



AnalyticsThe Devil in the Details

Bounce RateFilter your data to find the pages with the highest bounce rates. These should be your primary focus for optimization.

High bounce rates mean that users are visiting your site, not finding what they need on the page, and leaving.

Bounce Rates can be lowered sometimes by a simple change to the site or additional information.

This data gets skewed by landing pages.

Time on SiteEngaged users tend to stay on pages longer, if your users are finding their way to conversions, then you’ll have a higher time on site.

Landing Pages & Top ContentFind out where your users enter your site, and what pages they visit.

o Is it the best path to converting?

o Are there CTAs on your top

pages?

Pages Viewed per VisitA tricky metric, usually higher pages viewed/visit means higher engagement for your users, which means they’re more likely to convert.

Why usually?

Once again, if your landing pages are working well, then you’ll want to see fewer pages viewed per visit.


Funnel VisualizationFunnels help to identify where you’re losing conversions during the checkout or signup process.

AnalyticsThe Devil in the Details

A/B Testing

Figuring out what worksA/B tests allow you to figure out where to start with regard to CRO. Best tests will work to improve the experience or process for the user.

That being said…

Test your message, colors, pictures, everything. Just test one thing at a time.

A B

A/B Testing

ToolsIt’s so easy today to run A/B tests that it’s foolish not to.

95%Statistical SignificanceIf you embark on A/B testing, statistical significance will be an important measurement.

In terms of choosing a winner, here are our significance percentages:

o 95% = Do not leave home withouto 97% = You're getting goodo 98% = Warmero 99% = Sure thingo 100% = Presidential Launch Codes


How can I do?

Audience Research

Study Your UserYour audience isn’t a set of keywords. Build online user personas and find their habits, action paths, etc.

Interviews Card Sorting

Personas

Audience Testing

Doing Your ResearchHow does your site function for your audience?Could your mom use your site correctly?Could your son?

Conducting tests is easier than in the past thanks to passive online tools.

Best Practices & Top Tests

Page Design

ABCDLayout your site with regard to the ABCD grid as seen in the landing page below.


AB

CD

AB

CD

A to DUsers flow naturally from A to D

Page Design


AB

CDAB

CD

B & CRemove CTAs from B & C, move them to D instead. That’s where users’ eyes wind up.

Page Design


Personalized Button MessagesReach out to your audience, it’s a leap of faith for them to buy online because there’s no human interaction.

By making a button more personalized, more direct, speak to the user, you can see an increase in engagement.

http://contentverve.com/10-call-to-action-case-studies-examples-from-button-tests/

Page Design


Avoid Too Many Calls to ActionStick to 1, maybe go up to 3, but 8 is more than enough.

Where should the user begin on the page below?

Page Design

Presentation Title Subtitle or Headline Embrace Different User Paths

So, how do I speak to multiple audiences with minimal CTAs?

It’s not easy to figure out what a new customer, current customer, or potential partner want to see first when they visit your site.

In this example, all 3 are catered to without experiencing alienation in the design.

Page Design


Ditch DistractionsKeep it simple, and keep it easy for users to navigate, read, process, etc.

Page Design


Avoid OptionsOptions create confusion and roadblocks in the conversion process.

Page Design


Avoid “Solutions” Address ProblemsI have a problem. I don’t know the solution. Stop offering blanketed solutions to your users.

Page Design


Resonate with your usersWhat problem are your visitors trying to solve? Your site is about THEM, not you.

Page Design


Match Your Keyword to Your AdSeeing the search query appear in the ad helps create familiarity

Page Design


Match your ad to your landing pageCarrying that familiarity to the landing page continues the bond.

Page Design


Show me the Price!Don’t hide your price under copy or with a color that blends in. Make it stand out!

Page Design


Show me Shipping!Humans will rely on one trait or piece of info when making a decision.

Free shipping is most important order factor: o 52 percent of abandoned online

shopping carts in 2011 were due to a lack of free shipping deals*

o Shoppers spend an average of 30% more when free shipping is available*

*http://www.freeshipping.org/statistics/

In CRO, unlike just about everywhere else, failures aren’t real. You always learn, regardless of the outcome.

.What happens if we fail?

Did it Work?

Prepared by

Josh PatriceDirector of [email protected]

Thank

Portent, Inc. 506 2nd Ave. Suite 1700 Seattle. WA 98104-2354 | Tel: 206.576.3740

YOU.

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Conversion Rate Optimization - How to Eat CRO and Increase Revenue Online