Double Your Sales: Boost Your Conversion Rate with Google Website Optimizer
Have you recently seen a decline in your online sales orders and don’t know why? If you are looking for a website optimizing tool that improves lagging conversion rates, it’s time to take that next step with Google Website Optimizer.
Conversion rate is the percentage of visitors to sites who take a “desired action.” Your “desired action” really depends on your online marketing goals: i.e. are you trying to sell products, boost membership, or increase newsletter registrations?
Google Website Optimizer works in the following ways:
Creates dynamic, high-converting pages
• Tests and optimizes both design and content for websites and landing pages
• Uses Google Analytics for its tracking
Utilizes both split testing and multivariate testing
• A/B split testing – If you can’t decide which headline to use on the home page, Google Website Optimizer can run an A/B split test. For example, one group of visitors view “Headline A” and the other group views “Headline B.” You then tally the numbers of orders you received with “Headline A” versus “Headline B.”
• Multivariate testing – You don’t have to wait to run one test at a time. While you test your headlines, simultaneously test out web page elements such as content, images and sales pricing. Site visitors are shown different combinations of pages. Google Website Optimizer calculates your average of what combination of elements that works the best when viewed.
Why should you use split and multivariate testing?
The answer comes down to test marketing. You wouldn’t throw a product on the market if you hadn’t tested it out first. How will you know if customers like or dislike your product? This same theory applies to Google Website Optimizer. By testing out what visitors like or dislike, you will be able to improve upon your site and maximize conversion rate.
How can Google Website Optimizer increase your bottom line?
If you can figure out what works and doesn’t work on your site, then you are one step ahead of your online competitor. Increased conversion rates equal higher sales, new members and increased newsletter sign-ups.
Remember that a beautiful-looking website doesn’t necessarily mean you will draw traffic or instantly sell products and services. There are more factors involved than just design and that’s where Google Website Optimizer comes in handy.
Easy Fix-It Tricks
If you don’t get it right the first time with testing, these easy fix-it tricks will point you in the right direction. You may have to try multiple split and multivariate test runs. Remember that even small, subtle improvements to your site will hit the mark with testing. Your ultimate goal: fix the problems and increase your conversion rates!
• Don’t make test runs complicated - Limit changes 2-3 per page. You don’t want to run hundreds of test variations which can be confusing and counter-productive.
• Headlines - Change the color of main headlines.
• Fonts - Increase or decrease size. Change font style.
• Content and Images – Add more bullet points. Re-arrange sub-headers and paragraphs. Test content with or without images.
This is a Guest Post by Zeke Camusio who is a serial entrepreneur, Internet Marketing expert and founder of The Outsourcing Company, an Internet Marketing agency with offices in Aspen, CO and New York. Let’s Do It!, his blog, is read by thousands of people all over the world.
SEO companies are still in great demand
June 24, 2009 by Justin
It seems that the recession is not having a negative effect everywhere. The field of SEO appears to be hardly hit at all. Recent studies carried out within the field of search engine optimization in the UK show that demand has continued to accelerate right through the worst of the current downturn.
Demand for search engine optimization companies, as measured by the amount of keyword – orientated Internet searches, has almost doubled within the space of only two short years. This reliable indicator shows an 83% jump in the number of people searching for the services offered by these companies.
Whilst marketing expenditure in general has fallen significantly during the recession as companies feel a necessity to cut costs, they are increasingly turning to more prudent forms of marketing, involving the ability to track a return on investment. As most savvy Internet marketers know, a well-planned SEO campaign can generate significant dividends and its results can be clearly seen within specified time frames.
The level of demand has been met with a certain increase in supply, but it appears that there is considerable potential here for Internet marketing organizations and competent technicians to bring their solutions to the marketplace. As it appears that companies will wish to streamline their efficiency for the foreseeable future, it is likely that more and more will turn to productive forms of marketing like optimization. These services can be highly personalized, according to specific requirements, with strategic goals set according to the business aspirations of the client. There can be few initiatives more effective in time of recession than a results-orientated service such as SEO.
In particular, it appears that organic SEO is being seen as highly relevant. As more and more people come to understand the importance of search-based, targeted results, so the need for optimization increases. The modification of site architecture, combined with good Internet marketing initiatives, can propel an organization’s website and help to achieve the benchmarks set by senior management.
Does spending on SEO offer good value for money?
Matthew Toren
Yahoo might be losing sleep over drop in earnings
May 6, 2009 by Justin
We are always talking about Google, as clearly, this is the place where everyone wants a front page listing - but today I wanted to highlight something I read in the news recently about one of the Google rivals - Yahoo (founded by a couple of Young Entrepreneurs!).
Yahoo executives are most likely losing sleep over its 2009 first quarter report, which shows net earnings declined to $117.6 million, a 78% drop compared to the $536.8 million for first quarter 2008.
Gross revenues for the first quarter of 2009 dropped 13% to $1.580 million from the same time last year. Net revenue came in at $1.16 billion, a 15% decline from $1.36 billion in 2008.
Because of the drop in revenue and profit, Yahoo plans to cut its 13,500 workforce by 5%, or 700 workers. You might recall that last year Yahoo laid off 2,400 employees during two separate rounds of cuts in its workforce.
Yahoo, which was hoping to at least break even this quarter, actually saw dismal revenue from its online advertising business. Yahoo experienced a 13% drop in display advertising revenue, a 10% decline in revenue from marketing services of owned and operated websites, and a 3% drop in search advertising.
Granted, things could turn around for Yahoo under its new President and CEO Carol A. Bartz, who was appointed to lead the search engine company in January. During the first three months of this year, it appears that Bartz is trying to right the ship by focusing on Yahoo’s core areas: its search engine, innovative display advertising systems and underpinning technology. So look for Yahoo to start selling those online services, such as HotJobs, that don’t fit into these core areas.
But investors are more focused on the progress of the much talked about advertising partnership with Microsoft, which they see as a way out of their troubles. Bartz, on the other hand, while continuing talks with Microsoft, is intent on positioning Yahoo’s online brand advertising to enhance company growth.
While Yahoo is seeing negative earning results, its main competitor Google reports a 10% net revenue growth for first quarter 2009. Yahoo has been taking a back seat to Google since it came onto the scene. People who “yahooed” in the past quickly turned Google and all its bells and whistles into the leader in search engine providers. Google’s popularity will be tough to overcome, especially since the term “google” is now being commonly used in the English language.
Adding to Yahoo’s internal problems are the poor economic conditions, which could lead to even more layoffs at Yahoo in the near future. Or perhaps we could see an all out sale or acquisition of Yahoo. All in all, these definitely continue to be turmoil times for Yahoo, causing unrest for all who work there.
What is your opinion on Yahoo - could the Google effect completely force the competition out of sight? Or do you see a potential comeback for Yahoo?
Matthew Toren
The Google Workout
April 27, 2009 by Justin
With Google algorithms changing almost daily, it seems there is now a huge question mark over whether page rank really matters.
So, how are they doing it?
The confusion comes when we automatically assume that the two go hand-in-hand. The only honest answer that anyone should be talking about is that Google keeps their algorithms so close to their chest, and changes them so often, that we really don’t know. How is it that a site which is not even in the first 10 pages can jump to page 1 overnight?
With over 150,000,000 sites on the web trying to get to the top, it can often feel like you’re on a treadmill, and just like a regular workout, there are certain things you need to be doing on a daily basis - as part of your Google Regime.
Here is what your Google Workout should look like:
1) Backlink Marketing – 45 minutes
Take an article you have written and market it via directories, websites, blog’s & Ezines. Remember to create multiple variations of your article to avoid the duplicate content issue.
2) Traffic Generation – 45 minutes
Social media is great for this exercise - comments and getting involved with targeted online communities are great ways to get people onto your site. Offering advice in forums, contributing to social media networks and commenting on high page rank blogs are essential – but don’t confuse traffic generation with Backlinks. When you’re working on generating traffic, you should be mingling with likeminded people and only working on sites which are specific to your niche.
3) Updating Your Content – 30 minutes
Write something new on your site daily, update a web page, put in a blog post – anything to create change. If you want Google to take an interest in your website then you need to have interesting content – and above all, it needs to be unique.
4) Reciprocal Links – 30 minutes
Every day try to find a website or blog to exchange links with. Make sure that the partner site has similar traffic to your own site. So for example, if your business is selling computers, start looking for a site selling computer accessories.
So there you have it, your total daily Google Workout. Do you have any tips to add? Let us know in the comments!
Matthew Toren
Keeping Your Social Media Organized
February 16, 2009 by Justin
If you are like me you jumped into social media with both feet, taking recommendations from friends about which sites were the best to participate on. Before I knew it, I had membership on more than forty social networking sites—everything from MySpace and Facebook to YouTube and FLICKR. There is really no end to the number of sites you can join. In fact, Mashable.com has compiled a monster list of 350 established social networking sites (http://mashable.com/2007/10/23/social-networking-god/) catering to every community imaginable. In addition to being part of your networking many use these sites for strategically marketing their products or services.
But after a while, it can become overwhelming. Every site has its own login and password. They all have their own protocol and it can be exhausting trying to keep up with posting on them all. That’s why I’d like to offer three tips for managing your social media to be able to make the most of it.
1. Focus
Just because you can join 50 social networking sites doesn’t mean you should. The key to social networking is being social. If you don’t have time to interact with your contacts, you’re just another name on a list of their friends. It is important to isolate which of these sites have the kind of people you want to appeal to and focus your efforts there. For example, if you are a musician, MySpace is probably a lot more effective than LinkedIn which is used more for professionals. Learning about the demographics of each of the social networking sites will help you decide if you will be able to have an impact with your presence.
2. Use a Spreadsheet
Until someone comes up with a way to keep all your social networking information in one place, I highly recommend using a spreadsheet to keep track of all the sites where you regularly participate. Logins, passwords, URL’s, and notes that can help you keep yourself organized are best compiled in one sheet which you can access at all times.
3. Make a Schedule
Having a plan for using social media is very important. Hit or miss participation on these sites will produce the same kinds of results. If you hope to see anything from your social media efforts, you must be consistent. John Jantsch wrote an excellent post on his blog Duct Tape Marketing called My Social Media System (http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2009/01/22/my-social-media-system/) where he outlines the sites he uses, and the schedule he has created to keep up with them. Some of these social media sites, such as Twitter, move at a much faster pace than others. That means you want to make an effort to visit them more frequently and keep updated daily, or even multiple times a day.
There is a fine balance that must be struck between the number of sites you choose to participate on, and the amount of time and energy you have to develop real, meaningful contacts. The key to social media is quality, not quantity. Social media members are very sensitive to spam and traditional selling techniques. Simply logging in once a month and doing a fly by with a bunch of self-promoting posts is not going to gain you a favorable response; and in fact will work against you in this instance.
Do you have any tips for keeping your social network efforts organized and effective? Leave a comment and let us know!
