Let’s face it—it does no good to build a funnel and spend zero time optimizing for conversion. That’s a no-brainer, right?

But, how many of you are working closely with your head of sales to ensure that the opportunities you help generate actually convert into paying clients? Ultimately, if you want to be seen as a successful marketer, you’re going to have to show that marketing is driving sales.

Now, the challenge is that in today’s commoditized world, sales teams often struggle to stand out from the crowd. As a result, closed won rates plummet, and organizations find it challenging to demonstrate to prospects how their total value proposition is the clear winner against all of the other competitors.

To make matters worse, many organizations rely on “super hero” sales people or even the founder to close deals. This approach is not sustainable or scalable. You can’t build a successful sales team if you’re constantly relying on a select few individuals to bring in all of the business.

The solution to this problem is a sales process that follows a standardized approach while also creating clear differentiation with prospects at the same time. By implementing a systematic sales process, you can scale your sales efforts beyond just the founders and “super heroes.” This will lead to higher closed won rates and higher gross profit margins, as you’ll be able to win at premium prices.

The benefits of a systematic sales process are clear. You’ll be able to scale the process beyond founders and “super heroes,” achieve higher closed won rates, and enjoy higher gross profit margins as you’re now able to win at premium prices.

When I implemented a systematic sales process in my former agency, I was able to consistently have 60-70% closed won rates, even when I had zero involvement in deals. This is the power of a well-designed sales process. In fact, I standardized this process and called it the Systematic Sales Process.

So, what does a Systematic Sales Process look like? Here are the five stages:

Stage 1: Evaluation

In this stage, you’ll have a 30-45 minute call with your prospect. The goal of this call is to point your prospect in the right direction—it’s not to “make a sale.” The reason we want to take this approach is that many prospects are likely not a good fit for your firm, so let’s not assume that every first call is an “opportunity.” That’s why we call this call the “Evaluation”—you want to evaluate whether or not you can help your prospect, whether or not they align with your requirements, and whether or not they are ready to move forward. We call this “two-way qualification.”

It’s not uncommon to reach the middle-to-end of the call and determine that your prospect, in fact, needs someone or something else other than you!

IMPORTANT: You should NOT move anyone beyond this point unless you have full alignment.

Do this stage right and you will ensure that your pipeline is real.

Stage 2: Discovery

After you have alignment with your prospect from the Evaluation call, you’ll engage them and their team in a 60-120 minute Discovery meeting.

The key in this meeting is to have a strong business conversation and less of a tactical conversation related to what you do. You’re looking to create paradigm shifts with key stakeholders on your prospect’s side. You want them to leave the meeting thinking about their problem in a completely different way and with a sense of excitement about the potential of moving from where they are now to where they want to be.

IMPORTANT: You want to ensure critical stakeholders are present for this meeting, as they’ve agreed-to in the Evaluation call (this is non-negotiable), to whatever degree you require for your process.

Do this stage right and you will sub-consciously win the business.

Stage 3: Plan

In this stage, you’ll collaborate with your main point of contact to develop your plan. That said, be a leader and show them what needs to be done to achieve their desired outcome, then discuss how you can divide and conquer together. Don’t treat this as a “pick from a menu” excercise.

This collaborative approach to developing your plan helps your main point of contact see your plan as their plan, too. This increases the odds that they will be a champion for you.

IMPORTANT: During these dicsussions, be sure to have them help you avoid “land mines”—things that could lose the business for you.

Do this stage right and you will eliminate surprises at the next stage (Presentation).

Stage 4: Presentation

You’re now ready to present and officially win the business during a 60-90 minute meeting. That siad, do not call your plan a “Proposal”! Instead, give it a specific title that speaks to their goals (e.g. “How ACME Corp Can Drive 17% More Revenue Through Conversion Rate Optimization”).

Your presentation should tell a “story” that includes:

• Their Vision
• Their Goals & Objectives
• Their Challenges
• How to Win (Strategy)
• Highlights (Tactics)
• Required Commitments (Their time, money, and resources to make this plan a success)
• Expected Results (ROI!)
• Why Your Firm

After you present, answer any questions they have and when their questions are done, ASK FOR THE SALE.

IMPORTANT: You want to ensure critical stakeholders are present for this meeting, as they’ve agreed-to in the Evaluation call (this is non-negotiable), to whatever degree you require for your process.

Do this stage right and you will differentiate your firm.

Stage 5: Negotiation

Finally, you’re ready to provde the contract and negotiate, but don’t give this until they’ve given you the “verbal” that you have won the business. The reason you do this is to make sure that you’ve wont the business based on the material things before the prospect starts nit-picking your contract scope. That said, be clear about what you will do and what you won’t do.

Additionally, your standard terms and conditions will accompnay the scope. You want to know up-front the terms and conditions you will bend on and the ones you won’t bend on.  You don’t want to make a decision about an important term and/or condition during the emotion of trying to ink a deal. Knowing up-front your points of negotiation will help you make logical decisions in the heat of the moment.

Do this stage right and you will set up your team for success.If you’d like to learn more about how to grow your firm using a Systematic Sales Process, register for Frank’s free Systematic Sales Process training today!

The post How Standardizing Your Sales Process Boosts Overall Conversion appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

Page conversion rates have ALWAYS been a problem. The simple fact is most people don’t convert even on the most optimized pages. 

What’s why traditional retargeting on ad networks has been so dang powerful. While retargeted leads come cheap, they still aren’t free. Worse, you’re back competing against your competition in the ol’ ad auction system. 

For the last 6 years, I’ve been using a tactic called Inbox Retargeting to identify who lands on my key pages and directly reach out to them in their inbox. 

No more ads. No more auctions. Just a targeted contact that showed they were interested, but didn’t quite take the leap yet. 

Before I dive into the “What’s” and “How’s”, this tactic can only be used in the good ol’ US of A. If you aren’t in the states or don’t have clients in the states, you’re out of luck. Sorry! 

How It Works

Inbox retargeting doesn’t take a lot of heavy lifting. I’ll share the strategy next but I wanted to start with some of the logistics. 

DISCLAIMER: I am not a lawyer or coder, so keep that in mind if technical or legal questions pop up. 

If you have a website, you have tracking scripts, e.g.,  GA4, the Facebook Pixel, Heatmap software, etc…

To get started with Inbox retargeting, you just need to be able to copy and paste two scripts on your site: 

• A collection script: This fires and tries to identify the visitor

A suppression script: You’d fire this on your conversion confirmation pages, you don’t want people who converted to land in your Inbox Retargeting campaigns.

The tech works off of a database of contacts in the United States that are eligible for emails, so it’s completely above board with your ESP. However, you’ll want to do a few things before you start treating them like a regular member of your email list. 

We initially tested this on one of our paid media campaigns. We already had a really strong campaign that we wanted to squeeze more leads out of…and boy did we. 

We were driving traffic from Meta (Facebook for the OGs) to this landing page:

This page converts at 58%. Yeah, that’s a humble brag…deal with it. 

Even with a 58% conversion rate, we’re still missing out on 42% of the traffic we’ve already paid for. That’s kind of a bummer. 

After we added the collection script to the page, they were able to capture a lot more leads. The conversion rate jumped from 58% to a very sweet 87% – that’s a 50% increase! 

That was the impact on a single page, that’s when we knew it was time to go bigger. 

The Strategy

Most of the tools out there, whether it’s Retention.com or Customers.ai, are going to charge based on the number of contacts. So it can get pretty easy to burn through contact credits if you run the script on every page you manage, your site and your clients’ sites included. 

That’s why you’ll want to make sure to select pages that capture intent versus targeting all of your traffic. 

ID Key Pages

Here are some of the pages you should consider adding the collection script: 

1. Campaign Landing Pages – If you’re paying to send someone to a page, the referring source piqued their interest. If they didn’t convert, you’d definitely want to follow up. 
2. Product Pages – If someone is viewing this page they’re evaluating a particular product they were interested in. 
3. High Intent/Value Content Pages – This could be your pillar content on your blog pages, podcast pages, or your top level service pages. 
4. Registration Pages – This is a subset of a landing page, but if someone got all the way to a registration or sigh up page, they’re a prime candidate for outreach.
5. Cart Pages – People abandon carts all the time. If you weren’t able to catch their details during checkout, this is an ideal opportunity. 

Effectively it’s any page where you’re pushing a specific action. While the above pages are the pages to choose from, a homepage is acceptable but will require a little more finesse when you follow up. 

Map to Email Campaigns 

Now that you’ve identified where you’re going to identify leads, you’ll need to map it to your automation tool. 

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Most tools have a direct integration with your email service provider, but worst case scenario you may have to pass the data through a no code integration tool like Zapier. 

Once you’ve worked out the digital plumbing, you’ll want to follow up based on the page the contact was collected on. Here’s how you should approach follow up: 

1. For Campaign Landing Pages – Give them the specific asset. They were interested in it, you’ve got their contact information, just hand over the goods. This builds good will at the start of the relationship. 
2. Product Pages – Send over the details of the product or product category they were viewing. This could be as simple as a reminder or you could build goodwill with a special offer or coupon. 
3. High Intent/Value Content Pages – Send over some of your best content or freebies that move people to the next phase of the Customer Value Journey. 
4. Registration Pages – Treat these like an “abandoned cart” type of email and get them to take that next step. 
5. Cart Pages – Same as “Registration Pages” but it’s, you know, an actual abandoned cart reminder. Similar to the product pages you could entice them to come back with a deal or coupon. 
6. Homepages – If you do run these on the homepage, you’ll need to do more of a reintroduction then transition to showcasing your best stuff. 

Email Structure

The initial message you send needs to have a very specific flow. There are four critical things that need to happen when they open up your Inbox Retargeting message. 

First, remind them about who you are and how they know you. This can be as simple as a, “Hey, thanks for stopping by…” message. Have some fun with it. 

Next, you need to provide highly specific value based on their browsing intent. If you get this wrong, they’re just going to file your message under SPAM. 

After that, you’ve got to set expectations with what they’re getting and now you’ll be communicating with them moving forward. 

And Finally, you need to give them an EASY OUT. These campaigns have our highest unsubscribe rate, but that’s because we outright ask people to unsubscribe if they don’t want any additional contact. 

Once you’e gone through this, you treat them like one of your regular subscribers with all your fancy ascension automations, content emails, and promotional emails. 

Here are the email stats from one of our PPC Campaigns:

With an average open rate of 53.87%, we know there’s a base line interest in the deliverable. The click rate is DANG good for messaging visitors who didn’t convert.

Sure the unsubscribe rate is a little high for this campaign, but that is intentional. We push them to opt-out in the first email so we don’t get dinged later with complaints. 

The Payoff: An Additional 109k Last Year

I mean, who doesn’t want another cool 100 grand for adding a script to your website and writing a couple of emails? Here’s how the numbers work out: 

Last year, we identified 3,714 leads using this method. IMPORTANT: When I was pulling these numbers, I realized we installed the code wrong on some pages and missed out on about another 2k leads…oops!

Our average lead cost was ~$7, so the leads themself were a $26,000 additional value. This alone would be a reason to use the tech. 

BUT JUSTIN, did they convert?! 

Yes!

We closed $36,000 in IPPC business from this lead source. For what we spent on those leads we’re looking at a 750% ROAS. Not too shabby. 

The rest of the money we made was by selling this service to our clients. Since we run paid ads for clients, this method is a complete no brainer. We ran a pilot program and only offered this to a handful of clients last year, we averaged about 4k/month in sales.

We sold clients the leads at ~$2/lead for some of the niches we work in, that’s a steal. 

If you decide to sell this you need to make sure the client knows these are lower intent leads and will require longer term nurtures. If you follow the email strategy I shared above, you’ll be good to go! 

Protip: Charge for building the follow up sequence! 

So that’s it! If you’re running your own business or are an agency owner, you’ve got to consider Inbox Retargeting. Though, I do have some bad news…

Not to be “Chicken Little” but this is starting to get way more attention, there are services popping out of the woodwork so this will become a table stakes method. So get ahead of this today.

The post Unlocking Hidden Revenue: The Inbox Retargeting Methodology appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

In the fiercely competitive outdoor gear market, innovative marketing strategies are essential for brand growth and customer engagement. Among these strategies, giveaways stand out as a powerful tool.

They are more than just a means to distribute free products; they are a conduit for creating a lasting impression, fostering community engagement, and enhancing your brand’s image. Drawing on the principles of “4 Season Selling,” this comprehensive guide aims to provide professionals in any industry with a deep dive into the strategic planning and execution of effective giveaways.

Yes, the examples used are within the outdoor industry but this will work across the board. 

Understanding the Strategic Value of Giveaways

Giveaways go beyond the mere distribution of free items. They are a potent mechanism for generating excitement, building brand awareness, and fostering a sense of community among your audience.

The strategic implementation of giveaways can lead to increased brand loyalty, higher engagement rates, and an expanded customer base. However, the success of these initiatives hinges on their alignment with your brand’s identity and the interests of your target audience.

Establishing Clear Objectives

The foundation of a successful giveaway lies in its objectives. It’s crucial to have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve. Are you looking to increase brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, gather customer data, or perhaps introduce a new product line? The objectives you set will guide every aspect of the giveaway, from the choice of products to the promotional channels and the mechanics of participation.

Product Selection: Aligning with Brand Identity

The choice of giveaway products is a critical decision. These items should not only resonate with your target audience but also reflect the quality and ethos of your brand.

For instance, a brand known for its durable and high-quality camping gear might choose to give away a premium tent or a set of advanced camping tools. The products should serve as a representation of what your brand stands for.

Leveraging Influencer Partnerships

In today’s digital age, influencers play a pivotal role in shaping consumer preferences. Partnering with influencers who align with your brand’s values and appeal to your target demographic can significantly amplify the reach of your giveaway. This collaboration should be strategic, focusing on influencers who genuinely resonate with your brand and can authentically endorse your products.

Creative Mechanics for Enhanced Engagement

The mechanics of your giveaway should be simple enough to encourage wide participation yet creative enough to foster genuine engagement. Consider incorporating interactive elements like photo contests, where participants can showcase their adventures using your gear, or storytelling competitions that involve sharing outdoor experiences.

These approaches not only engage your audience but also provide you with content that can be leveraged in future marketing efforts.

The Importance of User-Generated Content

User-generated content is a goldmine for any brand. Encourage participants to share their experiences with your products, be it through photos, videos, or testimonials. This content is not only more relatable to potential customers but also serves as an endorsement of your products’ quality and appeal.

Optimal Timing and Comprehensive Promotion

Timing your giveaway to coincide with significant events, such as the launch of a new product line, a major outdoor event, or a seasonal change, can increase its impact.

Promote your giveaway through all available channels, including social media, email marketing, your website, and in-store displays if you have a physical presence. This multi-channel approach ensures maximum visibility and participation.

Adhering to Legal and Ethical Standards

It’s crucial to ensure your giveaway is compliant with legal regulations and ethical standards. This includes clear terms and conditions, proper handling of participant data, and adherence to platform-specific rules, particularly on social media. Maintaining transparency and ethical conduct not only protects your brand legally but also builds trust and credibility with your audience.

Analyzing Results for Future Success

Post-giveaway analysis is vital for understanding its effectiveness and for planning future initiatives. Evaluate key performance indicators such as participation rates, social media engagement, website traffic, and any subsequent changes in sales or customer inquiries. These insights will inform your future marketing strategies and help in refining your approach to giveaways.

Building Long-term Relationships with Customers

View your giveaway as the beginning of a long-term relationship with your customers. Engage with participants after the event, offer them exclusive discounts, invite them to join loyalty programs, and keep them informed about new products and initiatives. This continued engagement can convert one-time participants into loyal brand advocates.

When strategically planned and executed, giveaways can be a significant asset in the marketing toolkit of outdoor gear companies. They offer a unique opportunity to engage with your audience, enhance brand visibility, and drive business growth.

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It’s about creating an experience that connects with customers on a personal level, reflecting the adventurous spirit of the outdoor community.

Crafting a Narrative Around the Giveaway

Developing a compelling narrative or theme around your giveaway can significantly increase its appeal. For instance, if you are launching a new line of winter gear, consider a giveaway that emphasizes adventure and resilience in extreme conditions. This narrative not only makes the giveaway more interesting but also helps in creating a cohesive marketing message that resonates with your audience.

Integrating Social Responsibility

In the outdoor gear industry, social responsibility and environmental stewardship are often important to the customer base. Integrating these elements into your giveaway can enhance its appeal. For example, for every entry, you could commit to planting a tree or contribute towards conservation efforts. This not only incentivizes participation but also aligns with the values of your brand and your customers.

Utilizing Data-Driven Insights

Leverage data analytics to tailor your giveaway to the preferences and behaviors of your target audience. Analyze past engagement data, customer surveys, and market research to understand what excites and motivates your audience. This data-driven approach can greatly enhance the effectiveness of your giveaway.

Personalizing Customer Interactions

Personalization can significantly boost the impact of your giveaways. Use customer data to personalize communication, offering participants tailored recommendations or exclusive deals based on their interests and past purchases.

This level of personalization can create a more engaging and memorable experience for customers.

Creating a Seamless Digital Experience

In today’s digital age, ensuring a smooth online experience for participants is vital. This includes an easy-to-navigate giveaway page, clear instructions, and a straightforward entry process. A seamless digital experience reduces barriers to entry, encouraging more participants to engage with your brand.

Engaging with the Community

Community engagement should be a key component of your giveaway strategy. This can involve partnering with local outdoor clubs, organizing events, or engaging with followers on social media. Building a sense of community around your brand can enhance loyalty and turn customers into brand ambassadors.

Measuring Success Beyond Numbers

While quantitative metrics like participation rates and follower growth are important, qualitative aspects such as customer feedback, brand sentiment, and the quality of user-generated content are equally crucial. These metrics provide insights into the emotional impact and brand perception improvements that result from your giveaway.

Leveraging the Giveaway for Long-Term Brand Building

Consider the giveaway as a step in a larger brand-building strategy. The relationships and insights gained through the giveaway should be leveraged for long-term brand growth.

This could involve follow-up campaigns, targeted marketing initiatives, or loyalty programs designed to keep the participants engaged with your brand.

Innovating and Evolving

The outdoor gear market is constantly evolving, and so should your giveaway strategies. Stay abreast of the latest trends, technologies, and customer preferences. Experiment with new platforms, collaboration models, or giveaway formats to keep your campaigns fresh and relevant.

Reflecting on the Giveaway’s Impact on Company Culture

Finally, it’s important to reflect on how your giveaway aligns with and impacts your company’s culture. A successful giveaway should not only resonate with your customers but also with your employees. It should reflect your company’s values, mission, and vision, fostering a sense of pride and purpose within your team.

Final Thoughts

Giveaways, when thoughtfully executed, can be much more than a marketing tactic. They can be a powerful catalyst for brand growth, customer engagement, and community building. By keeping your objectives clear, aligning with your brand values, and continuously learning and adapting, your giveaways can become a cornerstone of your marketing strategy in the outdoor gear industry.

The post Maximizing Impact with Strategic Giveaways: Enhancing Brand Loyalty and Engagement appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

In a groundbreaking alliance, Amazon and Hyundai have joined forces to reshape the automotive landscape, promising a revolutionary shift in how we buy, drive, and experience cars.

Imagine browsing for your dream car on Amazon, with the option to seamlessly purchase, pick up, or have it delivered—all within the familiar confines of the world’s largest online marketplace. Buckle up as we explore the potential impact of this monumental partnership and the transformation it heralds for the future of auto retail.

Driving Change Through Amazon’s Auto Revolution

Consider “Josh”, a tech-savvy professional with an affinity for efficiency. Faced with the tedious process of purchasing a new car, he stumbled upon Amazon’s automotive section. Intrigued by the prospect of a one-stop shopping experience, Josh decided to explore the Amazon-Hyundai collaboration.

The result?

A hassle-free online car purchase, personalized to his preferences, and delivered to his doorstep. Josh’s story is just a glimpse into the real-world impact of this game-changing partnership.

Bridging the Gap Between Convenience and Complexity

Traditional car buying is often marred by complexities, from navigating dealership lots to negotiating prices. The disconnect between the convenience consumers seek and the cumbersome process they endure has long been a pain point in the automotive industry. The need for a streamlined, customer-centric solution has never been more pressing.

Ecommerce Partnership Reshaping Auto Retail Dynamics

Enter Amazon and Hyundai’s new strategic partnership coming in 2024—an innovative solution poised to redefine the car-buying experience. The trio of key developments—Amazon becoming a virtual showroom, Hyundai embracing AWS for a digital makeover, and the integration of Alexa into next-gen vehicles—addresses the pain points with a holistic approach.

In 2024, auto dealers for the first time will be able to sell vehicles in Amazon’s U.S. store, and Hyundai will be the first brand available for customers to purchase.

Amazon and Hyundai launch a broad, strategic partnership—including vehicle sales on Amazon.com in 2024 – Amazon Staff

This collaboration promises not just a transaction but a transformation in the way customers interact with, purchase, and engage with their vehicles.

Pedal to the Metal

Seamless Online Purchase:

• Complete the entire transaction within the trusted Amazon platform.
• Utilize familiar payment and financing options.
• Opt for convenient pick-up or doorstep delivery.

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Hyundai’s Cloud-First Transformation:

• Experience a data-driven organization powered by AWS.
• Benefit from enhanced production optimization, cost reduction, and improved security.

Alexa Integration in Next-Gen Vehicles:

• Enjoy a hands-free, voice-controlled experience in Hyundai vehicles.
• Access music, podcasts, reminders, and smart home controls effortlessly.
• Stay connected with up-to-date traffic and weather information.

Driving into the Future

The Amazon-Hyundai collaboration is not just a partnership; it’s a revolution in motion. As we witness the fusion of e-commerce giant Amazon with automotive prowess of Hyundai, the potential impact on customer behavior is staggering.

The age-old challenges of car buying are met with a forward-thinking, customer-centric solution, paving the way for a new era in auto retail. From the comfort of your home to the driver’s seat, this partnership is set to redefine every step of the journey, promising a future where buying a car is as easy as ordering a package online.

Embrace the change, and witness the evolution of auto retail unfold before your eyes.

The post Revolutionizing Auto Retail: The Game-Changing Partnership Between Amazon and Hyundai appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

If you’re a store or website owner, one of your biggest goals is likely to increase customer conversions. After all, successful conversion rate optimization can make a world of difference when it comes to growing your business.

What if we say you can take your struggling to store to a successful one by just making some small tweaks?

Yes. There are plenty of proven tactics that can help you increase conversion rate of your store while also boosting profits. And no, you don’t need much technical experience for that.

In this comprehensive guide, we will outline everything from understanding Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) to implementing easy-to-understand strategies that will take your store’s results up another level.

Ready? Let’s dive in!

What Is Conversion Rate?

Simply put, the conversion rate is the percentage of visitors to your website or store who take a desired action. It can be anything from signing up for a newsletter, making a purchase, sharing content, or downloading an app.

Most often, though, it’s used to measure how many people are actually buying something on your site.

Conversion rate is a good way to measure the success of your store. The higher the rate, the better it is for you in terms of sales and customer acquisition.

What Is A Good Conversion Rate?

The answer to this question depends on the industry you’re in, as well as factors such as:

• Traffic source
• Your Goals
• Audience profile
• Your Offer
• and a couple of other things

Generally speaking, though, a good conversion rate is anything above 2%.

However, remember that improving your conversion rate is always an ongoing process. If you have a decent conversion rate today, there might be room for improvement tomorrow. That’s why you should continuously track and analyze your data to fine-tune performance.

What Is Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)?

Conversion rate optimization (also often called CRO Optimization) is the process of improving the performance of a website or store through measures that increase conversions.

In other words, it’s about identifying which elements on your site work best and which need to be improved. CRO can involve testing different design elements, making changes to the user experience, or even running campaigns with special offers and discounts.

The primary goal of CRO is to increase your store’s overall performance by improving customer satisfaction, increasing sales, and driving more traffic to the site. Doing so can make more money and improve your bottom line.

But how do you calculate the conversion rate?

How To Calculate Conversion Rate?

Calculating your conversion rate is fairly simple. All you have to do is take the total number of visitors to your website or store, divide it by the total number of conversions, and multiply by 100. The resulting figure will give you an idea of how effectively your store converts visitors into customers.

For example, if you had 1000 visitors to your site and 24 converted, your conversion rate would be 2.4%.

But remember that you need to define a conversion first. This could be a purchase, sign-up, or download — all of which can be tracked inside your Google Analytics dashboard.

Also, remember to associate your goal with the relevant page. For example, if your goal is to get newsletter sign-ups and the form is on the contact page or a product page, you will only count the website visitors on that specific page, not the home page or others.

That’s how you accurately calculate the conversion rate.

But why do businesses get crazy about conversion optimization? Why are conversion rates important?

What Are The Benefits Of Conversion Rate Optimization?

CRO optimization allows you to maximize the potential of every visitor who comes to your store. This means more sales, leads, and customers – all without spending a dime on advertising.

Besides the numbers, the conversion rate optimization process also helps you understand customers’ psychology. You get to know what motivates people on your site and which channels are the most effective at driving high-quality traffic.

This information can be invaluable when crafting your brand’s digital marketing strategy.

In addition, CRO also helps you identify opportunities to improve user experience, making visitors more likely to trust your brand and add to your website’s conversion rate.

Finally, conversion optimization allows you to maximize your profits, reduce costs, and increase customer satisfaction –what every brand desires!

Now that you understand what is conversion rate and how to calculate it, let’s walk you through the core elements of an effective CRO process.

The Science Of Ecommerce Conversion Optimization: 6 Critical Elements

The six elements of a successful CRO process can be grouped into two categories:

Here’s how each one of them affects your site’s conversion rate:

Website Speed

Let’s admit it. Slow websites are annoying. This is true to the point that website visitors almost immediately bounce off a page if it takes more than 3 seconds to load.

This not only impacts your conversion rate but also hurts your website’s SEO.

So, make sure your website loads in under 3 seconds, or be prepared to lose more and more prospects.

Design

Looks matter. A Lot!

If you have a professionally designed, eye-pleasing website and landing page, users will automatically feel welcomed and comfortable to navigate.

So, naturally, a good design will drive actions and add to the conversion rate.

Copywriting

The next thing site visitors notice on your product pages or landing pages are the “words.”

Users are more likely to spend time or take a desired action on your website if the copy speaks to their needs and desires.

So, hire an experienced and highly-skilled copywriter who knows how to research your target audience and write compelling copy.

Website Structure

This should be easy to understand.

When shopping online, people don’t stay on a single web page. They often like to check out different items and browse product pages.

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This is where a decent website structure can aid in conversion.

If your website is easy-to-navigate, users are likely to stay on your website and move closer to a conversion.

On the other hand, if the structure is complex, they will most likely bounce off.

CTAs

Next up are your call-to-action buttons. Although they’re part of the website copy, they play a different role. While website copy influences decision-making, CTAs are often the key drivers behind conversion.

Words and phrases like “Order Now For Free Shipping,” “Access Now,” or “Contact Today For A Free Quote” have the power to influence people’s decisions and drive actions.

So, choose your CTAs wisely.

Forms

Finally, your website forms and their optimization are critical to the conversion rate.

If your web form is long (with unnecessary fields) or too complicated (requiring extra steps), it will negatively impact the conversion rate.

The idea is to keep them short, sweet, and simple.

These are some of the core elements of a successful CRO strategy that can help brands get more out of their digital marketing efforts.

Now that you know what makes a successful conversion funnel, here are a few tips to increase the conversion rate of your ecommerce site or store.

Conversion Rate Optimization Tips & Tricks

Tip 1 – Do Some Split testing or A/B testing

Split testing or A/B testing is often used to optimize the website and make it more conversion friendly.

It basically involves creating two versions of a web page with slight variations and testing them out on live audiences to see which one performs better.

Though you can test several things, it’s a nice idea to test variations of:

• Headlines
• Color themes
• Design elements (buttons, banners, etc.)
• Button placement
• Layout
• Website copy
• CTA
• Images
• Videos

However, make sure you don’t change several things together. Why?

Because it will make it almost impossible to figure out which change actually had an impact on the conversion rate.

So, don’t overdo the variations.

Tip 2 – Add A Site Search Feature

A search bar is a must-have for any website or store with plenty of products.

It helps users quickly find what they’re looking for and improves the on-site experience.

This was even confirmed by Forrester Research (a research and consulting company). It found that almost 43% of web users head straight to the search bar. Plus, it increases their chances of conversion by 2-3 times and helps prospects take action.

That’s one way how the search bar helps. But there’s another way.

You can analyze search queries to understand user behavior and tailor your website according to their preferences.

Tip 3 – Set Up Easy Forms

Remember the core elements of CRO optimization?

As already mentioned, forms play an important role when it comes to optimizing the conversion rate.

That’s why it’s important to create simple forms with minimum fields and help users get through the process effortlessly. Also, make sure you add helpful prompts or auto-fill features to reduce friction and expedite the process. These simple tweaks can make a world of difference.

You also need to apply the same logic when creating forms for lead generation or any other purpose. Keep them short and sweet.

Fact: “Using a quiz-like form to capture information has the potential to triple conversions.” (WPForms)

So, get creative with your forms to get more conversions. Use a quiz format, add a lead magnet, or incorporate a chatbot. They will help you get more prospects and conversions.

The idea is to make the process simple and engaging for users.

Tip 4 – Use Better CTAs

The CTAs you use on your website can be a game changer.

Good CTAs are clear and concise and should help users take the desired action without any confusion. How?

Well, you need to come up with CTAs that are:

• persuasive
• descriptive
• benefit-focused

Besides the above, effective CTAs usually invoke a sense of urgency or achievement. For instance, words like “Unlock” or “Get Exclusive Access” play with users’ psychology and make them feel rewarded. It creates a sense of exclusivity and often leads to higher conversions.

Similarly, phrases like “Order Now Before Stock Runs Out” or “Free Shipping For Next 10 Hours” trigger emotions of urgency and encourage prospects to take action quickly.

This is how you can leverage compelling copy to make your CTAs more effective and boost your conversion rates.

Plus, you can also try changing the following CTA elements:

• CTA type (Forms, text, button)
• Placement
• Button Shape
• Button Size
• Colors

Refer back to tip number 1 and do split testing to see what works better.

Tip 5 – Better User Experience

User experience plays a key role when it comes to CRO optimization. That’s why you must ensure your website or store provides a pleasant user experience.

How?

Think from a customer’s perspective – what would make your site more enjoyable for them?

Here are a couple of aspects to focus on:

Navigation: Make sure your website or store has an intuitive navigation system that makes it easy for users to find what they’re looking for.

Content: Create well-structured, organized, and informative content that is both easy to grasp and adds value. Make sure your content is tailored to the readers and resonates with them.

Layout: Design a website or store with clean lines and an organized layout that makes it easy to read and navigate.

Optimization: Optimize your website or store for speed, performance, and mobile devices.

By addressing all the above, you can enhance the user experience and increase conversions.

So, focus on enhancing the user experience to get more sales and leads from your website or store.

Tip 6 – Use Heat Maps For User Testing

A heat map is a powerful tool that helps you determine where users click on your web pages.

For instance, heat maps show which sections or elements of your website or store are getting the most attention and which ones are being neglected.

Yes. You can actually find out if users are paying attention to the navigation bar, CTA buttons, or links that you have carefully placed on your website. Some tools even have an eye-tracking integration to tell you where users look first when they land on your ecommerce website.

This can give you greater insights into user behavior and help you identify:

• effective website sections,
• improvement opportunities,
• and, potential issues and problems.

Overall, heat maps are excellent for ecommerce conversion optimization as they help you understand what elements of your store need more focus and attention.

Tip 7 – Add Pop-ups

Pop-ups are great for boosting conversions. They help you capture customer information such as email address, name, phone number, and more.

You can use pop-ups for a variety of purposes, such as:

• Offering discounts or coupons,
• Inviting people to join a newsletter,
• Introducing new products or services,
• Collecting feedback and ratings,
• Showing important notifications.

Pop-ups are also extremely effective in retargeting customers. You can use them to show special offers or discounts to customers who have already visited your website or store.

However, despite having an excellent conversion rate of 11.09%, you need to be careful when using pop-ups, as too many can annoy customers and drive them away. Also, they must have fast loading speeds and easy-to-spot exit options, otherwise, it could turn off the existing traffic and drive them away.

So, be cautious with pop-ups and use them right!

Tip 8 – Leverage Live Chat or Chatbots

Live chat is a great way to boost conversions. It enables potential customers to chat with you directly and get their queries answered in real time. This helps build trust and customer loyalty, which leads to more conversions.

But if you don’t have the resources for a live chat team, you can use chatbots instead. Chatbots are automated conversational AI systems that can answer frequently asked questions (FAQs) and help customers with their queries.

However, make sure you choose a chatbot that fits your budget, integrates well with your system, and aligns with your business goals.

So, these were some of the most effective conversion rate optimization strategies you can use to increase conversion rate of your store.

Besides the above, you can try:

• adding some social proof
• using targeted lead magnets
• enhancing the checkout experience
• focusing on abandoned carts
• using retargeting

These are all proven techniques that boost website conversion rates by turning website visitors into paying customers!

However, instead of relying only on tricks of the trade, developing strong ecommerce marketing concepts is highly recommended to get ahead in the commerce world.

Master The Fundamentals For Successful Ecommerce Conversion Optimization

While this guide will surely help you get started with your store’s CRO optimization, there’s much more to CRO than just tips and tricks.

Ecommerce success depends on understanding your target audience and developing a suitable marketing strategy for your store.

So, before starting your optimization efforts, you need to focus on the basics, like understanding the core pillars of ecommerce, creating customer avatars, and developing a sales-worthy offer. How can you learn this all?

Our Ecommerce Marketing Mastery Certificate offers advanced ecommerce marketing knowledge so that you start strong and optimize your store from the ground up.

Don’t have time on your hands? Consider hiring a specialized ecommerce agency to take care of ecommerce conversion optimization and marketing for you.

With the right knowledge, tools, and team, you’d be well on your way to building a profitable ecommerce business.

The post Easy Conversion Rate Optimization Strategies: A Practical Guide On How To Optimize Your Store appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

There’s something comforting and enjoyable about creating a routine where people know you, whether that’s a favorite coffee shop or place to walk or a local beer store where they call your dog by name.

Many businesses can create this personalized shopping experience to convert more browsers into buyers. But, it can be tough to do that online where you can’t look into a customer’s eyes or easily ask what they need as they browse digital shelves. Still, we regularly hear about the need for eCommerce personalization.

To tackle that opportunity, let’s define personalization, the best way to start implementing it, and methods to optimize your efforts.

Defining “Personalization” in ECommerce

Personalization and customization can feel like the same thing, but some important distinctions exist. Breaking these out makes it easier to understand personalization and how it can apply in eCommerce operations.

For your website and sales efforts, personalization uses data and customer insights to craft a specific shopping experience for every customer. These efforts may include showing relevant products, serving recommendations, and adjusting content based on the customer’s past behavior.

Companies may also try personalizing service levels or selecting specific pop-ups and overlays based on customer status. 

Customization, on the other hand, generally refers to customer-driven choices. These range from the obvious (selection or sorting by size, color, price, etc.) to detailed efforts specific to the individual (a customer chooses not to see certain types of products). When you think of customization as something helmed by the customer, you’ll start identifying ways to use their selections to craft personalized experiences.

How Personalization Creates a Better Shopping Experience

To create a personalized shopping experience, eCommerce businesses need to invest in audience research. By understanding your customers and what they want, you can create an individualized experience that will convert browsers into buyers.

You’ll want to create as complete a picture of the shopper as possible. Ask core experience questions, including:

• What are their needs that you can and can’t address? 
• What are their wants or things that tip them over the edge to make a purchase? 
• What motivates them to make this purchase at this time?
• Why should they choose you to meet their specific needs and wants?

Once you understand your customers well, you can start creating a shopping experience tailored to them. Take learning about their immediate needs and wants. I

t’s easier to suggest the right products when you know what they’ve recently viewed or what ad they clicked on to get to your site. You’re building based on their tastes and refining suggestions based on what gets that second purchase.

Understanding why someone values your brand can also help you create personalized discounts or special deals that gain shoppers. If you’re known for customer service, you might leverage this for an ad tagline: “World-class customer service meets free shipping on every order over $20.”

It’s more than just a deal; it’s one couched in the language you know they appreciate. Tying it back to shipping and order support also reinforces your brand as one that cares about the customer.

Finally, it is important to ensure the customer feels valued and appreciated. Thank them for their business and promptly take care of any issues they may have. Creating a positive relationship with your customers ensures they keep returning for more.

3 Steps to Take to Get Started with Personalization 

To get started with personalization, businesses need to take three steps: collecting data, analyzing data, and implementing personalization.

1. Collect Data 

The first step is to collect data about your customers. This could include information such as their demographics, location, what devices they use, what pages they visit on your site, and what products they are interested in. There are a number of ways businesses can collect this data, such as through website cookies, surveys, and customer loyalty programs.

2. Analyze Data 

Once you have collected data about your customers, it is important to analyze it to understand their needs and preferences. This will help you determine how to best personalize their shopping experience. Several tools are available to help with this analysis, such as analytics software and customer segmentation tools.

3. Implement Personalization 

The final step is to implement personalization into your eCommerce store. This could include creating a personalized homepage, recommending similar products, using data to segment customers into different groups, or offering discounts. By personalizing the shopping experience, businesses can increase conversion rates and average order value.

The Top 5 Ways to Personalize the Shopping Experience

Personalization can be an incredibly complex experience or a simpler operation based on your tech stack and the amount of data you use. To get started, there are some core efforts to implement that can start with minimal, current-session data and then move to longer-term tracking and utilization.

1. Use Data to Recommend Products

One of the most effective ways to personalize the shopping experience is to use data to recommend products. This could include data from past purchases, browsing history, and social media activity.

By understanding what customers have bought in the past, businesses can make recommendations for similar or complementary products. This helps customers find what they’re looking for more easily and allows businesses to upsell and cross-sell effectively.

2. Create a Personalized Homepage

Another way to personalize the shopping experience is to create a personalized homepage. This could include features such as recommended products, recently viewed items, and even a custom welcome message.

By creating a personalized homepage, businesses can make sure that each customer feels valued and that they can easily find what they’re looking for — reinforcing your brand identity as helpful and in-the-know.

Consider tying homepages to traffic and referral sources so that someone looking at your Instagram account hits a page filled with both products and the videos you create. It’s an easy way to start the fruitful process of understanding customer behavior across channels.

3. Use Data to Create Targeted Marketing Campaigns

Another effective way to personalize the shopping experience is to use data to create targeted marketing campaigns. This involves using customer data to segment customers into different groups and then creating marketing messages that are tailored to each group. This could include offering discounts or special promotions to specific groups of customers. 

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Don’t neglect small lifts here. Greet customers directly by name. Adjust messages based on user region. Adapt to local events and other broader experiences that keep your content from feeling too general, even if it isn’t hyper-personalized.

4. Use Data to Segment Your Email List

You can also personalize the shopping experience by segmenting your email list. This involves grouping customers together based on their interests, demographics, or purchase history. Most email marketing tools track detailed customer information you can leverage.

For example, monitoring when customers last visited allows you to email people about how “it’s been a while”. 

By segmenting your email list, you can send more targeted and relevant messages to each group of customers. This can lead to higher open and click-through rates, as well as increased sales and revenue.

5. Personalized Product Pages By Creating Variants

The final way to personalize the shopping experience is to use data to create a personalized product page. Or, at least create a page that feels catered to the individual based on broader context and information.

When you can get very detailed, this involves using customer data such as purchase history and browsing behavior to recommend similar or complementary products. You’ll need a dynamic site that can adapt to their history and habits in real-time.

If you don’t have a robust site, consider building blocks for each section of your landing pages or product pages for each SKU. Then, you can create groupings that feel customized because the pre-existing blocks you use match what people see in broader marketing campaigns. As you get more sophisticated, these blocks can then be what you dynamically insert into different elements as the customer shops around your site.

By creating a personalized product page, businesses can enhance conversion rates and have a better chance for higher order values because of the relevance of up-sell and cross-sell promotions.

The Benefits of Personalization for Businesses

There are many benefits of personalization for businesses. By creating a personalized shopping experience, businesses can increase conversion rates, average order value, and customer loyalty.

Conversion rates improve because customers are more likely to buy from a store that recognizes them and offers products they are interested in. If you’re marketing to the same people, small efforts like using someone’s first name in an email can increase conversion rates.

Companies that personalize offers also tend to see average order values increase in multiple ways. These incentives help push people to make more impulse purchases and reach higher overall orders — a benefit you can compound when making traditional online offers like free shipping on orders of a certain value.

Finally, studies also show that personalization can improve customer loyalty. Studies have found that more than half of people are open to receiving personalized experiences, and 72% who get these end up spending more or buying more often. This is because customers feel appreciated and valued when they are recognized and offered products they look at or follow.

Overall, personalization is a powerful tool that can help businesses improve conversion rates, average order value, and customer loyalty. When used correctly, it can be a key driver of success for eCommerce businesses.

Create an Experience You’d Enjoy

When it comes to personalizing the shopping experience, businesses must take a few steps to ensure they are doing it correctly.

First and foremost, they need to collect data about their customers so they can understand their needs and preferences. Once they have this data, they need to analyze it to determine how best to personalize the shopping experience for each customer.

Then, they need to implement personalization into their eCommerce store, which could include creating a personalized homepage, recommending similar products, using data to segment customers into different groups, or offering discounts. 

The final piece, however, is reviewing the effort and ensuring that it adds value to the shopping experience. Ask if it is something you’d enjoy or if the elements and personalization get in the way. You don’t want to be overly burdensome or overly creepy. The aim is to show people what they want to see without them feeling like you’re crunching a lot of data behind the scenes.

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