| Do you know your conversion rates? Conversion | | | | product use high quality pictures. Since the visitor |
| rate is the number of visitors to your site that take | | | | cannot touch or smell the product, it is essential to |
| the desired action against the total number of visitors | | | | provide a top quality picture that will look like the |
| in a particular period or time. Research has shown | | | | physical product.Include the number of days the |
| that 60% of websites do not know their conversion | | | | customer will have to wait for the order. If possible |
| rates. Then how do you improve your site's | | | | provide tracking of the order. All these help to make |
| performance if you do not know your conversion | | | | the customer comfortable and close the sale. |
| rates? What do you take into consideration when | | | | |
| making changes to your site's design? What do you | | | | 2. THE SUBSCRIPTION CONVERSION RATE. This is |
| do when you have plenty of visitors yet very few | | | | simply calculated by dividing the number of |
| of them take the desired action? What do you want | | | | subscriptions (subscribers) by the total number of |
| your visitors to do? How are they going to do it? | | | | visitors for that period and multiplying by 100. This |
| What is the next step for your visitor after taking | | | | gives the percentage of visitors that |
| the desired action?These and other questions can | | | | subscribed.Example, if the total number of visitors in |
| easily be answered if some efforts are made | | | | the month is 9000 and 300 visitors subscribed. Your |
| towards tracking and calculating websites' conversion | | | | conversion rate would be300 / 9000 x 100 = 3.3 |
| rates.Converting your visitor is the ultimate aim of | | | | %Getting visitors to subscribe to your newsletter or |
| any website. Making the visitor to take the desired | | | | ezine depends on where the visitor had seen the |
| action is the fulfillment of a process that started | | | | offer to subscribe. If you are promoting a |
| from wherever the visitor clicked to come to your | | | | subscription page, then your description must be |
| site. The desired action could be; | | | | enticing enough to lure surfers to visit your page. |
| | | | That is, if they are coming from search engines,ads |
| SalesSubscribing to your newsletter or book-marking | | | | etc.Most times people will only give their email |
| a page.Taking a survey.Downloading a software or | | | | address when they are sure they will get some |
| ebookClicking on a link.Going through the process | | | | quality stuff from your newsletter. If they are |
| (that is, clicking from page to page ) before clicking | | | | already at your site and it is a quality site then you |
| on the order button.Etc | | | | may require little persuasion to get them to |
| | | | subscribe.How to improve the subscription conversion |
| Most of the time we think conversion starts when | | | | rate. |
| the visitor lands on our Site. But conversion actually | | | | |
| starts from wherever the visitor first locates our site. | | | | Make sure your privacy policy is clearly |
| How the site was located. What description the | | | | stated.Highlight the benefits of your newsletter to |
| visitor sees before clicking to your site or what | | | | the subscriber. State plainly the high points of your |
| recommendation or word of mouth brought the | | | | newsletter. Direct your visitor to a good issue in your |
| visitor to your site. This pre-conversion state is what | | | | archives.Provide a valuable free gift. Example a free |
| to a large extent, can determine whether conversion | | | | ebook or report.If you are providing a free ebook or |
| actually takes place or not. This is what I call the | | | | report, tell the visitor what is special about your own |
| keyword-title-description-landing page formula. This | | | | because there are a thousand and one free ebooks |
| formula is explained in my free ebook "Google | | | | and reports on the internet so why should yours be |
| Adwords Made Easy". You can download this free | | | | different. For me I usually get a high conversion rate |
| ebook at home base business ideas site.What enables | | | | from surfers seeing the articles I post at various |
| conversion to take place.A visitor landing at your site | | | | article sites on the internet. They become interested |
| should immediately feel comfortable with your site. | | | | when they see the quality of the articles.Change the |
| First impression as they say matters a lot. For | | | | position of your subscription form. From upper left to |
| conversion to take place you must hold the visitor's | | | | upper right. Then recalculate the conversion rate. |
| attention once he lands on your site. Some of the | | | | Compare the result of the two positions. Try other |
| points to note that make for easy conversion are: | | | | positions until you get the position where conversion |
| | | | is highest. |
| Your website should load fast. The next site is a | | | | |
| click away. If your site loads slowly your visitor clicks | | | | 3. DOWNLOAD CONVERSION RATE. This rate |
| away and you have lost a potential customer. Usually, | | | | shows you how many of your visitors (in |
| graphics, animations, are the cause of slow loading | | | | percentage) are downloading your software or |
| pages. Your can use some software, available free | | | | ebook or whatever you have presented for |
| on the internet, to reduce the size of your graphics | | | | download. It is obtained by dividing the number of |
| so that they load fast.Your site should have a | | | | downloads by the number of visitors to your |
| professional look about it. It should at first glance | | | | download page. Example , you had 4000 visitors to |
| portray a quality site. This adds a little bit of credibility | | | | your download page for the month and 300 |
| to the site. The site is then seen as a serious | | | | downloaded your software your conversion rate |
| site.State your case quickly. Let your visitor know | | | | is300 / 4000 x 100 = 7.5%you will need to install a |
| what your site is about in a few words. Don't go | | | | script at your site to monitor the download. You can |
| rambling about your achievements. That can come | | | | get a free download monitor script at to improve |
| later. Give the visitor what he is looking for.Arrange | | | | your download conversion rate |
| your content in an easy to understand way. Whether | | | | |
| you are using Tables or CSS for site design, make | | | | Write a compelling copy emphasizing the benefits to |
| sure your content is arranged in such a way that the | | | | your visitors of whatever you are offering for |
| visitor moves from one section of the site to | | | | download. Then make a bold call to action .example, |
| another without confusion or frustration. If you are | | | | Download Now or Start Download.Download should |
| catering to different kinds of visitors, demarcate | | | | start with the first or second click. That is do not |
| your site or page clearly showing these different | | | | make the download page more than two clicks away |
| sections for visitors.Include your Privacy Policy, Phone | | | | from the introductory page.Make it clear to the |
| Numbers, About Us information on every page of | | | | visitor that it is a free, trial or demo download. You |
| your site. This builds some element of trust. Visitors | | | | could list the features and benefits of the download |
| may not click to these pages but the fact that they | | | | in a Popup window. That is the popup is activated |
| are there builds some credibility.Do not irritate your | | | | when a link is clicked and not by itself.Put your |
| visitors with bad grammar or typos. Check and | | | | download button at the top of your page with the |
| crosscheck your content. Ask somebody to read | | | | main menu. Alternatively, you can put it at the left |
| through your content and point out grammatical | | | | hand side navigation linksIf it is a free report in PDF |
| errors and typos. These kinds of errors portray a | | | | make the download start when the download link is |
| site as unserious and therefore suspect.If you must | | | | clicked. It is some times frustrating when PDF |
| use banners use them sparingly. Do not allow your | | | | download opens up in the browser. |
| banners to distract your visitors from the desired | | | | |
| action to be taken. Banners are been clicked on less | | | | 4. CONVERSION RATE FOR CLICKING ON A LINK. |
| and less these days. | | | | Sometimes a web page is written where the main |
| | | | aim is for visitors to click on a particular link. The link |
| Having taken care of all of the above, your site is | | | | could be an affiliate link., or a link to another page or |
| set to present your visitors with your carefully | | | | even an email link. You have to install a script to |
| packaged offer. You begin by getting to know your | | | | monitor these clicks. There are many click trackers |
| present conversion rates. It is only logical that before | | | | on the internet . You can get a free click tracker |
| any action is taken to improve conversion rates, the | | | | script at . The conversion rate is the number of clicks |
| present conversion rates are known.What is your | | | | on the link divided by the number of visitors to the |
| website's conversion rates.There are many actions a | | | | page. Example, if the total number of visitors are |
| site may desire a visitor to take once he lands at the | | | | 6000 and the number of clicks 1500. Then the |
| site. It is the conversion rates of these desired | | | | conversion rate will be1500 / 6000 x 100 = 25%How |
| actions that you want to calculate.Lets look at some | | | | to improve this conversion rate. |
| the typical conversion rates that need to be | | | | |
| calculated and what can be done to improve them.1. | | | | One effective way to improve conversion rate for |
| The SALES CONVERSION RATE. This gives you an | | | | clicking on a link is to put the link in the content. This |
| idea of how many visitors are buying your product | | | | is called in content link. The text link flows with your |
| out of the total number of visitors that visit you | | | | write up. Visitors are more likely to click on such a link |
| site.The sales conversion rate = number who bought | | | | than one that is not in content.The text link should |
| total number of visitors x 100So if you have about | | | | clearly indicate to the visitor what to do or what to |
| 10000 visitors in the month and out of that , 350 | | | | expect after clicking on the link. You are sure to get |
| bought your product, your conversion rate is350 / | | | | a more favorable response this way.If the link is an |
| 10000 x 100 = 3.5%This means that for every 200 | | | | affiliate link do not use the long affiliate links provided |
| visitor that land at your site 7 will buy your | | | | by affiliate merchants. They are often long and too |
| product.How to improve the sales conversion rate. | | | | obvious get clicked less times. Get a script that will |
| | | | shorten the affiliate link you can download a script at |
| Make navigation through your site to your order | | | | home business ideas. Make your links bold. |
| page so simple a ten year old can find it.Make bold | | | | |
| call to action. Example, BUY NOW, or ORDER HERE. | | | | CONVERSION RATE FOR AFFILIATE SITES.Affiliate |
| Put it near the top, at the middle and near the | | | | sites need two conversion rates to succeed. One on |
| bottom of you sales page.If you offer free shipping | | | | the affiliate's site, the other on the merchant's site. |
| indicate this at your home page and prominently on | | | | The first is within the affiliate's control while the |
| your sales page. Research has shown that free | | | | second is not. So to succeed in affiliate marketing the |
| shipping is the second most important consideration | | | | affiliate has to choose a merchant with good |
| for buyers apart from price.Your web page should | | | | conversion rates. The merchant should show proof |
| load fast. Imagine a potential customer clicking to | | | | of conversion rates. Or you can calculate how many |
| your order page with the intention to buy only to be | | | | visitors you sent to the merchant's site and how |
| frustrated by a slow loading page. The importance of | | | | many converted (that is, resulted into |
| fast loading pages cannot be over-emphasized. Some | | | | sales).Conversion on affiliate sites largely depends on |
| of the ways to reduce loading time are: | | | | traffic. As a matter of fact, you need a lot of traffic |
| | | | to succeed as an affiliate. With little traffic your |
| Reduce the number of graphics on your page. Apart | | | | conversion will be almost nonexistent and there will |
| from the number, you can also reduce the size of | | | | not be enough data to show a consistent conversion |
| the graphics. There are a number of software you | | | | rate. For example you might make a sale after 10 |
| can use to reduce the size of your graphics.Always | | | | visitors to your site and make the next sale after |
| specify the dimensions of your graphics in your html | | | | 2000 visitors. This is not consistent. The first sale |
| coding. In your IMG tag be sure to specify the width | | | | after 10 visitors might have been a motivated buyer. |
| and height of your graphics. This makes it easy for | | | | Which means you were lucky. You need more than |
| the web browser to load the page because it doesn't | | | | luck to succeed in affiliate business.How to improve |
| have to figure out the dimensions of the graphics. | | | | conversion rates on affiliate sites. |
| | | | |
| Experiment with different colors on your pages. | | | | Build traffic to your site.Effective pre-selling. An |
| Measure and track the result of any little change you | | | | affiliate tries to persuade a visitor to click on an |
| make. It has been reported that change in the color | | | | affiliate link. He has to pre-sell the product properly. |
| of a page layout increased conversion rate.Do not | | | | Emphasizing the benefits of the product to the |
| use Pop-ups for displaying your vital information. For | | | | visitor. Building on the emotions of the visitor and |
| example, your shipping rates. Though Pop-ups can be | | | | leading him to click. Research has shown that most |
| effective in drawing attention to vital information, it is | | | | buying decisions are influenced by emotions.Get your |
| not worth taking the chance. With all the free Popup | | | | visitor to subscribe to your newsletter. With the |
| blockers offered by most toolbars and software | | | | traffic you are generating you do not want to miss |
| companies it will be counter productive to display | | | | out on the other visitors who do not buy. Provide an |
| your vital information in a Popup only to have it | | | | opportunity for them to subscribe so that you can |
| blocked. Displaying information in Pop-ups could | | | | still pre-sell again and again through your ezine or |
| seriously reduce your conversion rate. Instead use | | | | newsletter.Provide very few choices for your visitor. |
| banners that will display a strong call to action.Include | | | | Do no clutter your page with all kinds of offers. This |
| a progress indicator on each page to your order page | | | | makes the visitor to be undecided and may lead to |
| so that your customer knows at what stage he is. | | | | frustration. Promote one or two product per page. |
| You can number the pages or steps and clearly | | | | Write your best review of the product.Own the |
| describe each step so that the customer can easily | | | | product you promote. This way you are able to give |
| move back and forth through your pages.Make it | | | | real life experiences about the product or service. It |
| automatic so that when the shipping info is same as | | | | more believable when writing reviews from |
| the billing info, the customer doesn't have to fill the | | | | experience and this increases conversion rates. |
| same information twice.Because of credit card | | | | |
| concerns, not all customers will want to order using | | | | CONCLUSION: Calculating your conversion rates |
| credit cards. Offer other forms of payment, check, | | | | would be meaningless if you cannot determine |
| fax, phone etcDisplay critical information at the check | | | | whether you are improving or not. Stick to a period |
| out page. Information like warranties, guarantees, | | | | of test and be consistent. Example, one month, two |
| shipping costs, testimonials, return policies, after sales | | | | weeks etc. Whichever is suitable for you. Calculate |
| service, support service etcDevelop a system | | | | for that period. Compare with the previous period or |
| whereby if a visitor abandons the checkout process | | | | the next period. Make changes to your pages and |
| for whatever reason after providing an email | | | | test again. By testing you will know what works.Also |
| address, your system immediately emails the visitor | | | | if there is any industry standard conversion rate |
| offering an incentive to tell why the process was not | | | | (especially for the sales conversion rate), compare |
| completed. This happened to me. I abandoned | | | | your rate to the industry standard. By comparing you |
| purchase when the order page could not load due to | | | | will know whether you are doing well or not. Or you |
| my unsteady internet connection. I promptly received | | | | can set objectives for yourself. Set a reasonable |
| an email from the company. I later went back to the | | | | conversion rate that you want to attain within a |
| site to purchase the item.If you are selling tangible | | | | certain period and go for it. |