Local Adda

The goal of Web Optimization

Increasing conversion rates. It seems simple enough: increase the success factors and decrease the failure factors. Whatever the nature of your site, whatever you consider a conversion, the factors are pretty much the same.

Failure factors

Anything that causes frustration, a negative thought, or a concern in the mind of the visitor tips the balance against conversion. These failure factors include:

* Poor copy (doesn’t focus on benefits to visitors)
* Confusing navigation
* Lack of hierarchy
* Information in the wrong sequence
* Unnecessary steps
* Difficult to scan
* Too many choices
* Inconsistent
* Unusual terminology
* Broken links
* Outdated content
* Unprofessional design
* Inaccessible contact information
* Forms that are too complex

Failure factors generate anxiety. They create barriers. They undermine the motivation of your visitors and interfere with your ability to build a relationship. By slowing them down and forcing them to think too much, you’re tipping the conversion balance that leads prospects to click away from your site.

Next we’ll look at Success Factors.

Success factors

Anything that makes your site self-explanatory, easy-to-use, and meets visitors’ needs based on their different motivations is a success factor. These include:

* Strong value proposition (why should I buy from you instead of your competitor?)
* Understanding visitors’ needs based on their motivation
* Benefits-oriented copy
* Easy navigation
* Obvious hierarchy
* Succinct copy
* Clear instructions
* Short, simple forms
* Scannable pages
* Incentives and credibility indicators
* Web conventions (i.e. make links look like links)
* Meaningful page titles and sub-headers
* Professional design

Success factors generate confidence and provide positive reinforcement. When visitors feel like they’re in the right place you’ve earned their trust and the opportunity to build a relationship. That’s the only way you can encourage them to read on, click to the next step, fill out a form or pick up the phone.

There’s one more success factor that doesn’t fit neatly into a bullet-point. Consider the mindset of your visitors and where they are in their buying or decision-making process.

It is important to provide content for different kinds of people; those who just want the facts please, those who respond to an emotional pitch, people who are visually oriented, etc.

Equally important, you want to provide information for browsers or people just doing preliminary research, as well as detailed info for visitors who may be returning to your site and are ready to convert.

Conversion is a process

Remember, while a conversion technically happens in a single step, it is not an isolated one. Conversion is the result of a series of small decisions and tiny steps. By minimizing the failure factors and maximizing the success factors you can tip the balance.

Let me know if you have other ideas about failure and success factors that affect conversion rates.

Another Way to Increase Website Vitors

In the first phase I mentioned about the Forum Signature Tip in Detail. Click Here before you read below.

Another way to get visitors to your websites is to write an ebook. I’m not embarrassed to say that we’re not talking great literature here. We aren’t talking about the Pulitzer Prize. We’re not even talking more than, maybe, 30 pages, double spaced, and size 12 font.

But the fact is this: your eBook will attract visitors to your website single-handedly.

Later, you can provide your eBook to affiliates so that they send visitors to your site as well! If you’re more of an audio expert than a novelist, why not create a podcast? Uh? Well, a podcast is a series of audio files that is distributed over the Internet to iPods and other music players and personal computers. This is the future - and it’s fun!

The fact is, everyone loves information but don’t always find printed pages the best way to get it. If you can provide the same information that can be played on an iPod or similar media player, or a mobile phone, you’re offering a higher value product.

You needn’t start from scratch - you can plug your product or service almost immediately by converting your existing articles or eBooks into .mp3 recordings. (.mp3 is the industry standard audio format that is widely accepted for iPods, mobile phones etc.) Remember, you have, on your hard drive, stuff that you have written, or will write, that you can add value to by converting it into an .mp3 recording.

Again, it’s the basics that are often the key to increasing your visitor traffic, so you might need to shine your light on your meta tags. (To put it briefly, a “meta tag” is used by search engines to allow them to more accurately list your site in their indexes.

To be honest, it works most of the time, but not always! Search engines are always changing their methods, and some use Meta tags a lot, while others don’t, but I would not want to neglect this technique. It is a small piece of the mosaic that completes the whole visitor traffic picture.

How many times have you wanted to speak your mind? Well, now you can - and it’ll help drive visitors to your website. How? Leave testimonials on other people’s sites. This won’t take you a second, but your web address will be around for years. Go for it. It is so simple, and so little done.

Another technique I used to attract visitors was to write a priority email to customers with an attention-grabbing subject such as “The Top Ten Myths In Your Industry.” Or, provide something like this as a freebie. Make certain that there are clear links to your website, and a compelling reason for the reader to visit.

Finally, I don’t think YouTube needs much introduction! It’s simply one of the largest websites devoted to online videos covering every single subject you can think of - and more! So how can you use the power of YouTube to get more visitors? Simply this: upload a video of you talking about your niche.

Many cheap digital cameras have a video option - and you do not need a high-end movie camera. You could get a friend to film you. Or, you could use a built in camera on your PC or Mac, if your model has one. Aim to talk for not much longer than 10 minutes maximum, and sign off with your website address. Again, this is much easier than you would think.

Remember, so many people focus on one traffic building technique, and one only. I hope I’ve shown you that there are many ways - and you should have fun with all of them. My best to you.