Throughout time the purpose of art has evolved depending on the intent of the artist and could include anything from recording history, to vanity portraits, or even ways to communicate scientific progress between medical or research laboratories. One of the earliest uses for art was in advertising, something many consider to be quite modern. A lot of people would be surprised to know that advertising dates back to as early as 4000 B.C. when natives used rock art to communicate information to others.
In today’s world of computers and various mobile devices that humans use to connect to the internet, advertising is more than just the writing on the wall. Marketers advertise through the use of email, banners on web pages, popups that open ads in a whole new webpage, word-of-mouth through social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, video games, and even through blogging. The degree of success for many of the ways that an online marketer chooses to advertise is called the conversion rate.
Conversion Rates Explained
Conversion rates are a type of modern-day marketing statistic used to gauge the success of a website. How successful a conversion rate is could be interpreted differently depending on the point of view of the person looking at it. A marketer would see it differently than a consumer. In order to get an accurate conversion rate, one must consider the amount of visitors to the site and the number of goal achievements. For instance, if a webpage has 100 visitors but only 2 of those people contribute to the number of goal achievements, then the page has a 2% conversion rate. However, if a webpage has 200 visitors and 20 of those people contribute to the number of goal achievements, then the webpage has a 10% conversion rate.
When I first heard about conversion rates, I was like fellow blogger Tammy Morales. In an online interview with James Martell, an affiliate marketing guru who hosts the longest running podcast dedicated to the topic, Tammy talked about some of the things she’d done wrong and as I listened, it was hearing her describe some of my own blogging blunders. Here are a few useful tips she had for other bloggers looking to boost their own conversion rates.
- Know exactly what you’re supposed to do. Follow through on instructions, tips, and hints for raising your conversion rate before looking at results. Trust me when I say that otherwise, you’re just asking for disappointment. From what Tammy had to say in the interview, I think she’d agree.
- Don’t overwhelm visitors with things you have to offer. Strip away those extras! When Tammy did this, her conversion rates soared from 1% to 10% within the first 48 hours and have been as high as 20% depending on the date.
- Tell your audience what to do to move forward. One of the best pieces of advice James received was from Mark Schoenrock who said, “If you only want them to do one thing, only give them one thing to do.” Distracting them with unnecessary elements at this point only draws your audience’s attention away from the purpose of your site.
- Finally, look at your landing page through the eyes of your audience. Imagine being there for the first time. Tammy’s new website offered two things – sign up for the newsletter, or click the link saying “I’ve already signed up” before taking users to the landing page.
Arranging the Elements on Your Webpage
The late architect and furniture designer Charles Eames once said, “Design is a plan for arranging the elements in such a way as best to accomplish a particular purpose.” Graphics can add to a website, but when used incorrectly can detract from what it has to offer. For instance, borders, headers, and even background graphics can help lead the viewer’s eye to the most important copy on the page and create a sales pitch that’s so cleverly designed that the viewer won’t immediately think, “I need to exit out before they trap me into spending money!”
Effectively used, graphics can be as powerful as the text on your webpage if not more influential when it comes to raising conversion rates. I’ve found it helpful when designing the aesthetics of a site to outsource the work through a company such as Elance, where freelance artists and students from game design schools often produce work that rivals big-name design companies for a fraction of the cost. However, without effective sales copy to go with them, the pretty graphics are just that…something nice to look at online.
Freelance author Ashley Monroe loves writing and during her career has covered about a broad range of topics, from pediatric dentistry to distance learning for video game designers and writing for www.animationarena.com. The parents of two young girls, she and her husband enjoy spending time together as a family, whether it’s visiting the local playground or taking off for a weekend of camping. When she’s not working, Ashley enjoys knitting, yoga, and taking brisk strolls around the block with her walking buddy, the family’s golden retriever.