In the first 20 years of the Internet Age, the big corporations essentially looked at websites as “just another marketing channel” by which to sell their wares. Of course we are not talking about the companies like Google or Facebook which are massive corporations that specialize in providing Internet services. Instead, we are talking about companies like Walmart that by some estimates generate around 1% of their total revenues online. In other words, the non-Internet focused companies like Walmart have traditionally viewed websites as emerging revenue streams to be developed but never with very much focus or emphasis outside of branding and using them as just another way of advertising their products or services.

The point is, the huge corporations didn’t really invest much time or money in developing their websites leaving plenty of room for smaller sites to start-up on shoestring budgets and grow to become major players in their respective niches. In the past two years, all of that has changed because the corporations have dramatically increased their investment into online, mobile, and social media marketing. This has caused two main issues:

1)Dramatic Rise in Marketing Costs

2)Flatlining or Falling Conversion Rates Across Most Major Niches

But the final straw and what will ultimately kill more small websites than all the Google algorithm adjustments combined is: Conversion rate optimization.

You see, these corporations have rushed in and dramatically increased their investments in mobile, online, and social media marketing. In the process, they have dramatically elevated marketing costs causing a massive rise in scam traffic marketing systems that generate bunk traffic. This bunk traffic combined with increased competition is killing conversion rates.

To respond to the increased marketing costs and falling conversion rates, Fortune 500 companies like GE, Sony, Vodafone, and even Internet giants like Google and Apple, have turned to conversion rate optimization, or CRO. So what exactly is conversion rate optimization and how can it possibly create Have’s and Have Not’s in the online universe?

Well, the simplest way to sum up conversion rate optimization is to state that it increases online sales by optimizing the primary website components, such as:

– Direct Response Copywriting

– Web Design

– HTML and Web Programming

– Shopping Cart/CMS Platforms

– Sales Funnel(s)

– Traffic Sources

So what makes conversion rate optimization such a game-changer? Well, to be perfectly blunt: CRO services generate the highest ROI of any current Internet Marketing services and create a growing competitive advantage over other websites in the same niche for three simple reasons:

1) CRO Experts Permanently Increase Conversion Rate:

Corporations like Moz and Google already have teams of high-tech wizards on staff and yet they hire 3rd party CRO companies to optimize their sites because it can boost total online conversions by 100% or more. But be under no illusions: Comprehensive conversion rate optimization projects can take weeks, or even months, to fully complete and verify results. Internal staffs are not ideally suited to optimize websites because not only were they likely the ones that created the very conversion problems an optimization project would fix: But they simply don’t have time on top of their normal duties to fully optimize properly.

But when it’s done right by true CRO experts, the website becomes a competition killer. Conversions can and often do increase by 100% or more given the company a massive competitive advantage over the competition. If they use that advantage to increase market share, then all but 2 or 3 competitors will be ran out of business in most niches.

2) Conversion Rate Optimisation Reduces Marketing Costs

CRO experts comb through mountains of traffic data to effectively optimize your PPC, SEO and social media to eliminate non-converting keywords and campaigns. In many cases, this traffic optimization phase can help reduce overall marketing costs by up to 40% without sacrificing any conversions.

3) Conversion Rate Optimisation is a One-Time Investment, Not a Fixed Cost

Whether talking about SEO, social media, content marketing, or even PPC, these Internet Marketing investments all become “fixed costs” because the minute you stop spending money, the traffic and sales begin to plummet. In some cases, these fixed marketing costs can consume up to 1/3 of total online revenues or more seriously reducing profits. But with conversion rate optimization, you get the increased sales month after month without the monthly retainer or service fees.

Concluding Thoughts

Once a website invests in conversion rate optimization, it will enjoy a massive competitive advantage over all non-optimized sites in the same niche. And once optimized, all future investments in SEO, social media, content marketing or whatever will be far more profitable than before optimization. Compounded with lower marketing costs, the online profits of a fully optimized website will ultimately create niches filled with Have’s, and Have Not’s as they devour market share and reinvest those higher profits.

The war for the future of the Internet is being fought today and conversion rate optimization is the biggest game-changer since mobile, period. Even if you can’t afford to pay a 3rd party CRO company, then you either need to learn how to optimize your website or prepare to become a Have Not. By producing permanent increases in conversion rate, reducing marketing costs, and without recurring fees, conversion rate optimization is the one Internet Marketing trend you can’t afford to miss.

Neil Rimmer specializes in providing conversion rate optimization services to online businesses that boost sales, reduce marketing costs, and deliver far higher ROI than SEO, PPC, or even social media. To learn more about how conversion rate optimization can help give your online business a growing competitive advantage, visit: http://www.conversionomics.com.au today.

Neil Rimmer specializes in providing conversion rate optimization services to online businesses that boost sales, reduce marketing costs, and deliver far higher ROI than SEO, PPC, or even social media. To learn more about how conversion rate optimization can help give your online business a growing competitive advantage, visit: http://www.conversionomics.com.au today.

Author Bio: Neil Rimmer specializes in providing conversion rate optimization services to online businesses that boost sales, reduce marketing costs, and deliver far higher ROI than SEO, PPC, or even social media. To learn more about how conversion rate optimization can help give your online business a growing competitive advantage, visit: http://www.conversionomics.com.au today.

Category: Internet
Keywords: conversion rate optimization, conversion rate optimization expert, conversion rate expert, CRO