A conversion rate optimization expert (CRO expert) specializes in optimizing website components like copywriting, web programming, web design, and traffic sources to generate more online sales. Even massive tech firms like Apple pay 3rd party CRO companies to improve online sales by up to 100% or more because most sites, no matter how well constructed, were not designed for conversions. In fact, most sites are lucky if they are generating even 50% of their true conversion potential. But despite the rampant need for web optimization services, most online business owners have never even heard of a conversion rate optimization expert, let alone know what they do.

Ironically, most websites have been optimizing for conversion rate for years without ever realizing they were performing a very distinct Internet Marketing service. Every time you try a new button, change design, alter direct response copywriting, or try to improve online conversions in any way: You are actually performing conversion rate optimization. But while a conversion rate optimization expert would use website traffic analysis to find and fix the conversion problems, most site owners start with the landing page. And although the landing page(s) is a good place to start when optimizing a website, CRO experts use web traffic analysis before starting any work for 3 simples reasons:

1. Traffic Analysis Reduces Conversion Rate Optimization Costs

Simply looking at a site and “guessing” which components are costing sales can be a very expensive gamble that rarely pays off. Including lines of programming code, your website is literally made of 1,000’s of components that all must work together to convert a visitor into a buyer. Why guess when website traffic analytics tools can show you exactly where visitors are leaving sales funnels and isolate conversion problems down to the sentence level?

2. Website Traffic Analysis Reduces Testing Time

Once a conversion rate optimization expert has found the conversion problems and fixed them, testing is needed to verify results and calculate ROI. Tools like heat mapping software can help conversion rate experts quickly monitor progress through testing and isolate issues that require additional follow-up much faster than conventional website split testing. And since testing requires traffic and costs both time and money, anything that reduces testing cycles and helps identify issues faster ultimately saves the website owner money.

In truth, most websites do have landing pages that need optimization to boost online sales. But equally true is that are often other factors that are suppressing online sales as much or even more than the landing page itself. In fact, using website traffic analysis, a conversion rate optimization expert might find 3 other conversion problems that might be even greater than the landing page, including:

Weak or Ineffective Sales Funnel

Even if the overall conversion rate is a mere .5%, the actual conversion rate of the landing page itself may be 3% or higher. However, if only 15-20% of total website visitors reach that landing page, then the conversion rate will seem very low. If you don’t verify the percentage of visitors to the landing page, it may seem logical to completely scrap that page and create a new one. But until the sales funnel is fixed, you can rewrite and redesign the page again and again without producing any significant increase in overall conversion rate. To fix a weak sales funnel, a conversion rate optimization expert might:

1. Add a Slide Show That Funnels Visitors Towards Landing Page: The most valuable and influential real estate on any web page is above the fold. This is why a conversion rate optimization expert will often add a slide show to a website to not only funnel visitors to the landing page, but also to get the primary unique selling points (USP’s) above the fold on all web content. USP’s are what differentiate your product or service from the competition and should be compelling reasons to learn more about your company. So by putting the USP’s on the slides (with contextual images of course) and linking them to the primary landing page(s), a conversion rate optimization expert can both engage visitors and funnel them towards the web content designed to convert visitors into buyers.

2. Add CTA’s on All Blogs and Traffic Generating Content: In reality, the vast majority of site content is designed to drive traffic and pre-sell visitors on your product or service. However, your informative traffic-generating content must also funnel visitors to your primary landing page(s) for you to create sales and build your business. To increase visitor engagement and funnel more visitors to your primary landing page content, a conversion rate optimization expert will create an active link or CTA at the bottom of the page. This link will prompt action and link to the primary landing page(s) or Home page, depending on site configuration and business model.

Weak, Untargeted Traffic

Did you know that most ppc campaigns are sending 40% or more of total traffic that will never, ever convert into a sale? Even SEO companies will “pad their stats” by targeting weaker terms that easier to rank for despite the fact that they will never, ever lead to actual conversions. Basically, with weak traffic polluting your site, the conversions will appear artificially low.

A CRO expert uses web traffic analysis to isolate non-converting keywords in your paid traffic channels, like Google Adwords, and then eliminates them from the campaigns. While this web traffic optimisation strategy will not increase overall sales, it will help reduce paid marketing costs by up to 40% or more while boosting overall conversion rate. A conversion rate optimization expert can also use traffic analytics to refine seo and smm campaigns to increase conversions and ROI.

Shopping Cart Problem or Confusion

A landing page might be functioning perfectly and yet the site generating low conversion rates because of the shopping cart/checkout process itself. While a certain percentage of prospects will abandon the sale after entering the shopping cart for various reasons (don’t have a payment method accepted by the website, etc.), known as abandonment rate, anything above 60% indicates a serious issue with the shopping cart. Some problems that would increase abandonment rate include:

-No Trust or Credibility Logos

-Pricing on Landing Page Doesn’t Match Pricing in Shopping Cart

-Confusing Checkout Process

-Too Many “Add-Ons” or Upgrade Options

-Forced Continuity Pricing (cannot purchase without enrolling in some program with continuity pricing)

-Systemic Problem with the Checkout Process (shipping doesn’t calculate properly, etc.)

Basically, mistakes and too much aggression backfire big time in a shopping cart. And with many websites customizing their own shopping carts, it doesn’t take much to spook visitors and increase the abandonment rate. But if the problem wasn’t identified during website traffic analysis, a site owner would be likely to assume the issue was the landing page but 100% incorrect.

Concluding Thoughts

A website has many vital components aside from the landing page itself that help determine overall conversion rate. Unless the website owner or a conversion rate optimization expert reviews traffic analytics to isolate the problem, they risk wasting time and money revamping the landing page when the sales funnel, shopping cart, and/or traffic quality may be the true issue.

Neil Rimmer is a conversion rate opimization expert specializing in reducing marketing costs, increasing website conversions, and delivering needle-moving results for clients. To learn more about how a CRO expert can help take your business to the next level and deliver far higher ROI than SEO, SMM, or PPC, just visit: http://www.conversionomics.com.au today.

Neil Rimmer is a conversion rate optimization expert specializing in reducing marketing costs, increasing website conversions, and delivering needle-moving results for clients. To learn more about how a CRO expert can help take your business to the next level and deliver far higher ROI than SEO, SMM, or PPC, just visit: http://www.conversionomics.com.au today.

Author Bio: Neil Rimmer is a conversion rate opimization expert specializing in reducing marketing costs, increasing website conversions, and delivering needle-moving results for clients. To learn more about how a CRO expert can help take your business to the next level and deliver far higher ROI than SEO, SMM, or PPC, just visit: http://www.conversionomics.com.au today.

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