Building your web business
The headline read, "A funny thing happens when you dont promote your website... NOTHING." Experience has taught me that thats a fairly accurate statement. If you are not promoting your website, youre not building your web business.
However, there is one thing you need to focus on MORE than generating traffic. That is converting that traffic into buying customers. If the visitors arent converting, and youre spending money to generate traffic, then youre probably worse off than you would be if you did nothing. If you can improve your conversion ratio, then your existing traffic and new traffic is worth so much more to you. First, improve your conversion ratio, then aggressively seek new traffic.
Consider an example of a site getting just 500 unique visitors a day, with a conversion rate of 3%. Lets assume this site markets a report that costs $49 and offers the site owner $30 profit after all expenses. This site is making 15 sales a day or $450 in profits. If this site can increase its conversion rate to 5%, it would be making 25 sales a day and $750 in profits... a big increase with no additional expenses! Increases in conversion rates of 2-3% are very common. Conversion rates of 20% or more are also not unheard of. After a site has increased its conversion rate, earnings from backend sales also skyrocket. Thats because a VERY high percentage of first time customers become repeat customers if you offer them backend products.
Increasing your conversion rate for first time visitors has an exponential effect on your bottom line... not a linear effect! What are some way that you can increase conversion rates? In a word... TESTING!
Test new headlines
Test new opening paragraphs
Test new guarantees (different wording, longer or shorter time periods, etc.)
Test offering different bonuses
Test offering no bonuses
Test new header graphics
Test removing header graphics
Test offering payment plans
Test different up-sells on the order form
Test rearranging the elements on the order form
Test different wording in the call to action
Test different colors used for emphasis
Test different background colors
Test different prices
Test using different numbers of testimonials
Test putting testimonials in different places on the page
Test using audio or video on your page
Test long copy vs short copy
Test using different number of "order" links
Test using different images within the page copy
In other words, test everything.
Test one element at a time on your page, and track the difference that this made in your conversions. Do split testing where you compare the results on 2 or 3 different pages. Then use the page that did the best as the control and move on to testing the next page element. Thats how you increase your conversions over time from 2-3% into the double digits. Seasoned marketers will tell you that marketing is nothing more than tracking and analyzing your numbers. This is true. You need to know exactly what result each change on your page had. Fortunately, there is software out there that makes this job very easy. Some of it is even fr-e-e. There are also manuals that explain how to test most effectively. These manuals are how I was able to not be intimidated by the math and calculations that you DO need to do.
If youd like to know what split testing software I use, and what I consider to be the best book Ive ever read on the topic is, just send a blank email to my autoresponder at: willie360621@autocontactor.com This information will totally blow your mind and put you ahead of 99.999% of your competitors. Thats not hype, thats a fact. You test because you cannot guess what the market wants. Top marketers and copywriters such as Jay Abraham, Dan Kennedy, and Gary Halbert all relate that when they tried to guess what the market wanted, they guessed WRONG! Thats why they are consummate testers. Testing often reveals surprising results. Ive heard of marketers improving result for example by REMOVING the guarantee.
Ive heard of marketers improving results by doubling their price, or getting rid of a header graphic on a webpage. Those little things often prove to make a big difference and over time these differences can equal an over 1000% improvement. After youve gotten a decent conversion rate, THEN you need to focus on getting more traffic. The secret to doing this is to learn what those getting tons of highly targeted traffic are doing, and do something similar. Study why the techniques that they use are successful at attracting not just any traffic...but highly targeted traffic, then apply those lessons.
This traffic is people who come to your site, looking for what you are selling. This is the only type of traffic you should put your time and other resources into generating... and its a lot easier than you think. Ive just revealed to you the very essence of a successful website. Continuously test and refine the website until you have an OUTSTANDING conversion rate. Then drive massive traffic to that site using techniques others have already discovered and proven to work. The third element that separates the ultra-successes from the failures is simply acting upon what you learn. What are you waiting for?
About the Author:Willie Crawford has been teaching others how to build an on-line business since late 1996. Frequently featured in radio, magazine and newspaper articles and interviews, Willie teaches the average guy what the top marketers are doing but seldom talking about.
