EXPERT RESOURCES

The Power of Emotional Triggers in eCommerce Copywriting

In the world of eCommerce, copywriting is a crucial element to drive sales for your online store and turn potential customers into loyal ones. But what makes product features or an ad copy truly compelling? 

The answer lies in the power of emotional triggers. Emotional triggers are the psychological cues that evoke strong feelings and reactions in people. They can be positive, like joy and excitement, or negative, like fear and anxiety. When used effectively in good eCommerce copywriting, emotional triggers can make a product or a brand stand out from the competition and create a lasting connection with the audience. 

In this article, we'll explore the science behind emotional triggers, how they influence purchasing decisions, and how you can leverage them in your eCommerce copywriting to increase conversion rates, user experience, and customer loyalty. 

Understanding the Psychology Behind Emotional Triggers

Emotions are an integral part of human behavior. They influence the way we think, feel, and act. The science of emotions is complex, and researchers are still trying to understand how they work. However, there are some basic principles that we can use to understand emotional triggers.

Emotions are processed in the limbic system of the brain, which is responsible for memory, motivation, and behavior. When we experience an emotion, it triggers a chemical reaction in the brain that influences our thoughts and actions. For example, when we feel happy, our brain releases dopamine, a chemical that makes us feel good.

Emotional triggers work by tapping into our subconscious mind. They evoke an emotional response that is not necessarily logical but rather instinctual. For example, when we see a cute puppy, we may feel an overwhelming sense of joy and happiness, even if we don't need a puppy. This is because the image of the puppy triggers a positive emotional response that is hard to resist.

Examples of Emotional Triggers in eCommerce Copywriting

Now that we understand the science behind emotional triggers let's explore some examples of emotional triggers in eCommerce copywriting.

One of the most common emotional triggers for eCommerce sites is the fear of missing out (FOMO). FOMO is the feeling that you might miss out on something valuable if you don't act now. This emotional trigger is often used in limited-time offers, flash sales, and countdown timers. 

For example, "Don't miss out on our biggest sale of the year! Only 24 hours left to save 50% off!" This kind of copy creates a sense of urgency and scarcity that motivates customers to act quickly.

Another emotional trigger in eCommerce copywriting is social proof. Social proof is the idea that people are more likely to do something if they see others doing it. This emotional trigger is often used in customer testimonials, user-generated content, and influencer marketing. 

For example, "Thousands of satisfied customers have already tried our product and loved it! Join the club and see for yourself!" This kind of copy creates a sense of trust and credibility that reassures customers that they are making the right choice.

How Emotional Triggers Impact Consumer Behavior

Emotional triggers can have a powerful impact on consumer behavior. They can influence how people perceive a product, how they feel about it, and whether they decide to buy it or not.

For example, a study by the University of Southern California found that emotional ads are twice as effective as rational ads in driving sales. Emotional ads create a stronger emotional connection with the audience, which leads to a higher likelihood of conversion.

Another study by the University of Michigan found that people are more likely to share content that evokes strong emotions, such as awe, joy, and anger. This means that emotional triggers not only impact individual behavior but also social behavior. When people feel strongly about something, they are more likely to share it with others, which can lead to viral marketing.

Tips for Incorporating Emotional Triggers in eCommerce Copywriting

Now that we understand the impact of emotional triggers on consumer behavior let's explore some tips for incorporating emotional triggers in your ecommerce copy.

First, identify your target audience and their emotional needs. What are their pain points, aspirations, and desires? What kind of emotions do they respond to? By understanding your audience's emotional triggers, you can create copy that resonates with them on a deeper level.

Second, use descriptive language and sensory details to create a vivid image in the reader's mind. For example, instead of saying "Our coffee is delicious," say "Our coffee is rich, smooth, and aromatic, with notes of chocolate and caramel that will transport you to a cozy café in Paris." This kind of copy creates a sensory experience that taps into the reader's emotions.

Third, use power words that evoke strong emotions. Power words are words that have a strong emotional impact, such as "amazing," "unforgettable," "life-changing," "exclusive," "limited," "free," and "guaranteed." By using power words strategically, you can create a sense of excitement, urgency, and exclusivity that motivates customers to act.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using Emotional Triggers

While emotional triggers can be powerful tools in eCommerce copywriting, there are some common mistakes that you should avoid.

First, avoid using emotional triggers that are unethical or manipulative. For example, using scare tactics, guilt-tripping, or false promises can damage your brand's reputation and create distrust among customers.

Second, avoid using emotional triggers that are not relevant or authentic. For example, using a sad story to promote a product that has nothing to do with the story can come across as insincere and opportunistic.

Third, avoid using emotional triggers that are overused or cliché. For example, using the same FOMO or social proof tactics that everyone else is using can make your copy sound generic and unoriginal.

The Role of Storytelling in Emotional Trigger Copywriting

Storytelling is a powerful tool in emotional trigger copywriting. Stories create a connection between the reader and the brand by tapping into their emotions and values.

For example, a brand that sells eco-friendly products can tell a story about its mission to save the planet and inspire readers to join the movement. A brand that sells luxury travel experiences can tell a story about its founder's journey to find the most exclusive destinations and create a sense of adventure and excitement.

By using storytelling in emotional trigger copywriting, you can create a narrative that engages the reader on multiple levels and creates a lasting impression.

A/B Testing Emotional Trigger Copy

A/B testing is a process of comparing two versions of a piece of content to see which one performs better. When it comes writing copy using emotional triggers, A/B testing can help you optimize your copy for maximum impact.

For example, you can test different emotional triggers, power words, and storytelling techniques on your product pages to see which ones resonate with your audience the most. You can also test different formats, such as video, images, or long-form copy, to see which one drives more conversions..

Case Studies of Successful Emotional Trigger Campaigns

To illustrate the power of emotional triggers in eCommerce copywriting, let's explore some case studies of successful emotional trigger campaigns that used great copy.

One example is the Dove Real Beauty campaign, which used the emotional trigger of self-esteem to promote its beauty products. The campaign featured real women of different ages, sizes, and ethnicities, and encouraged women to embrace their natural beauty. The campaign went viral and generated over 30 million views on YouTube.

Another example is the Coca-Cola "Share a Coke" campaign, which used the emotional trigger of personalization to drive sales. The campaign featured personalized Coca-Cola bottles with people's names and encouraged customers to share them with friends and family. The campaign generated a 2.5% increase in sales and a 7% increase in traffic to the Coca-Cola website.

Conclusion and Next Steps for Implementing Emotional Triggers in eCommerce Copywriting

Emotional triggers are a powerful tool for your eCommerce business. They can create a strong emotional connection with the audience, influence consumer behavior, and drive sales. To use emotional triggers effectively in your eCommerce copywriting, you need to understand the psychology behind them, identify your target audience's emotional needs, use descriptive language and power words, avoid common mistakes, and incorporate storytelling and A/B testing.

By implementing emotional triggers in your eCommerce copywriting, you can differentiate your brand from the competition, create a loyal customer base, and achieve your business goals. So, go ahead and experiment with emotional triggers in your copywriting and see what works best for your brand.

How to Master Your Most Important E-commerce KPI

How to improve your conversion rates

Conversion Rates are crucial to any e-commerce business. It refers to the percentage of visitors to your website who complete a desired action, such as making a purchase or filling out a form. Having high conversion rates means that your website is performing well and is effectively communicating your value proposition to your customers. On the other hand, a low conversion rate may indicate that your website is not engaging enough or that there are obstacles preventing customers from making a purchase. Therefore, it is essential to continually measure and improve your conversion rates to optimize your website's performance and increase your revenue. By analyzing and optimizing your conversion rates, you can stay ahead of the competition and ultimately grow your e-commerce business.

In this article, I’m going to explain why your conversion rate is absolutely your most important KPI if you’re an eCommerce business, and what factors going into improving it. I’ll also be discussing other metrics that can hint at a conversion rate problem, and how to tell if there is room for improvement.

Define and Prioritize Your KPIs

Firstly, it is important to define and prioritize your KPIs so that you have a clear understanding of what you need to measure and what goals you are trying to achieve. Businesses should be setting SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) and aligning their KPIs with these goals.

Prioritization plays a key role, especially when it comes to data analysis. You will want to focus on the KPIs that are most relevant to your business's goals and objectives, and this should be your primary focus when analyzing your data.

In eCommerce, the most popular KPIs tend to be Return on Ad Spend (ROAS), Average Order Value (AOV), Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV), Add to Cart Rate and Conversion Rate. Most eCommerce platforms provide analytics for these metrics and will calculate conversion rates and give you an average conversion rate over time so you don’t have to worry about the math.

Monitor Your Conversion Rate

One of the most important e-commerce KPIs is the conversion rate. It is an indication of how well your website is performing and how effectively you are converting your visitors into customers. Tracking this metric provides you with valuable insights into the effectiveness of your sales funnel and can help identify areas for improvement.

But, knowing your conversion rate isn’t nearly enough. Take a look and compare it to your industry’s average to see how you measure up. Next, decide on your conversion goal, and figure out a plan for exactly how you're going to increase your conversion rate. Conversion rates are tied directly to user experience. If you have a conversion rate problem, chances are likely you have a user experience problem somewhere on your site. This is where other analytics tools and CRO tools can be utilized to help you focus on the issue, instead of making a huge mistake like redesigning your site to fix the issue.

Let’s take a look at some of the other metrics to help us diagnose where a problem is occurring on your landing page or site.

Track Your Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV)

Another important e-commerce KPI is Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV). It is the amount of revenue a customer will bring to your business over their lifetime. CLTV is a great metric to monitor as it provides insights into how much you should be spending to acquire new customers, the type of customers you should be attracting, and how to better retain your existing customers.

This can vary dramatically depending on your business model. Do you offer a subscription service in addition to products? Are people signing up for loyalty programs and taking advantage of them? Does your business model only require a one-time purchase (i.e. wedding dresses, maternity)? How long should one purchase technically last your customers? CLTV is also a measure of how long people are sticking with your business, and there can be more than one way to measure this. You need to establish a goal for your CLTV, and establish and action plan for increasing it.

Sure fire ways to do this include personalization for repeat site visitors, remarketing/re-engagement campaigns via email and sms, or loyalty programs that offer VALUE to customers for their loyalty (i.e. not just run of the mill discounts).

Keep an Eye on Your Cart Abandonment Rate

Cart abandonment is when a customer adds items to their cart but leaves the website before completing the purchase. This can be a major problem for e-commerce businesses, as it means that potential revenue is being lost. Monitoring your cart abandonment rate is crucial in identifying problematic areas in the sales funnel and taking corrective action to rectify them.

Your cart abandonment can some sometimes feel like a war of attrition. Your cart abandonment may be on par with industry averages, but take a look at what percentage of visitors are viewing your product pages. We’ll often see that PDP views are extremely high, while add-to-cart is average. For reference, eCommerce industry averages for sessions with a page view are about 43%, while sessions with an add-to-cart are around 14%. This is where the war on attrition comes into play. If your PDP views are 60%, and your add-to-cart is 5%, then you’ve just diagnosed a PDP issue. 

Google Analytics is a helpful tool for tracking conversion funnel drop-off, and helping diagnose if you have a Cart Abandonment problem, or a PDP problem. Cart abandonment in a vacuum can usually be handled by personalized remarketing campaigns to customers to encourage them to checkout. However, take the time to analyze your checkout process to make sure the user experience is on par with customer expectations. Check out our article on Cart Abandonment to learn more about a conversion optimized checkout experience.

Analyze Your Traffic Sources

To make informed decisions in your business, we highly recommend that you analyze your website traffic sources. Traffic from different sources can have a variety of conversion rates, customer lifetime value, and even return rates, hence its significance. Tracking your traffic sources and the data that follows will give you insight as to where the majority of your sales are coming from and which sales channels might need to be optimized.

Make sure your marketing messages are consistent across all channels. You don’t want to confuse potential customers who see an ad on Facebook with one message, and a completely different message on YouTube. That’s a big no-no.

If you really want to go above and beyond, try personalized messaging for visitors from specific traffic sources based on their existing behavior on site. Visitors from social media vs. direct traffic may have completely different behavior and interests, so tailor your messaging specific to where they are coming from. This requires a lot of work and audience intelligence, but the up side is well worth it.

Track Average Order Value (AOV)

By analyzing this metric, you'll be able to identify trends and make informed decisions about pricing strategies, promotions, and product offerings. A higher AOV means you're effectively getting more value out of each transaction, which can lead to increased profits.

If your AOV is considerably lower than the average cost of your products, then it’s probably time to think about revamping your upselling and cross selling strategies. A lot of times these are placed in horrible positions on the PDP, and are rendered ineffective. Test different placements, strategies, and bundles to entice visitors or let them know that they experience could be enhanced for a marginal increase in spend.

Track Your (and Your Competitor’s) Bounce Rates

Bounce rates are black sheep of eCommerce KPIs, but often times it’s where we start. Bounce rates can give you a holistic view of your site’s user experience issues, and let you know where you stand against the competition. A poor bounce rate is typically indicative of poorly performing copy, confusing navigation, or busyness bordering on chaos, or all of the above. This metric is easy to gain access to for your competitors, which is why we recommend it as a starting point for evaluating your performance within your industry and niche.

The Name of the Game is Audience Intelligence

All of these issues we’ve listed above can be resolved by getting in-depth intelligence about your target audience and site visitors. We’ve found the best companies don’t sit back and passively collect information about their visitors. The best companies are actively engaging with their audience to create insights that lead to focused strategic decisions that are verified through A/B testing.

Understanding your audience, especially the ones visiting your site, means understanding what they want and need when they arrive, and speaking to the emotions they experience before and after a purchase is made. It means understanding and alleviating the pain points they encounter during their user experience, and using that information to make better decisions in your marketing, customer service, operations, and supply chain.

Conclusion:

Key Performance Indicators are critical performance measures that should be monitored, analyzed and reported regularly. By understanding and utilizing the metrics we have touched on in this post such as conversion rates, customer lifetime value, cart abandonment, traffic sources and prioritization of your ecommerce KPIs, your business is on the right track to achieving a data-driven approach that will allow you to make informed decisions and steer your e-commerce business downstream to success.

Email Marketing 101

14 Essentials to Maximize Your ROI

Email marketing is a direct marketing approach that uses electronic mail as a means of communicating commercial or fundraising messages to an audience. In its broadest sense, every email sent to a potential or current customer could be considered email marketing. However, the term is usually used to refer to (1) sending emails with the purpose of enhancing the relationship of a merchant with its current or previous customers, and (2) sending emails with the purpose of acquiring new customers or convincing current customers to purchase something immediately.

The main difference between email marketing and other types of direct marketing is that with email marketing, businesses can communicate one-to-one, as opposed to one-to-many. This allows for more personalized attention that can result in better conversion rates.

While the statistics are overwhelmingly in favor of email marketing as the best method for converting leads, but you can’t expect those kinds of returns without putting a lot of thought and effort into your campaigns.

Having your own email list is obviously ideal, but if you don't have one you can utilize other lead-generation methods to help you get started. Either way, you're going to want to capitalize on the 50% of people who say they buy from marketing emails at least once per month or the 59% of people who say that marketing emails have influenced their purchases.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. How many bad marketing emails have you received for everyone that’s converted you? Nearly 1 in 5 email campaigns aren’t optimized for mobile devices, and 41% of marketing emails are viewed on smartphones (59% of millennials, and 67% of Gen Z).

Email marketing isn't just about sending out mass emails to everyone on your list. The success of your email marketing campaigns depends on three things: the quality of your list, the quality of your content, and the frequency with which you send emails. Keep these things in mind as we go over some tips for successful email marketing.

Keep your list clean and up-to-date. 

Remove any inactive subscribers, bounced addresses, and duplicates on a regular basis. Not only will this keep your list manageable, but it will also improve your deliverability rate (the percentage of messages that are successfully delivered to subscribers' inboxes).

Make sure you have permission to send emails. 

This seems like a no-brainer, but it's important to make sure that everyone on your list has opted in to receive emails from you. Otherwise, you risk being marked as a spammer.

A larger list does not mean a larger ROI.

‍There is a point of diminishing returns when it comes to large email lists. Instead of blasting one giant list with the same content, consider segmenting those lists and personalizing your content as much as possible.

Too few or too many emails per month hurts email ROI.

‍Daily is too much, and monthly is not enough. Based on studies, the sweet spot seems to be between 9-16 emails per month. While slightly more or less still generate significant returns, we're going for outstanding, not pretty good results.

Testing your emails leads to higher ROI.

‍Companies that test their email campaigns enjoyed 28% higher ROI than their counterparts. Keep it simple at first by testing different subject lines. Definitely make sure you're testing for spam filters and deliverability, and preview before sending for formatting issues. Once you're comfortable, you can start testing different content and even the landing pages where you're directing traffic.

Personalized content leads to higher returns.

‍Dynamic content is essential to add a personalized touch to your email campaigns, and companies that do experience ROIs 4x higher than companies that don’t.

Make sure you have permission to send emails. 

This seems like a no-brainer, but it's important to make sure that everyone on your list has opted in to receive emails from you. Otherwise, you risk being marked as a spammer.

Know your audience.

Segmenting your list allows you to send targeted content that is relevant to each group of subscribers. This increases engagement and makes people more likely to open and click through your emails.

Write great subject lines. 

Your subject line is what gets people to open your email, so it's important to make it compelling and interesting. Avoid using ALL CAPS or excessive exclamation points, and try to keep it under 50 characters if possible.

Keep your content concise and focused. 

No one wants to read a long novel in their inbox—they'll just delete it without reading it! Get straight to the point and make sure each email has one call-to-action (CTA).

Use engaging visuals whenever possible. 

People are visual creatures, so adding images, videos, or infographics can really help get your message across—and make people more likely to share it with others! Just make sure that any visuals you use are high quality and have relevant ALT text for accessibility purposes.

Pay attention to the technical stuff. 

Make sure your HTML is error-free and renders correctly across different devices and email clients (Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, etc.). Test everything before you hit "send"!

Timing is everything—choose wisely! 

Studies show that Tuesday mornings tend to be when people are most engaged with their inboxes, so try sending your emails then for optimal results. Just be careful not to bombard people with too many messages; once or twice a week should suffice for most purposes.

Always include an unsubscribe link. 

It may seem counterintuitive, but giving people the option to unsubscribe from your emails shows that you respect their time and their inboxes. If someone doesn't want to receive your emails anymore, there's no point in forcing them to stay on your list. Plus, having an unsubscribe link helps you avoid getting marked as spam!

Analyze, analyze, analyze! 

Make sure you track your email open rates and link click-through rates to see what works and what doesn't. Try A/B testing different subject lines or content formats to see what gets your readers engaged. The more data you have, the better equipped you'll be to fine-tune your email marketing strategy for maximum impact!

Now that you know the basics of email marketing, you're ready to start planning your own campaigns! Keep these key points in mind for successful emails, and don't forget to test, test, test! With a little bit of effort and some trial and error, you’ll be well on your way to mastering this powerful form of direct marketing!

Email Marketing FAQs

What are the best email marketing tools to use?

There are A LOT of options out there. Ultimately, you’ll want to base your decision on what works best for your company (i.e. do you already have a list, is it cold, how many emails do you plan on sending out, how much time do you have to babysit it, are they key automations you can easily set up, does it integrate with your CRM, pricing, etc.)

For the most part, you can’t go wrong with MailChimp, HubSpot, and Active Campaign. If you want a more complete list, check out this Forbes article here.

How do I build an email marketing list?

You should start by establishing a sign-up form for customers to fill out, making sure you acquire their full name and email address. From there, think about what incentives you can offer to entice customers to join your list. Additionally, creating landing pages with forms or calls to action is a great way to grab leads and add them to the list. Finally, use your blog content and social media posts to drive people back to the form, furthering the size of your email list.

The other option would be to buy an existing list, of which there are many options. I typically don’t recommend this, because it is really only a B2B option. However, it has been done with varying degrees of success depending on how you use it.

How do I track the results of my email marketing campaign?

A key element to keep in mind is that not all tracking takes place in the same space or way. Digital platforms like Google Analytics offer invaluable insights into general metrics such as website visits and clicks generated from email campaigns, while marketing automation tools such as Mailchimp allow for more refined analytics related to user interactions with specific emails sent out. Careful analysis and combination of this data allow for customized actions to be taken in order to refine your campaign towards reaching its goals.

What are some common email marketing mistakes?

Many businesses make the mistake of sending out generic emails or not utilizing personalization capabilities to ensure a successful email marketing campaign. They also often neglect to A/B test their messages before launching, thus missing out on valuable insights that could make all the difference in engagement. Additionally, businesses sometimes end up not segmenting their audience sufficiently in order to craft targeted messaging, causing the message to fall flat with subscribers. Finally, businesses need to remember that email campaigns should always include an obvious call-to-action (CTA) so that customers are driven to take the desired action. Without a clear CTA and relevant content, there’s no incentive provided for customers to act. 

What is cold email marketing?

Cold email marketing is an excellent way to reach potential customers who may have never heard of your company before. It involves sending emails that do not require a previous relationship or offer a specific incentive in exchange for grabbing the recipient's attention. As a promotional tool, it has been proven to be one of the most cost-effective methods for engaging with customers, as well as generating leads, and driving sales. By personalizing each message and crafting its content carefully, businesses can make sure their cold emails cut through the clutter and stand out from the masses to maximize response rates.

Why is cold email marketing effective?

Cold emails are an efficient way for targeting people who might be difficult -- if not impossible -- to connect with through other channels. It allows organizations to make personal connections with their target audience and tailor their messages according to each individual's needs.

How do I write a cold email?

To ensure your email stands out, take the time to personalize it with details that are relevant to the recipient. An effective cold email should also contain a clear headline and a concise summary of why you are getting in touch. Take the time to make sure all of your details, from spelling and grammar to formatting, are correct before sending. 

How do I find email addresses for cold emailing?

To start, do some research to find the names and email addresses of your ideal prospects and decision-makers. Search multiple platforms such as Linkedin, Twitter, and job listing sites for contact information. Consider subscribing to a database that conveniently compiles and stores contact information for various industries. While you may also use online directories or search engines like Google to locate email addresses, it takes a bit more effort to find accurate details without the help of a database. Finally, use an email verification tool before sending any emails out just to make sure you’re reaching real people with valid addresses.

What are some best practices for cold emailing?

First and foremost, always research the recipient before you write your email - this way you can personalize your message and increase your chances of success. Secondly, keep emails as succinct as possible while maintaining a professional tone of voice and never send generic emails, but craft each one meticulously. You should also use A/B testing to determine what content generates the best results. Lastly, make sure to keep track of responses so that you can follow up effectively with those who replied positively. 

What are some common cold emailing mistakes?

Making assumptions about the recipient, using language that is too jargony or too informal, overwhelming the recipient with information, being unclear about your goals or intentions, and not following up are some of the most common mistakes people make when crafting cold emails. Humanizing your message by addressing the recipient directly and providing helpful content plus an actionable item are two key elements to ensure a successful cold emailing experience both for you and your reader.

Further Cold Email Reading

I highly recommend “The Cold Email Manifesto” by Alex Berman for anyone who wants to learn more about cold emailing or if you’re trying to do it on your own. Cold email can be daunting and requires a lot of time and effort. Don’t go into it “cold”, and start by reading this book to warm yourself up a bit.

How to Increase Your Conversion Rate with CRO Strategies

Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is a crucial part of digital marketing. It’s an effective way to maximize the number of visitors that convert into customers. With the right CRO strategies, you can boost your website’s performance and increase your ROI and advertising efficiency. Let’s take a look at some of the different types of CRO strategies that you can use to optimize your site.

A/B Testing

A/B testing is one of the most popular types of conversion rate optimization methods. It involves creating two versions of a page or element on your website and then testing them out on different audiences to see which performs better. This allows you to determine which version resonates more with users and which one drives more conversions. You can also use A/B testing for email campaigns or other marketing materials.

The greatest benefit of A/B testing is it removes the guesswork from your strategy. You may have an idea of what your audience needs and wants, but A/B testing allows you to test that hypothesis on a limited number of your visitors and prove your hypothesis correct before committing to any changes.

You can even segment the results of your test by traffic sources and see which audience segments respond to certain changes more positively than others. This provides a wealth of knowledge about the little differences in your audience segments that can generate HUGE results.

Testing different variations of your products or services pages is something ALL eCommerce sites should be doing on a regular basis.

Personalization

Personalization is another type of conversion rate optimization strategy that can help you increase conversions by providing tailored experiences for each user. By understanding user behavior, you can create personalized content that speaks directly to their needs and interests, making it easier for them to find what they’re looking for and more likely to complete a purchase or sign up for a service.

The entire theory behind Conversion Rate Optimization is better understanding your audience and customers to determine what information they find most valuable, and what experience makes them most likely to convert. Personalization allows you to speak more directly to different parts of your audience at the same time while providing both of them with the information they each find more useful. It shouldn’t come as a big surprise that this is an extremely effective strategy for increasing your number of conversions.

Mobile Optimization

With mobile usage continuing to grow every year, optimizing for mobile devices is becoming increasingly crucial for businesses looking to increase their reach and sales volume. A key component of this is Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), which ensures that the correct offerings are displayed to users during their mobile visits and the checkout process is highly optimized for a hassle-free experience. After all, no one likes dealing with long forms or slow-loading images on their phones! Through the strategic use of CRO, companies are able to boost user engagement, nudge potential customers toward a purchase, and make sure they come back time and again. The bottom line: If you’re not prioritizing mobile optimization and CRO, you’re likely missing out on an essential piece of your success puzzle.

An important part of mobile optimization is making sure the user experience is consistent across all devices. Users are extremely turned off when they find a brand on their mobile device and decide to continue their search on their desktop only to find a completely different experience. Consistency is essential for creating seamless transitions between devices. Mobile and desktop web should not be in competition, but your approach should ensure they work in tandem to deliver a full journey experience.

Mobile traffic was a higher percentage of traffic vs. desktops across all industries this past year (58% vs. 42%) but desktop still has a higher conversion rate on average (3% vs. 1.6%) and an average higher order value (91% higher on desktop vs. mobile). Having a multi-device strategy will ensure you capitalize on opportunities across all devices and acquire and retain your customers.

User Testing

User testing websites is a great way for companies to get feedback on their products and website experience. It allows developers to see how people interact with their web pages and receive honest observations. This information is invaluable as it allows companies to make improvements that customers actually need and want. User testing websites offer a range of services from simple surveys and polls to detailed feedback interviews. They can also help identify problem areas, compatibility issues, and usability bugs. With the help of these services, companies can ensure their websites are optimized for the best user experience, making customers more likely to stay on the site longer and return in the future.

The most effective user tests involve identifying the main conversion goal on your site and asking testers to go through all the steps required to perform that action. You create a scenario that acts like an actual purchase on your site and see where a user experiences difficulty or enjoys a particular part of the experience.

A famous adage in CRO is “don’t make me think” made famous by CRO expert Steve Krug. The idea behind it is that any interaction with your website where the user has to “think” or guess what to do next has the potential to make them bounce. User tests allow you to identify all the areas in your conversion funnel that might cause a user to “think” for an extra millisecond, and remove them before they start to add up and prevent visitors from taking that desired action.

Heat, Click, and Scroll Maps

Heat, Click, and Scroll maps are essential tools to understand your consumer behavior. Heat maps provide a visual representation of how people interact with online content, such as which sections they spend the most time on and which links they tend to ignore. They are a vital tool used to measure how well different elements of a website entice customers to purchase or take action. These analytical tactics can be incredibly useful for monitoring user engagement and developing marketing strategies by providing insight into what works best across all platforms. 

Best practices involve using heat maps to show the most popular elements on a landing page, then using that data for creating your A/B test to fine-tune conversions. When and where your users take action can help you optimize your campaigns for the best results.

Onsite Surveys

Onsite surveys are an effective method to conversion rate optimization. They allow businesses to measure customer satisfaction and gather feedback on website design or product performance. Additionally, they can provide customer insights that help to improve a company's services and products. By offering onsite surveys, companies can understand customer behavior and uncover areas for improvement that increase conversion rates. With the help of onsite surveys, conversion rate optimization is easier than ever!

Conversion rate optimization is an important part of any digital marketing strategy, as it helps maximize the number of visitors who convert into customers. There are many different types of conversion rate optimization strategies, from A/B testing and personalization to usability testing, that can help improve your website’s performance and ultimately drive more sales and profits. With the right CRO strategies in place, you can ensure that your website is providing an optimal user experience while also boosting conversions across all channels.

FAQs

How do you improve conversion rate optimization?

There are a number of ways to improve your conversion rates, but conversion rate optimization in its simplest form is understanding exactly what your audience and visitors are looking for and providing it. There are a number of boxes to check along the way, and I haven’t done CRO justice by summarizing it in one sentence. If you want to learn more about how to boost your conversion rates, check out this article.

What is Conversion Rate Optimization in eCommerce?

Conversion Rate Optimization as it applies to eCommerce is the process of getting more visitors to your website to buy something. For example, if you sell stuffed animals on your website, and 2 out of every 100 visitors make a purchase. Then, your conversion rate is 2%. Simple. CRO aims to lift that number to something that would be considered STRONG for the industry that you are in, say 4 to 5 out of every 100 website visitors.

Why is conversion rate optimization important

CRO is vitally important, regardless of your business model, because you’re getting the most out of a precious asset (i.e. your website). The goal is to make your most publicly accessible asset part of your marketing funnel and turn it into an efficient lead generation and sales tool. If people are visiting your website and leaving without filling out a form, placing a call, or buying something, then you have a problem with your CRO (conversion rate optimization) that you need to address immediately.

What are conversion optimization tools?

CRO tools typically include but are not limited to the list below.

  • A/B Testing
  • User Testing
  • Heat maps
  • Click maps
  • Session Recording
  • Conversion Funnel Analytics
  • Traffic Analytics
  • Call Tracking
  • Lead Form Analysis
Is conversion rate optimization part of SEO?

Not technically, however, CRO is extremely valuable for SEO. CRO aims to improve the usability of your website and create a positive user experience. Google takes into account what people do when they get to your site. Improving your interaction rate, time on site, pages visited, links clicked, bounce rate, etc. are all benefits of CRO and positively impact SEO.

What are the benefits of Conversion Rate Optimization?

Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is a great way to maximize the potential of website traffic. Put simply, it refers to the process of increasing the number of visitors that become customers on your website. By applying strategies such as user experience testing, A/B testing and tweaks to design and layout elements, you can increase conversions and make your website more effective at generating leads. This can be beneficial in reducing costs associated with traditional marketing efforts or paid advertising channels, providing a better return on investment for those services. Additionally, it opens up new opportunities for growing customer bases and achieving higher ROI from online activities. Overall, conversion rate optimization is an essential element for any successful online business and should not be overlooked in strategic planning for increased success.

5 Keys On How to Improve Your Landing Pages

Landing pages are typically a single webpage or a standalone site page linked directly to a marketing campaign with the goal of lead conversion. Landing pages can be your most profitable weapon in an ad campaign. Increase your ROI (Return on Investment) and ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) without increasing ad spend by driving users to a specific page with one action in mind.

Landing page optimization is a must-have if you want to increase conversions. The average landing page conversion rate across all industries is just below 10%, yet landing pages remain the least popular type of sign-up form. In addition, only half of the companies that utilize a landing page have optimized it for conversions. Keep in mind, companies that utilize conversion rate optimization tools on their landing page see an average increase of 30% in their conversion rate.

A landing page is an essential part of any website. It serves as a hub for your visitors, allowing them to easily access the information they need and guiding them through the process of becoming a customer, subscriber, or donor. To make sure your landing page does its job effectively, you'll want to pay attention to five key elements: design, message, content, call-to-action (CTA), and optimization. Let's take a look at each of these in more detail.

Design

Design is one of the most critical aspects of your landing page. It should be visually appealing and easy to navigate, while still adhering to your overall brand identity. If you're working with a web designer or agency on this project, make sure to provide them with detailed feedback and style guidelines. That way you can ensure that the design meets your expectations and accurately reflects your brand.

Message

The message of your landing page should be clear and concise; there should be no confusion about why people are visiting this page or what action you want them to take after reading it. When crafting your message, ask yourself: What makes my product/service different? Why should someone visit this page instead of another? What value do I offer? Answering these questions will help you focus on the essential elements of your message and get visitors excited about what you have to offer.

Content

Once you've got the design and message nailed down, it's time to start adding content! Content is crucial for engaging visitors and getting them interested in what you have to offer. Make sure that all the content on your landing page is relevant, informative, and easy-to-read—no one likes slogging through long-winded paragraphs! You'll also want to include visuals such as photos or videos if possible; these can be great ways to draw people in and show off what makes your product/service unique.

Call-to-Action (CTA)    

Every good landing page needs a strong call-to-action (CTA). This could be anything from signing asking for contact information, a phone number, or an email address or buying something from an online store; whatever action it is that you want visitors to take after reading your page should be clearly stated at the end! Your CTA should also link directly back to where users can complete their desired action—for example, if they're signing up for emails then there should be an email signup form on the same page so they don't have to click away from it first.

Optimization

Last but not least comes optimization—making sure that all the above elements are working together in harmony! This includes optimizing things like title tags, meta descriptions, URLs, loading times (the faster the better!), image file sizes (make sure they're small enough!), etc., so that everything looks good both on desktop and mobile devices. This step is often overlooked but it can make all the difference between a successful landing page and one that falls flat!

Tools that can show which copy users are engaging with the most (i.e. heat mapping) can be valuable for improving not only your copy but your layout as well. If your most important copy is being overlooked then heatmaps can help show you where the user's attention is drawn to the most. A/B testing is another must have tool to help optimize your landing page. Creating variations with minor or major changes can give you key insights into what your target audience is really looking for.

A well-crafted landing page can mean more leads for businesses large and small alike. When designing yours remember these five keys—designing with purposeful aesthetics; crafting an effective message; producing thoughtfully selected content; creating persuasive calls-to-action; optimizing every element—and success will surely follow! With just a bit of effort & attention paid towards making sure each element works together perfectly, businesses will see results reflected in their bottom line soon enough!

FAQs

How do you improve conversion rate optimization?

There are a number of ways to improve your conversion rates, but conversion rate optimization in its simplest form is understanding exactly what your audience and visitors are looking for and providing it. There are a number of boxes to check along the way, and I haven’t done CRO justice by summarizing it in one sentence. If you want to learn more about how to boost your conversion rates, check out this article.

What is Conversion Rate Optimization in eCommerce?

Conversion Rate Optimization as it applies to eCommerce is the process of getting more visitors to your website to buy something. For example, if you sell stuffed animals on your website, and 2 out of every 100 visitors make a purchase. Then, your conversion rate is 2%. Simple. CRO aims to lift that number to something that would be considered STRONG for the industry that you are in, say 4 to 5 out of every 100 website visitors.

Why is conversion rate optimization important?

CRO is vitally important, regardless of your business model, because you’re getting the most out of a precious asset (i.e. your website). The goal is to make your most publicly accessible asset part of your marketing funnel and turn it into an efficient lead generation and sales tool. If people are visiting your website and leaving without filling out a form, placing a call, or buying something, then you have a problem with your CRO (conversion rate optimization) that you need to address immediately.

What are conversion optimization tools?

CRO tools typically include but are not limited to the list below. For more details about each item visit our Website Optimization page.

  • A/B Testing
  • User Testing
  • Heat maps
  • Click maps
  • Session Recording
  • Conversion Funnel Analytics
  • Traffic Analytics
  • Call Tracking
  • Lead Form Analysis

Is conversion rate optimization part of SEO?

Not technically, however, CRO is extremely valuable for SEO. CRO aims to improve the usability of your website and create a positive user experience. Google takes into account what people do when they get to your site. Improving your interaction rate, time on site, pages visited, links clicked, bounce rate, etc. are all benefits of CRO and positively impact SEO.

Where can I get more information about how to improve my conversion rates?

Check out our CRO Blog here for more tips and tricks to improve your conversion rates.

Why is Conversion Rate Optimization so Important?

When running a business, it's essential to pay attention to your website conversion rate and the total number of conversions—the number of website visitors who take the desired action on your website. After all, that’s how you turn visitors into customers and keep them coming back for more. But what is conversion rate optimization (CRO) and why is it so important? Let’s take a look.

What Is CRO?

Conversion rate optimization is the process of increasing the number of people who complete an action (such as buying a product or signing up for an email list) on a web page or website. This can be done in various ways, such as by optimizing website design, making sure there are clear calls to action, improving user experience, and more. Ultimately, CRO is about understanding user behavior and how they interact with your site—and then using that data to make changes that will encourage them to take action.

Why Is CRO Important?

Simply put, without conversion rate optimization your business won't get very far. You can have all the website traffic in the world but if none of those visitors convert into customers you won't see any real returns on your investment. On the other hand, when you focus on improving conversions you can drive more sales and generate more leads in less time than ever before. That's why CRO is so important—it helps ensure that each visitor has an enjoyable experience on your website and takes the action you want them to take!

The importance of CRO goes way beyond converting a visitor one time after an enjoyable experience. Customers are picker than ever, and will gladly leave your site for the competition at the first sign, hint, or whiff of a bad experience.

CRO aims to create a user experience that’s so intuitive and enjoyable, that the experience itself creates loyalty. CRO is a strategy for sustainable long-term success. Yes, it helps convert more visitors on their first visit to your site, but it also helps increase Average Order Value, Customer Lifetime Value, and loyalty.

How Do I Implement CRO?

There are many different strategies you can use to implement effective conversion rate optimization tactics. The key is to start small and build from there; don't try to tackle everything at once! Start by analyzing your current traffic data with Google Analytics and then use A/B testing to try out different versions of web pages or website features until you find one that works best for your business. Once you've figured out which version performs best, then roll it out across all pages or features! Additionally, make sure you're taking advantage of tools like heatmaps and user recordings so that you can better understand how users are interacting with your pages.

The goal is to end up with a well-thought-out conversion funnel that addresses a specific need for each step in the customer's journey. Identify the information necessary or missing on your product pages, and figure out the bottlenecks in your shopping cart. The goal of heat maps and session records is to gather hard data about your web traffic to understand how they interact with your site. Then, when implementing changes, you’re eliminating any guesswork and testing their success with A/B testing before committing to any permanent changes.

Conclusion

By now it should be clear why conversion rate optimization is so important for businesses—it helps turn visitors into customers! If you want to maximize ROI from your online efforts, then investing in CRO is essential. Start by analyzing traffic data and conducting A/B tests so that you can identify opportunities for improvement; this will help ensure that each visitor has an enjoyable experience on your website and takes the action you want them to take! And remember—start small and build from there; don't try tackling everything at once! With some time and effort devoted towards optimizing conversions, soon enough you'll start seeing results!

FAQs

How do you improve conversion rate optimization?

There are a number of ways to improve your conversion rates, but conversion rate optimization in its simplest form is understanding exactly what your audience and visitors are looking for and providing it. There are a number of boxes to check along the way, and I haven’t done CRO justice by summarizing it in one sentence. If you want to learn more about how to boost your conversion rates, check out this article.

What is Conversion Rate Optimization in eCommerce?

Conversion Rate Optimization as it applies to eCommerce is the process of getting more visitors to your website to buy something. For example, if you sell stuffed animals on your website, and 2 out of every 100 visitors make a purchase. Then, your conversion rate is 2%. Simple. CRO aims to lift that number to something that would be considered STRONG for the industry that you are in, say 4 to 5 out of every 100 website visitors.

Why is conversion rate optimization important?

CRO is vitally important, regardless of your business model, because you’re getting the most out of a precious asset (i.e. your website). The goal is to make your most publicly accessible asset part of your marketing funnel and turn it into an efficient lead generation and sales tool. If people are visiting your website and leaving without filling out a form, placing a call, or buying something, then you have a problem with your CRO (conversion rate optimization) that you need to address immediately.

What are conversion optimization tools?

CRO tools typically include but are not limited to the list below. For more details about each item visit our Website Optimization page.

  • A/B Testing
  • User Testing
  • Heat maps
  • Click maps
  • Session Recording
  • Conversion Funnel Analytics
  • Traffic Analytics
  • Call Tracking
  • Lead Form Analysis

Is conversion rate optimization part of SEO?

Not technically, however, CRO is extremely valuable for SEO. CRO aims to improve the usability of your website and create a positive user experience. Google takes into account what people do when they get to your site. Improving your interaction rate, time on site, pages visited, links clicked, bounce rate, etc. are all benefits of CRO and positively impact SEO.

Where can I get more information about how to improve my conversion rates?

Check out our CRO Blog here for more tips and tricks to improve your conversion rates.