It\u2019s very tempting to jump right into optimization testing, there\u2019s usually no shortage of ideas to test because everyone has an opinion. But, if you\u2019re starting the conversion rate optimization (CRO) process by looking at your webpage and thinking what\u2019s the problem with this page, you\u2019re doing CRO wrong.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s easy to look at a webpage and have an opinion. Everyone does\u2026
\nAsk just about anyone off the street and they\u2019ll tell you what they think, every one has an opinion. The problem is that\u2019s the wrong way to move the needle and impact your revenue.<\/p>\n
I think about conversion optimization, fundamentally different than the webpage. The page is only a catalyst for the visitor to complete their desired action. CRO is not about optimizing the webpage. What you\u2019re really doing is optimizing the thoughts of your visitor.<\/p>\n
Approaching conversion optimization from the thought sequence of your visitor fundamentally shifts the way you think about and approach optimization. You see, a web page is more like a conversation between your product \/ company and your prospect. That conversation is taking place inside your visitors head throughout your webpage and throughout their experience with your site.<\/p>\n
With each element on the page (words, pictures video, etc.) they are getting deeper into the conversation of does this match my motivations? What can I do here? With every click and scroll, they are expressing interest and nodding their heads, going further into the conversation between them and your page.<\/p>\n
The very act of conversion is the result of a culmination of agreements in their head to the point of behavioral change. Quite simply, conversion doesn\u2019t happen on the page it happens in the mind of your visitor.<\/p>\n
Yes, all optimization starts in the mind.<\/p>\n
But where does the act of improvement or the ideas to test actually start from?<\/p>\n
Well\u2026 They don\u2019t or shouldn\u2019t start from looking at the webpage as you might have guessed. They should start with the prospect avatar.<\/p>\n
Your prospect avatar or persona is a clear vision of the exact person you\u2019re talking to. that\u2019s right I said person not market or people or visitors. Like every good copywriter knows, conversion optimization works best when you\u2019re talking to one specific person. Yes that person may represent a group of people but if you don\u2019t have that person fully fleshed out you\u2019ll lose the impact of talking to that one.<\/p>\n
Many people like to go right into creating that avatar \/ persona but I prefer to start with research. Not the broad research like what age is your avatar, how much money do they make, are they married, do they have kids, what car do they drive and how do they spend their time on the weekends?<\/p>\n
This is all broad data, and it has it\u2019s place some times but the real value is in the details. Not the details of the broad data above, although that might be interesting , it\u2019s not all that actionable.<\/p>\n
The nitty-gritty details I\u2019m talking about are underneath al that.<\/p>\n
The really valuable starting point is in the beliefs of your avatar.<\/p>\n
What are their desires, concerns, aspirations, worries, fears, doubt\u2019s not only about your product but about them selves. What is their self-story?<\/p>\n
If conversion does truly happen in the mind, as all decisions do, and not on the webpage, then the place to start is right within the mind itself.<\/p>\n
People probably start with the demographics because it\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s harder is understanding what makes your avatar tick.<\/p>\n
To do that you have to dig. The really great copywriters like Gene Schwartz, Gary Halbert and others have know this for years which is why they spend so much time researching. As much as half the time if not more of a project should be spent on digging deep into the research to fully understand the beliefs of your avatar.<\/p>\n
This sounds scary and like hard work and some of it might be, but this is where true optimization really starts.<\/p>\n
To start the research into your avatars beliefs is really quite simple. Go where people are speaking candidly about the same problem.<\/p>\n
Start on Amazon, by reading reviews of similar products that you\u2019re selling or of similar solutions to the same problem you\u2019re trying to solve.<\/p>\n
Next go to Twitter and see what people are saying about that problem.<\/p>\n
Survey your buyers and non-buyers and ask them questions. Preferably open ended questions where they have to type in their answers, that\u2019s where you get the true gold. Not in multiple choice questions. Open ended questions allow people to express their true concerns.
\nAnd finally pick up the phone and talk to people. Talk to the people who answer your open ended survey questions to get further clarification and understanding on their beliefs and desires.<\/p>\n
For each of these methods, notice what specific words they use that really speak to their fears, problems and hopes. Compile all of your findings and thoughts into a document and start writing your avatars self-story.<\/p>\n
This is the hard work. This requires empathy. This is not as easy as looking at a webpage and guessing at what to fix. But once you do this you\u2019ll be able to look at that webpage from a totally different perspective.<\/p>\n
Yes, it is possible to see blaring conversion mistakes just by looking at a web page. And looking at a webpage from the perspective of User Experience and Conversion certainly has it\u2019s merits. If only for the obvious quick fixes.<\/p>\n
But the thinking that goes around that UX and CRO perspective comes from the posture of, conversion happening in the mind of your customer, not on the page itself.<\/p>\n
If you think of page optimization in this way then two of the things you can look for is continuity and congruence.<\/p>\n
Continuity is like a thread line that runs through the webpage.<\/p>\n
Are all of the elements on your webpage supporting and connecting each other?<\/p>\n
Does the thought sequence in the avatar\u2019s head match that thread?<\/p>\n
Congruence is like a thread line that runs through each step.
\nDoes each step of your funnel, from ad copy or banner copy and images carry through to the sales page and the order page and the thank you page and even the experience of receiving and using the product after the sale?<\/p>\n
Together continuity and congruence, both work hand in hand and support the thought sequence of the visitor to help them buy.<\/p>\n
Optimization that gets businesses to the next level requires going beyond a look at the webpage with a hand full of recommendations. Anyone can give you some ideas to try. And ever conversion rate optimization specialist will be willing to do this for you for free. And that\u2019s why it\u2019s free, because it\u2019s easy, it\u2019s just an opinion and everyone has one.<\/p>\n
The truly BIG ideas require starting from a different point of view. Starting with the person you are trying to help in mind and truly going deep into understanding what makes them tick, why they buy and why they should buy from you above anyone else and even above not buying at all.<\/p>\n
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