Leading the horse to water AND making it want to drink!
 
When designing an online interface, whether it is a website, a landing page, an ad or an email newsletter, the primary objective is to get users to take positive action, i.e. to convert.
Conversion Architecture is the wireframe or blueprint that determines the form and function, look and feel, visual content and copy of any online interface. From an Internet marketing perspective, it is based on the fact that a user (viewer / visitor / reader) has a need that must be fulfilled. If your website, landing page, email piece or pay-per-click ad fulfills that need quickly, efficiently and offers the user a good experience, you are closer to conversion, closer to closing, closer to improved business performance.
The Internet marketing landscape is changing at the speed of thought! Traffic building strategies like link exchange and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising are no longer enough because more traffic does not mean more profits or more business. Search engine optimization (SEO) which involves tools, techniques and technologies to improve your online search rankings has evolved into conversion rate optimization (CRO). The bottom line is, if you are aren't converting, your target audience is going to the competition. They still have a need that must be fulfilled, remember?

Search Engines and Social Media Channels Compete
...but finding common ground can help customer engagement and conversion

  With increased awareness about search engine optimization (SEO) and easier access to information, business owners are more willing to invest in making their websites rank higher on search engines. Simultaneously, the explosive growth of social media is spurring businesses to consider making social media an integral part of their overall marketing efforts. This does pose somewhat of a dilemma because the objective of search engines and social media channels is quite the opposite of each other.

While search engines aim to help consumers find the information they are looking for and direct them specifically to the most relevant (top ranking) websites, social channels facilitate online conversations on third-party forums like Facebook, Twitter, Mashable and so on. Savvy Internet marketers have realized that instead of making the difficult choice of one over the other, it is wise to find common ground between search and social and rake in the benefits of both.

The biggest advantage of social media is that it generates consumer-speak - honest feedback about a product, service or brand. Social media users are already on a heightened level of "engagement" when they are discussing a product, service or issue. If your company launches a social media campaign, you can look for the prominent and frequently appearing keywords that users include in their social conversations. Using these keywords on your website can yield good results because they are likely to be relevant search terms that prospective customers will use when searching for your product or service on Google, Yahoo!, etc. You could be losing potential opportunities if you ran a social media campaign without a solid SEO strategy in place to support it. Your business needs the collaborative impact of search and social marketing.

Users Search, and then Socialize to Validate their Findings
...relevant content can boost your visibility across both platforms  

Internet users are growing more demanding - they want relevant information, easily and quickly. They are no longer content with surfing and searching for information on search engines. They also now look to confirm their online findings by interacting with other folks using social media. For instance, the latest interactive multimedia game may show up on the first page of search engines but the person searching will most likely proceed to blogs, forums and Twitter type of channels to hear what people are saying about the game.

As a company, you can take the critical step to ensure that the information you provide about your business or brand is put across in a user-friendly and relevant manner - not just on your website but also via blog articles, blog posts, Tweets, a Facebook page, perhaps even a video presentation on YouTube. If "content is king" was true in the past, it just got further reinforced!

The important thing to remember is that while you may know best about your business, you may not always figure out the best way to communicate it to your target audience. Your best bet is to employ the services of a professional web copywriter or Internet marketing consultant who offers expert help with search marketing content. Compelling, persuasive copy with clear calls to action can effect higher conversions from your search marketing and social media campaigns. Content that drives results can mean the difference between whether your audience surfs your online space or turfs it.

Your WSI Retail Group Consultant is trained in both, search and social media marketing and can help you discover that critical common ground between these two advanced Internet marketing fields. Contact us at www.wsiretailgroup.com to set up a free, no obligation consultation.

It’s all about customer engagement

As a retail business owner, how often do you make a choice not to settle for rudimentary changes that generate average results and please only the average customer? Many of us are guilty of this kind of complacency not realizing that by catering to the “average” site visitor, we are probably ignoring the greater majority of our prospects who demand personalized attention. Retail businesses that seek to integrate their overall marketing strategies and align them with the goals of a majority of their website users can achieve great results.

When utilizing best of kind Internet marketing tools, your site can be your primary marketing vehicle. But what value will a website bring to your retail business if people are visiting your site and not completing the desired action (i.e.: making an online purchase, subscribing to your promotional campaigns, visiting your store, etc.)?

Your website is a sales funnel, just like your store

Your target audience can always be profiled primarily on their needs / wants / pains / and problems. This can be further broken down into demographics and psychographics and where they are in the buying cycle (which decides their behaviour on your site). Your goal then is to ensure that every element of your website persuades visitors on your site to take the actions that lead to the delivery of your objectives (conversion). Conversion on your website means the visitor completing your desired action or objective. Pour site visitors through your website funnel while monitoring and measuring their actions to ensure that your efforts are driving results to the bottom of the funnel and your bottom line. Remember that every click on your site is a step towards conversion. Visitor satisfaction with every click on your site should build confidence until they reach the final click where they convert into a customer.

Conversion Architecture™ starts by defining your business goals and target audience, and then ensuring that every element of your site persuades visitors to take the desired actions. These elements include: persuasive copy, calls‑to‑action and conversion tools like live chat or click‑to‑call technology. The guiding philosophy of Conversion Architecture™ is that all websites must have a persuasive purpose. Building your site with Conversion Architecture™ in mind will result in more visitors doing what you want them to online – whether buying a new product, signing up for your VIP Club or printing off a coupon.

The 40/40/20 Rule

Conversion Architecture™ follows the 40/40/20 Rule – 40% Audience Targeting, 40% Offer and 20% Creativity. These figures come from the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) in its outlining of parameters that determine the success of any retail marketing campaign. Whether or not you use diverse Internet marketing methods like pay-per-click advertising, landing pages, viral social media marketing campaigns, etc., you can always think of your website as your primary marketing vehicle. Build it using the 40/40/20 Rule where (a) every element of the website keeps in mind the majority of users and their varied profiles; (b) there exist multiple acquisition channels making a variety of offers and (c) aesthetic design and creativity offers unique and personalized experiences for site visitors.