Forum Moderators: buckworks
I've only posted a cpl times here, but have been hanging around long enough to know that you guys have a critical way of approaching problems that gets things done.
I, however, am having problems doing exactly that. I made an e-commerce site in a market I'm informed about in the real world, and I also have decent (or so i thought) desigh skills and good database skills. I thought that this would be the perfect opp. to make a successful site, even though my market is a bit crowded (though mostly with bogus sites w/no real info).
I launched the site on monday, took until today to figure out adwords and now i'm getting OK traffic, not impressive, but good enough. However, my conversion rate is about .07%, i know thats only a bit below the average, but i cant help but think i can do much better.
i've followed all the basic advice:
-cc processing instead of paypal
-attempt to write decent copy
-small graphic file sizes ( i used flash but keep swf's really small 10-15k)
-simple navigation layout (top bar)
-1800 number on every page
-security messages and SSL lock on join page
-description of what 'submit' button does on join page
-targeted landing pages
and still...the conv. rate is dismal. im thinking that there must be one glaring ommission on my part that's making the conv rate so low (.07%). i know that some others in my field are paying .65 CPC for the same customers, on the same search terms and similar prices....so their conv rates must be much much better... they would have to convert about 2.2% just to cover costs.
the only thing i can think of it being are that i have some html links in the page that say features of my site, and if you click on them it takes you to the join page, but the links arent labeled join. for ex, a link might say:
Access to 100's of Widgets - We have more widgets than you'll ever need.
Widgets of all Sizes - From small to large and everything in between; we've got it covered!
and the "access to 100's" or "widets of all sizes" would be links to join page...is that really annoying?
other than that, i cant really see what the problem is. I've tried to fuse the gaudy e-book site style ("Listen Closely Friend, I Have an Opportunity") that many of my competitors use with a more professional design. Maybe I should switch to straight e-book style?
anyone want a sticky to my address so they can help out? especially if they have dial-up? i think the loading time could be the prob...but cant test it, i only have cable modem.
thanks in advance,
pk
Those links should take them straight to the relevant (and descriptive) widget product pages.
You have 3 seconds to catch their attention sufficiently to get them to stay and browse your wares. Otherwise they're on the back button.
If your model is that of selling access to the content - are you giving them a sufficient "taster" of that content?
I would find that link text irritating. But certainly I know of people in the p*rn industry for who it works extremely well. So that really depends on the market. Certainly you can analyse what the competition is doing, but possibly you've stepped away from that and allowed your personal design ethos to get in the way of targetting your audience?
TJ
as in, if the e-book were a guide of restaurants, the links would be things like.
Thousands of destinations - on every continent, 300 major cities and also hidden gems that you'd never find!
Searchable Cuisine Database - customize your epicurean search by country, ethnic flavor and spicyness!
and so on. so if you clicked on "searchable cuisine db" i guess i could show a picture of the searchable cuisine db. that would be a good selling point...but still would be taking it far, far beyond what my competition is having to do to get better conv rate.
though, that is a good idea, i'll look into that.
>>customize your epicurean search by country, ethnic flavor and spicyness!
Now, that is a site i want to know. Could ya sticky me?
I would say this, which I think is generic advice:-
Good stats software will tell you where people are leaving from and track each visitor through the site.
TJ
they do the same thing i do, list features of their information sites on various targeted pages, but dont have links to get more specific either, their lists arent links at all.
i have a session based tracking system on site, and every single person who has clicked one of those links has immediately left the site afterwards...so i guess thats my answer right there for at least one improvement.
one of my competition does have pictures of his members area up though...i think thats a good idea possibly. i got the idea of having all of the other links go to the join page from surfing porn sites probably, lol. i guess its not the same when you're not 'teasing' people into a sale.
well it was worth a try, i'll disable the links for now i guess, and work on making them show details next.
pk
well it was worth a try, i'll disable the links for now i guess, and work on making them show details next.
Like I say, I don't actually have any experience with this model of commercial site, but gut instinct tells me that's a very good idea.
TJ
so. anyone up for checking my sites load time on dialup?
Raising your conversion rate is like losing weight. (Low conversion rate = overweight person) But the truth is, you can't fix it all at once. No magic bullet. All you can do is lose 1 pound, maybe 2 a week. Then trying to keep it off and doing the same thing again.
You see all these thin people and just think, if i just lose 30 pounds, i'll be just like them! But some of them were born with it, some of them are anorexic, and others aren't as thin as they look.
So you are starting with .07%. Get yourself to .14% using the techniques that work for you. That'll be 100% conversion rate increase! Not a lot of cash, but if you can increase your conversion rate 100%, its very impressive.
And stop reading all those e-marketing sites that tell you they can raise your conversion rate 800% in a week. They can't, and their statistics are mostly fudged. Don't believe the hype. ;)
one additional insight into your analogy between weightloss and the web however is that the web is instant: much like a fat person undergoing surgery. i'm not saying that an obese woman is going to look like a supermodel the week after her operation, but she'll look a whole lot better than she would one week after starting a low carb diet.
i could easily scrap my whole site and have another one up by monday, tues at the latest. i could change conversions to newsletter signups, and use that to convert to sales. i used to design sites and can put up 'decent' ones in days. the massive amnt of content i generated for the members area was the time consumer, not the other part.
right now i'm looking in part for my "surgery" and then once i get the "weight off" i'll use a combination of diet and exer. to get even more fit :)
thanks for the insight,
pk
thanks in advance,
pk
I have a question, is it 0.07% your conversion rate is or is it 0.7%?
I thought it was 0.07% in your original post, but then i got confused after I read the rest of the post.
i know that there's really no average, and that it varies widely by industry, but lets just say, its about half of what it would have to be for me to make a decent profit.
i'll send you a sticky with my website.
