So now that we have an understanding on ‘Conversions’, it’s time to look into optimising your Conversion Rates in a little more detail. But first, you should set up your Conversion Funnel, so you can work out how to target your leads in step by step.
What is a Conversion Funnel?
You might have heard of people talking about Sales Funnels, which are in essence, Conversion Funnels in this case. Remember, we want to ultimately lead people to a sale. The word funnel implies that it is a step-by-step process, or from top to bottom. Typically, people should go through these steps:
- Top of the Funnel (ToFu)
- = Awareness and Interest
- Middle of the Funnel (MoFu)
- = Consideration and Evaluation
- Bottom of the Funnel (BoFu)
- = Action and Retention
Each phase should be optimised for Conversion, with its own set of goals. Last time we talked about the different types of Conversions. The best way to do optimise Conversion Rates is to understand each part of the Funnel and generate suitable content targeting the steps.
TOP OF THE FUNNEL:
This is the ‘widest’ part of the funnel. At this stage you are just trying to raise awareness and educate the general public about your business. Content at this stage are centred towards driving traffic to your website.
What to do – Impress your audience with an appealing front page and valuable content, for example, industry specific blog articles (make sure to use keywords), and invite people to sign-up with their email address using a built-in webform. Build up a social media presence showcasing helpful content, and encourage users to give reviews in order to build trust and referrals. Make yourself seen and known.
MIDDLE OF THE FUNNEL:
At this stage, you have narrowed down some potential customers for further nurturing, or nudging down the funnel. This is where you need to stand out from your competitors. What makes you different? What is your USP (Unique Selling Proposition) and what extra benefit can you offer?
What to do – Make sure your website Design is not only appealing but also easy to navigate and optimisied for all devices. People are now evaluating and considering your business as a potential choice. They are looking deeper and exploring your site in more detail. You want people to STAY on your page and engage.
How? Throw a bone to hold their attention. For example, offer them a coupon, voucher, or free shipping. Perhaps you have an eBook, free resources, or demo video they’d like to download. Make use of the email addresses you collected at the ToFu and send them an Email Series to keep them interested, include links to specific landing pages designed with strong Call-to-Actions, such as “Shop Now” or “Book Now”.
As you can see, there’s more work to do at this phase as we push for the ultimate conversion, asking them to make a purchase. This is also a good time to make use of reviews, client testimonials, and anything else that gives you an edge over your competitors.
BOTTOM OF THE FUNNEL:
Congratulations! By now, you should have generated customers who are purchasing your product or using your services. However, just because they have made an action (purchase), doesn’t mean your work is over! This is the time to build a relationship with your new customer. You’d want repeat business and loyal customers who tell their friends about you.
What to do – Thank your customers! It’s easy to set up a “Thank You” page to follow up on the conversion, you can even Offer more on the page, to give them a ‘reward’, such as a discount code for the next purchase. This creates good feelings, and positive experiences encourage people to tell their friends about you!
As they are now a customer, you should also get to know them better. Ask them for a bit more information by asking them to update a “Profile” so you can target them with customised promotional offers. Make it sound like you want to help them, rather than just asking for more personal information. For example, say “Let us know what areas you’re interested in, so we can help you with…”
On the social media front, you can create helpful groups and invite your customers to join the community, again this builds relationships and trust. Give them a reason to stay loyal.
NOW TO OPTIMISING CONVERSIONS:
Last but not least, for each step of the way, remember to keep track of the Conversion Rates. For example, if you are targeting people to your website at the ToFu, check where people are dropping off on your pages so you can improve engagement, and set goals for each campaign. If you sent out an Email Series with a Call-to-Action of “Book Now”, track how many bookings are received within the number of emails sent.
Just a quick recap:
Conversion Rate = Number of Goal Achievements / People targeted
Tweak your content as you go to optimise the desired goal, whether it be downloading your eBook, or clicking on the “Shop Now” button. Perhaps it is the wording that needs changing, or an image that’s not working. By keeping track of your Conversion Rates, you can see how effective your content is working at each step of the funnel.
Now that you know what a Conversion Funnel is, and how to create content for each phase, it’s time to get to work! Feeling a bit overwhelmed by the whole process? Let Concept Designs and Marketing help! We have Conversion Rate Optimisation Packages that can help your businesses identify your target market, and ensuring your website is optimised for navigation and user experience, giving you that edge over your competitors.
Get in touch today!
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