Website Secrets

The secret to a successful website is simple: Improve the Conversion Rate

(see a video on this)

The secret to a successful website is the conversion rate. David Kelly of Zeald.com describes this part of an e-business as success metrics. He believes every business on the planet follows a very simple formula which determines how much money the business generates. That formula is as follows:
Leads (Enquiries) X Conversion Rate = Number of Sales X Average Sale = Revenue
This formula shows us that the money a business generates is directly determined by:
• The number of enquiries or leads that the business receives
• The rate at which it converts those enquiries (the conversion rate) to sales
• The amount of money the customer spends each time they buy from the organisation (the average sale)
David gives the example of two different types of website where the key success metrics can be examined to determine their success.
Sales Focused Website

The performance of a ‘sales’ focused website is governed by the following formula.
Website Visits X Conversion Rate = Number of Sales X Average Sale = Revenue

As you can see from this diagram there are three key success metrics that determine how successful a website focused on ‘sales’ will be – those three things are:
• The number of visits that the website receives

• The rate at which it converts those visits (the conversion rate) into sales.

• The amount of money the buyer spends each time they buy from the website (the average sale)

Enquiries Focused Website

The performance of an enquiries focused website is governed by an even simpler formula.
Website Visits X Conversion Rate = Number of Enquiries

As you can see from this formula, there are only two key success metrics that determine how successful a website focused on enquiries will be – those two things are:
• The number of visits that the website receives
• The rate at which it converts those visits (the conversion rate) into enquiries.

So why do so many websites fail? David believes most websites fail because people do not understand what drives a website’s results. He says in order to have a successful website you need to understand:
• the importance of website visits and how to increase the number of visits to your website
• the importance of the conversion rate and how to increase the amount of website visits that are converting to sales or enquiries
• the importance of the average sale and how to increase the amount that people spend every time they buy off your website

Improving Success Metrics
David has produced a summary of some of the ways to success metrics on a website:
Visitors
Email signatures (automatic footer/sign-off)
Search engine optimisation
Promotion of website on business cards, brochures, letterheads, etc
Promotion of website on physical advertising & promotions
Email marketing
Online banner advertising
Directory listings, e.g., www.yellowpages.co.nz, www.ubd.co.nz
Search engine advertising
Affiliate marketing.

Conversion Rate
Fast-loading website
User-friendly website layout
Professional, personalised website design
Strong sales proposition
Compelling sales copy
Clear sales process and pathway
Great testimonials & references
Guarantee
Clear terms and conditions & privacy policy.

Average Sale
Cross-sells
Up-sells
Specials and Promotions
Wish-lists
Volume pricing
Gift vouchers
Best sellers
New items
2-for-1 packages.

David firmly believes that if sufficient attention is paid to the above factors, then a successful website is assured.
An example is a client, Meat Cuisine who is owned by Terry Lillis, a butcher with 30 years’ experience. Meat Cuisine’s factory shop in Panmure supplies the hotel and restaurant industry as well as the company’s retail clients. The company approached Zeald.com, when its first website failed to meet expectations.
In its brief to Zeald.com, Meat Cuisine identified several key objectives for the website as well as barriers that might dissuade people from ordering. The website was required to:
• Ensure that Meat Cuisine product, (restaurant-quality meat at supermarket prices delivered direct to the home), became more widely available
• Be visually appealing and show attractive and appetising images of cooked product, and
• Be fast to download.

Customers had to be reassured that it was safe and practical to have a perishable product delivered to their home and that the meat they were receiving was fresh. Plus, they needed to appreciate that it was not cost-effective for Meat Cuisine if their customers ordered very small quantities.
To overcome these barriers, a measured campaign was conducted for the first two months after the site went live. This was structured so that:
• During the first month no delivery fee was charged. This was to encourage people to order and to gain their confidence (the delivery fee is usually $10), and
• In the second month, purchases of more than $50 - the average value per sale during the first month - were delivered free, and customers who bought more than three items were given a bacon pack.

The result was that the Meat Cuisine website met all the objectives and has encouraged people to disregard any barriers they may have had to purchasing meat online. In the first two-and-a-half months, the Meat Cuisine site had about 1000 visitors and 12.7 per cent of visitors added the site to their favourites, thus increasing their chances of visiting – and buying – again.
Positive feedback has been received from a range of people, the site appears high up on search lists, and the system that enables clients to be sent email marketing promotions is working well.
Terry Lillis realised that having an effective website is vital to the success of his retail business. The site is widely promoted in marketing and advertising material including in print advertisements, on Triangle and Prime Television, on signage on company vehicles and via email marketing. Selling quality meat online was more cost-effective for Meat Cuisine than opening more stores.

Below is a link to a video on Website Conversion tips.
To maximize your success you need to go beyond traffic generation. You need to focus on web site conversion. Many online marketers spend lots of time and money on traffic generation, but fail to pay attention to website conversions.