Building a website is the art and science of persuasion, in which a site visitor is convinced to take a form of action that benefits the website owner, by making a purchase, offering a donation, or committing to a future action.

By planning, designing, and optimizing our websites to persuade, we build an effect sales tool.

A conversion-optimized website is like a successful non-commission and salary-free digital salesperson who works for us 24/7, 365 days a year, qualifying leads, building reports, and even closing sales.

A conversion optimized website as well as a high-performing, high traffic website is essential for online success.

Knowing things like a blue “Buy Now Button” converts better then a red “Buy Now Button” can be the difference between loosing and making money online.

A good web design is one that uses proven persuasive techniques to encourage site visitors to act now. They use things like, polished site designs, compelling copy, unique selling proposition (USP), and irresistible calls to action that make a big difference at the end of the day.

With increased sales, more leads, and higher engagement, we have more money to put towards driving more traffic to our site.

The Most Important Marketing Tool You Have

I find it sad the number of business that either do not have or do not have a clue how to use, their website. And what makes it worse is that a number of these businesses are actually web design companies.

I read an article today where an article writer for Small Business Newz Chris Crum wrote an article about what’s important when it comes to your website.

He listed 15 items and out of the 15 only about 5 really mattered and he left out the most important, which would be conversion. We’ve reached a point where a lot of people just want to say something, it doesn’t matter rather its correct or not.

SEO and Conversion

Under normal circumstances, I’d do my best to stay out of debates like the one currently going on over at WWS.

It’s not news that SEO’s have problems rankings sites nor that clients get upset and want their money back.

SEO’s spend years honing their skills, planting links and trying to run the perfect SEO campaign.

But what happens when all they’ve learned isn’t enough?

Should the client take the full hit due to the SEO’s inability to rank their site?

SEO is an industry that must adapt to new challenges faced each day.

As the internet grows the search engines are forced to update and change the way they rank sites. And the SEO has to tweak and make the changes they think will be the most beneficial to the end user and client.

Likewise they should target keywords that are going to convert, it’s all about usability and conversion.

There are no guarantees when it comes to SEO and I guess I can live with that but what really bothered me was this;

SEO is no different than any other type of advertising.. You pay for advertising.. If it converts to sales or not is totally irrelevant to the issue..

I guess I have a problem with that.

Many SEOs feel like their job is nothing more than position.

Conversion is a lot harder to achieve, because the conversion is a function of position, title tag, description, design, text and call to action. Position alone is only one part of a much bigger picture.

If the SEO is not responsible for the conversion of the site then he also has no obligation to target keywords that he feels are going to convert.
However, the problem comes in at the end of the day when the client wants his money back because he did not get the desired affect he was looking for.

Website Conversion

There are two things I can think offhand that get me excited about what I do.

1. The opportunity to make more money.

2. The opportunity to help someone that I love and respect.

I want be making any money off these next couple post however I will get the opportunity to help someone I have a lot of respect for and that just might be better than making money.

I was asked by someone to help them out with a site that belongs to the company they work for.

I believe the question went something like this.

I wanted to get some advice on how to get better search results for our company’s web site?

Anyone that knows me knows that I believe in having a site that will convert the traffic that comes from those rankings, before getting the rankings.

Improving website conversion rates is both an art and a science.

We’ve got 3 seconds to get the attention and keep the attention of an online visitor when they land on our site. Last year we changed the color of one button and saw online sales increase on that site.

Increasing conversion is a constantly changing game that never ends. I’m not going to post the site address here however; I’m going to do a website review for the website that was used in his email address.

If it’s not the correct site please email me the correct site.

Here We Go

When the site loads it’s not even centered in my browser, it lands in the top left hand corner of the page.

I’ve been looking at the site for a couple minutes; I’ve read the text on the home page and still have no idea what it is you do.

A website has to create a desire; it has to make me want what it is you’re selling. This site only makes me want to leave. I don’t mean to be negative but the site lacks passion. I don’t care what you do, I don’t care how long you’ve been in business, I only care what it is you can do for me.

This site has boring written all over it.

Trying to figure out what it is you do I checked out your title tag and get nothing but the website address. That is the most important onsite tag and you’ve put your website address there.

You’ve managed to blend the phone number into the site as well. Guess that cuts back on answering the phone.

The website really isn’t up to par; I’m going to design another site for you tomorrow so I’ll end the website review here.

I’ll also be writing some other stuff for you to start doing in getting ready for the next steps.

Ctabuk

I find it funny that any forum would allow a moderator to be a moderator that lacks the understanding of the simplest of things. When I design a site I try to get as much input on the design as I can, it’s about conversion and what will get the best response from the end user.

I’m not afraid to ask for opinions because at the end of the day it’s about how much money a design will make for my clients. If my clients are making money off my work they’ll come back for more.

I did a design on a site back in August and asked for a review on one of the forums. I got my review made some changes and went on my way. However, in December the site was making around $160,000.00 per month and I wanted to try and get it to $200, 00.00 per month coming into the New Year. Without the client asking I did a total redesign of the site and before going to the client with the site decided to once again hit the forums and get some opinions.

I was immediately attacked by a moderator on the forum who claimed I had already asked for a site review for that same site. Common sense should have set in as he could tell they were two totally different sites by the conversations going on in the two threads.

However, I showed him from a screen shot that they were two totally different designs. To my surprise he lacked the understanding that a design could change and the URL remains the same.

He does not that I can take a website that is located at http://wristbands.geeksonsteroids.com and make the site look totally different yet the url remain http://wristbands.geeksonsteroids.com. Don’t believe me, check the thread out here Ctabuk.

The guy lacks a total understanding of how the internet works.