For years, website conversion has been stuck at 3%. This means 97% of all visitors does not buy, does not download or does not sign up.
Despite all of our knowledge and techniques, we're still not able to improve this figure. Visitors are quick to leave: online, we have five to ten seconds at most to inspire a visitor. If we don't, he's gone. This 'inspiration' could be anything ranging from a personal video, interactivity or games to surprising content based on behavioral targeting or profile information.
After 'inspiration' (marketer seduces client to stay) follow 'connection' (marketer poses a question), 'dialogue' (marketer and consumer talk) and 'conversion' (consumer buys from marketer). We have to facilitate each of these phases online to improve the results from our web presence. Online visitors have to be placed in an environment and atmosphere that puts them at ease and gently pushes them toward wanting to do what we want them to do: I call this the 'pre-experience'. It allows visitors to almost experience online what they'll experience when they've bought our product or service, stimulating conversion. If a website visitor can almost feel or experience our product or service online as if it were the real thing, our website results will be significantly higher than the 'digital brochures' most companies call their websites.
So pay attention to your 'pre-experience' and think about what kind of experience could raise conversion. Just think of what you'd do when you're talking with a client: you shake your client or prospect's hand, you use your charm and playfully find out his desires or needs. That's how you get that final signature beneath the contract. Translating these interactions to an online environment, we're looking at video Q&A, personal
avatars and behavioral targeting. There are more examples. For instance, think of the excitement and energy of people in a rollercoaster ride, on a beautiful summer's day. Could you grab that feeling, grab that energy, personalize it and unleash it in an online environment? Yes, yes you can! Just look at Nike, Adidas or Meez, who let you create your own online avatar, bringing the shopping experience to your computer monitor.
Remaking' your current website can be very interesting, if coupled with concrete targets. Websites are more and more becoming commercially important tools and we've got to prove that. It's not just sales goals though. We may be looking for profiles (containing client information), e-mail addresses, research data, or
leads and prospects. Those other data are valuable too. Putting those in our business case, it'll pave the road toward getting the budgets you need for serious Webpresence 2.0.
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