Tim Eschenauer shares how he started a conversion optimization program at Austin & Williams

Tim Eschenauer is a SEO specialist at Austin & Williams. In this first interview in our on-going Facebook interview series on conversion optimization, Tim shares how he started a conversion rate optimization (CRO) program at Austin & Williams, and why SEO and CRO go hand in hand.

Can you tell us a little about your conversion optimization role?

My role at Austin & Williams is more about Search Engine Optimization, rather than Conversion Optimization. However, SEO and CRO are really coming together in way that one shouldn’t really live without the other. Conversions are obviously the ultimate goal of any website, no matter what the goal of the organization is. And studies have shown that SEO converts better than PPC; with CTR and conversions. SEO to me is about creating the best possible website for any brand - from the content to the design to the functionality (and usability) and all those elements come in to play in terms of search ranking, and ultimately converting users into customers.

How did you first get into conversion optimization?

Well, I am very passionate about Search Engine Optimization, and one of the things I hear most is “I want my website to be number one on Google for this keyword.” That’s all well and good, but I believe when it comes to a website and SEO, it should start with the ranking, but end with the Conversion. The client should be saying “I want my website to be number one on Google for this keyword, because I believe it will increase my business by X%.” You can’t assume just because you’re on page one, your site will convert. Any site can be on the first page of Google, but if the call to action for the user isn’t easily present and if your content doesn’t sell what you’re offering, the CTR can be great, but the Conversion Rate will be superseded by the Bounce Rate.

Case in point. We have a client which we increased their organic search traffic by over 135%, but their online appointments remained flat lined. The only way they could reach the appointment page was from the “home page”. We simply added the link on every page, and views to the appointment form have increased over 450% and users completing the form have increased over 550% in just 5 months.

Which team members do you work with on a normal basis?

At Austin & Williams, we are really a team in every sense of the word. Typically I’ll work with the copy writer, designer, programmer and account manager - no big surprise. However, we have several people here who are very web and analytics savvy that could identify opportunities and flaws within a website. Some of us are very addicted to analytics, and also love winning - so typically we’ll do whatever it takes to increase conversions, rankings, and visitors.

If you started the conversion program at your organization, what was the number one challenge you faced and how did you overcome it?

It was a no brainer to branch out into different forms of analytical data to look for new opportunities for our client’s websites. However, any digital marketing activity that includes the word “optimization” seems to have its obstacles - in terms of selling “it” to the client. I believe there is no better investment to make for your website than SEO and Analytics - which has CRO written all over it.

What is the best thing about being a part of the conversion optimization process?

When I meet with a client and report that we increased their conversions several hundred percent. It becomes addicting watching increases in analytics, and all you want to do is find the next thing that will bring the program to the next level.

What is one final piece of advice you would give to someone just starting out in conversion optimization?

To be successful in CRO, you should understand all the elements of website development and love analytics. You need to be able to become the user and identify what opportunities you might be missing, then fix them. I believe it all begins with optimizing your content and your design for users and search engines (you need these users to find your site before they will convert) then accept the fact that the website you worked so hard to launch might not be ideal for your target audience just because you love the design and the language you used. There is always room for improvement.

Do your research. Optimize. Test. Optimize. Test. Optimize. Test some more. 

Never stop testing and optimizing, because things change on a daily basis. Study your analytics, and don’t over look any opportunity to improve. No website is perfect. Make sure you lay a good foundation for your website first focusing on the website itself – Content, SEO, and Usability/Design – then, if the budget allows, invest in PPC and Social Media. And make analytics your priority.

You can follow Tim at @tim_eschenauer on Twitter, and you can check out our Facebook page for a new interview each week.