#CROchat is back!

#CROchat (our Twitter chat on Conversion Rate Optimization) is back, and will be better than ever!

Join us this Thursday, January 13^th at 1pm ET for the first #CROchat of 2011. It will be spectacular!

In an effort to optimize our time spent chatting about CRO, we will be hosting #CROchat every other week for 30 minutes.  That’s only the official amount of time we’ll be using the #CROchat hashtag. It doesn’t mean we can’t continue to chat about conversion optimization every day just like we always have.

I’m looking forward to chatting with you on Thursday all about CRO! Feel free to tweet to me or leave a comment with any questions about the chat.

You can also let me know what questions you want to discuss in #CROchat by leaving a question for us here on Formspring!

Whoohoo! Cheers to sharing great CRO advice in 2011!

21 landing page tips shared in #CROchat this year

Image created by #CROchat contributor, @gatzseoIt’s been eight months since we all started gathering on Thursdays at 10am PT/ 1pm ET to discuss conversion optimization in #CROChat. We’ve shared advice on testing, design, personas and more in both the lead gen and ecommerce spaces. And now it’s time to step back and reflect.

#CROchat will be taking a brief pause through the end of the year, and will return with fresh energy and ideas in 2011. That doesn’t mean though we shouldn’t still use the #CROchat tag to talk with each other and share conversion marketing tips. We must never stop sharing and learning! I’ll still frequently be using the #CROChat hashtag and hope you will too.

Here are 21 of my favorite landing page tips shared in #CROchat this year:

1. Some very important things to measure on the landing page include: time spent on page, registration numbers, behaviors (both that lead to conversions and bounces), keyword performance, and number of pages per visit.
2. Some key micro-conversions to track: downloads, social engagements, and video views.
3. To track conversions that take place offline you can use: coupons, promo codes, and tracked phone numbers. You should also train your sales reps to track this kind of info.
4. Getting the wrong people to bounce is a good thing!
5. Test what you measure and see how that impacts the evolution of your campaigns.
6. Conversion rate optimization and SEO balance each other out. 
7. SEO should be followed up by conversion rate optimization. Rankings lead to site traffic, but site traffic does not always lead to conversions.
8. Highly specific conversion bait is likely to be much more specific than link bait.
9. Landing page pet peeves: wrong message, information overload, and poor design.
10. When implementing video, beware of auto-play and make sure your video loads quickly and smoothly.
11. Homemade videos don’t seem to hurt conversions. Test them!
12. When working within a shopping cart, only ask for what you need and store addresses in user accounts when possible.
13. Using a progress bar will help set user expectations when dealing with both multi-part forms and shopping carts.
14. Monitoring Average Order Value (AOV) helps show the quality not just quantity of online sales.
15. Data transparency works when it’s understandable by all and impartial; filtered data is always skewed.
16. Testing price points on the landing page is important because value is in the eye of the beholder.
17. After “what’s in it for me?” the most important question is, “how much?”
18. When it comes to price on the web, the competitor’s price is a search away.
19. Include trust elements and social proof on your landing page to increase conversions.
20. Segment your visitors to increase your ability to provide really targeted information and offers.
21. Analyzing behavioral analytics gives us insight into user behaviors that lead to and away from conversions.

I’m sure we’ll still see each other around the #CROchat watering hole during the next couple of months, and I’ll definitely still be tweeting with you about landing pages from the @ioninteractive account.

Happy tweeting and in the words of frequent #CROchat contributor, Carey Gatz: cro rulez.

Jim Sterne to host #CROchat on November 4th

I’m very pleased to announce that Jim Sterne, founder of the eMetrics conference, president and chairman of the Web Analytics Association, and author of several online marketing books, will be hosting #CROchat on November 4th. 

I was lucky enough to meet Jim at eMetrics/Conversion Conference D.C. earlier this month, at which time Jim graciously agreed to host our weekly Twitter chat about Conversion Rate Optimization (#CROchat). 

During the next week, feel free to leave a comment here or tweet to me @ioninteractive or Jim @JimSterne if there is anything in particular you would like to discuss at the November 4th #CROchat.

For those who will be joining us for the first time, in #CROchat we discuss how to improve landing page conversion rates (both e-commerce and lead generation) through testing and analysis. Common questions surround:

• Landing page design
• How SEO and CRO should work together
• How to integrate online and offline marketing

If you’ve never joined us before, or if you’re frequently a silent participant watching from afar, November 4th is the perfect time to jump right in. 

#CROchat begins promptly at 1pm ET / 10 am PT. We recommend using tweetchat.com to follow along with the conversation.

How to keep conversions up before anticipated promotional times

During the ecommerce presentation at Conversion Conference, it was mentioned that we’ve trained consumers to expect promotions based on external factors (holidays, seasons, etc).

During the following #CROchat, we discussed how to keep conversions up right before these anticipated promotional times.

@Robert_Brady: Seems like some sites just offer their promos (like Christmas) earlier every year.

@GatzSEO: I have always liked the price protection promo. If the item I buy goes on sale then I can get the difference back.

@Sarahd23: I’ve seen some companies offer “insider sales” before it goes to the public, but I don’t know if that works

@SharonMostyn: You can do a pre-sale to keep conversions up right before “anticipated” holiday sales

What do you do to keep conversions up before these anticipated times? Leave a comment or send us a tweet @ioninteractive.

Tweet Chats: add to the community or else!

I was reading a post earlier today by Brian Rice called “Tweet Chats: Organized Chaos or Untapped Marketing Opportunity.” As the moderator of #CROchat I couldn’t help but think, it’s both!  

When a really heated discussion gets going, or a lot of people join in, it can be “organized” chaos. It’s organized in that I always come to the chat with a set of five questions to lead the chat, and it’s chaos because the discussion goes so fast I miss some of the answers.

Anyone not already participating in at least one weekly Twitter chat of interest in missing out on a great opportunity for:

• Networking with other professionals
• Growing your Twitter universe
• Meeting potential customers
• Being seen as an active part of your industry
• Making friends!

However, simply attending a Twitter chat doesn’t mean you will reap the above mentioned benefits. In fact, if you come and spam the participants, they will let you know how unwelcome you are.

Rice says (and is totally spot on), “Tweet chats present an interesting opportunity for brands to engage directly with consumers.  However for it to work successfully, the intentions must be to add value to the community.  Consumers will see directly through tactics that result in a one-sided chat that focuses solely on the brand and it will turn them off almost instantly.”

When moderating a Twitter chat there are some things you need to take into consideration. For instance: 

• How will you handle a very popular chat where the tweets are coming in faster than you can handle?
  • There’s no point to a Twitter chat if no productive conversation goes on
• What will you do if no one shows up to your chat?
• Who will moderate the chat in the event that you can’t?
• What will you do as the moderator if an argument erupts?

If you want to see how I handle these items, you’ll just have to join us every Thursday in #CROChat from 1-2pm ET or ask me @ioninteractive.