Web 2.0? More than just another buzzword…
Web 2.0 is one of those phrases which we’re hearing a lot about currently. Everybody is excited about it but do they really know what it is?

So what is it?
In the simplest terms it is the phrase being applied to ‘the second coming’ of the internet. Dot-com investors are partying like its 1999 and a number of pioneering online services are very much keeping that party exciting, getting everybody talking about the internet once more and its increasing relevance to our lives.

Such as?
Well, web 2.0 is a bit of a catchall, which covers a broad range of new online services, user-generated content, communities and social networking tools. The most popular are sites such as Blogger, Flickr, MySpace, YouTube and Wikipedia and the Godfather of web 2.0 – Google. The phrase also refers to the creation of far greater levels of interactivity, not just between users, or between users and the internet but between complementary online services through mash-ups and web services.

So this is all consumer stuff – photo sharing and the like?
That’s where a lot of the energy is coming from and the services doing the early running have absolutely been focused on driving and exploiting end-user trends. However, the idea that the web is ‘where it’s at’ is not lost on big business. For example, web 2.0 covers ‘software as a service’ (SaaS) – companies are being told they no longer have to buy software but instead should access applications online. Many people aren’t yet ready to embrace that move but investors and advocates of SaaS are certainly convinced.

Where did the name come from?
The 2.0 name is a clear allusion to the naming convention of software updates – this is the internet version 2.0, get it? – which is slightly ironic given the revolution taking place in software as a service is not good news for traditional client/server software.

Why is that?

Well, to quote Marc Benioff, CEO of salesforce.com: “All of the action is in services. Web 2.0 is where the action is.” His company has embraced this move whole-heartedly, providing a portal for all manner of web 2.0 applications aimed at the enterprise – including online word processors and spreadsheets, (nobody said web 2.0 had to be limited to interesting, fun applications).

We are convinced that Web 2.0 should be a major consideration for businesses.

But should I care?
Absolutely! Two or three years ago there was a feeling that innovation online had failed to emerge from the doldrums of the dot-com boom and bust cycle and had hit something of a dead end but now innovation is arguably at its most frenetic level ever.

Never underestimate the effect the internet can have on our lives, now all we need is a browser and a broadband connection and there’s very little we can’t do.

Isn’t there a danger that mistakes will be repeated? We have been here before, haven’t we?
We certainly have seen an internet boom before and history has shown us that bust follows boom but there is some bedrock here. Of course, there are question marks over how YouTube will make money, for example – because great ideas and even popularity don’t pay the bills – and the next stage for the investors will be monetizing the excitement that surrounds web 2.0. Not every service, which launches under that banner, will survive but a great many will, probably though acquisition in many cases.

Acquisition by whom?
Well Google for starters; the internet giant is absolutely at the heart of web 2.0 and the ability to bring many of these services together to create vast interlinked content offerings will certainly appeal. For the enterprise and end-user, Google already offers a number of Office-style applications as a hosted offering. The company is also readying the finished version of its hosted email Exchange-offering.

The more, dare we say ‘interesting’ web 2.0 content will also appeal to Google as it puts ever more flesh on its content bones.

Learn more...

We will offer an inside look at Web 2.0 Principles and Best Practices and lay out the answers—the why, what, who, and how of Web 2.0. Our dialog will serve as an indispensable resource for technology decision-makers—executives, product strategists, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders—who are ready to compete and prosper in today’s Web 2.0 world.

Web 2.0 is here today—and yet its vast, disruptive impact is just beginning. More than just the latest technology buzzword, it’s a transformative force that’s propelling companies across all industries towards a new way of doing business characterized by user participation, openness, and network effects.

What does Web 2.0 mean to your company and products? What are the risks and opportunities? What are the proven strategies for successfully capitalizing on these changes?

We will explore core patterns that are keys to understanding and navigating the Web 2.0 era and provide tools for hands-on self-assessment.

Our goal is to provide you with valuable insight and practical tools for success.

Stay tuned~

Conversion Rate Optimization is the continual process of making your Web Site and landing pages generate better results from your visitor traffic. For example, more leads, opt-ins, and more sales.

Conversion Rate Optimization is also the fastest and easiest strategy to increase your sales without spending more money on increasing your traffic.

In fact, the most successful companies test everything…

* Headlines
* Call to Action
* Copy
* Images
* Graphics
* Button Look
* Button Text

* Button Location
* No Links
* Press Quotes
* Testimonials
* Pricing
* Flow Through Process
* And more

1. The largest percentage of your visitors are bailing within 0-8 seconds after briefly viewing your landing page.

2. The second largest percentage of visitors bail when they decide your landing page does not prove compelling.

3. A small percentage of visitors attempt to convert (buy or use a contact form to become a lead) but fail. Many of these people will call.

4. A small percentage of visitors convert.

Conversion rate optimization is the process of optimizing your landing pages to minimize your “bail out rate” and maximize your “conversion rate” (CR).
The Top 6 Landing Page Components
To Optimize for Maximizing Your Conversions

The following are the top 6 conversion components that should be tested and improved to boost your conversion rates…

1. Headline – Since your headline is the first line that your visitors will read, the headline of your web page offers the biggest opportunity (about 80% of the opportunity) for improvements in conversion rate. Use headlines that clearly state the biggest benefit(s) that your product offers.

2. Offer – Since your offer is the “call to action” that asks your visitors to act (purchase, sign up, opt-in), your offer accounts for the second the biggest opportunity for improvements in conversion rate.

3. Lead – The “lead” or first paragraph is the third biggest opportunity for improvements in your conversion rate. Leads must be written with strong benefits that capture your visitor’s attention and make them want to read more.

4. Benefits – The “benefit bullets” (bullet-point format) are the forth biggest opportunity for improvements in conversion rate. List your benefits in the order of your product’s “value hierarchy” to your target market. In other words, state your product’s strongest benefit first, and its weakest benefit last.

5. Images – The images you use have a big impact on your conversion rates. The best practice is to use images that clearly portray the biggest benefit your product offers your customer (rather than generic “feel good” stuff like unknown logos and clip art). Studies show that product images work best when placed to the left of your product description (or lead paragraph) since it makes it easier to read your copy from left to right. Plus, people like to reads “captions” under your images almost as much as they read your headlines. So, add powerful captions and make your images clickable to the order/sign up page.

6. “Look & Feel” – According to a recent study by Stanford University, 46% of Web sales are lost on web sites that lack the critical elements that build value and trust with website visitors. The number one reason the people indicated why they wouldn’t buy from a web site was because it had an unprofessional “look and feel” that lacked credibility and did not “feel” trustworthy. Having a professional look, and trust building tools (such as VeriSign and BBBOnline certifications) help convert significantly more of your web site’s qualified visitors into new customers.

Other Important Conversion Elements to test:

* Buttons – Button text, color, look, etc.
* Pricing
* Formatting and placement of page elements, images and copy
* Navigation links versus no navigation links
* Press Quotes
* Testimonials

Other Conversion Best Practices and Tips:

* Reduce your “bail out” rate by optimizing your web pages to download within 5 seconds on a 56k modem – Test your pages on Andy King’s “Web Page Analyzer” http://www.websiteoptimization.com/services/analyze/
* Add a 1-800-Number and Call to Action above the fold (top of the page)
* Add a Logo and a powerful “Value Proposition” to the top left
* Instead of letting visitors click off your landing page, put all your information on one page (This tactic alone increased the conversions of a landing page by 55%)
* Use colors that fit your target customer’s personality

Conclusion:

When you use “Conversion Rate Optimization” to test and improve your web pages and landing pages you can double your sales (possibly even quadruple) when you add up all the performance improvements. Of course it takes time and work but it’s well worth the effort.

If you’re truly serious about maximizing your results, continuously test, track and improve the important elements of your web site, landing pages (and your marketing materials).

To schedule a free 1/2 consulting session to discuss your online campaign strategy contact me at connie@anitron.com

Conversion Rate Optimization is the fastest and easiest strategy for increasing leads and sales generated from your web site. Conversion Rate Optimization is the process of making your web site generate more results by being more persuasive, more trustworthy, easier to navigate, etc. Plus, it’s the best way to significantly increase your leads and sales without having to spend a bunch of money on increasing your traffic. In fact, it’s the first step that should be taken before increasing your targeted traffic.

Avoid These Common Pitfalls:
Unfortunately, most web sites are terrible at converting traffic to leads or sales. The typical web sites we’re hired to optimize lack critical trust-building components, have confusing navigation, and contain no compelling or benefit-oriented value proposition, headlines, content, or offers. In fact, they waste 75%+ of their traffic due to lack of “sales-ability.”

Increase web site conversionsIf you’ve invested in web site development only to find that your site is not optimized to generate high conversion rates, you are missing out on your biggest opportunity to increase results and profits. In fact, by making your web site more appealing to your target market, you can double (even quadruple) your leads or sales in a short period of time. A professionally designed web site makes people feel more confident and compelled to buy from you, which in turn means you’ll get:

* Higher sales.
* Higher response rates.
* Higher conversion rates.
* Better customer retention.
* Better returns on your investment.
* Less stress.

Here’s how…

Your 7 Step Plan for Increasing Your Conversion Rate…

STEP 1: Define your visitor profiles
Every company has customers with unique personality attributes and characteristics. For example, a software company we worked with had the following profiles…

1. IT Professionals
2. Chief Financial Officers (CFO’s)
3. Sales & Marketing Managers

Most web sites convert at only a tiny fraction of their true potential because they’re not designed to appeal to their target market, much less the individual profiles of their most likely buyers. Imagine if you could transform your web site into a powerful tool for appealing to and drawing in your prospects like a powerful “magnet” or tool for persuading them, educating them, overcoming their objections, and getting them to act now. That’s exactly what conversion optimization is designed to do.

If you truly believe our product or service will help your customer, this can be done by defining your typical site visitors and writing your copy to appeal to their needs. Use the following 2 attributes to define your web site visitor’s profiles…

1. Demographics: What kinds of people buy from you and what are their attributes?

2. Psychographics: What does the person do psychologically as part of their buying decision process? What are the overall goals that they want to achieve, what are their objections, and specifically how can you show them you’re the right choice over your competition?

STEP 2: Create the redesign plan
OK, now you know who your top 2, 3 or more customer profiles are. The next step is to build a “path” you can take each profile through on your web site to give them all the information they need to know to make the decision to become a new lead or client.

Every page of your web site should be mapped out including these five elements:

1. Which visitor profiles are likely to visit each web page;
2. Which specific keywords they may use at the search engines to get there;
3. The questions the prospect landing on that page needs to have answered;
4. The specific strategy the web page will take to answer these questions;
5. A list of the actions each profile might take next.

STEP 3: Write targeted copy for the new site
Now that you know the elements your web site and individual pages need to include to satisfy your customer profiles, the next step is to write compelling, benefit-oriented copy that satisfies the following for your customers…

* WIIFM – What’s In It For Me? What goals are you going to help them achieve and what are the benefits your product or service offers them that will help achieve them and how?
* Why should I buy your product or service instead of the competition’s?
* What objections do your profiled customers have, and how specifically does your product or service satisfy them?

STEP 4: Calls to action
Use primary responses & secondary or “back-up” responses. Usually, the primary response of a web site is to purchase your product or become a lead by signing up for a free white paper, webinar, or information kit, etc. But, for every 1 person who delivers your primary response (buys or becomes a lead), there are at least 10 others who almost bought or almost clicked.

Develop ways to move these “almost buyers” or “almost leads” (the ones who didn’t buy or sign up) closer to the sale with “back-up responses.” Perhaps your visitor is not ready to buy just now. But, she would like to know about your monthly specials. All she has to do is sign up for your newsletter, or similar back up response.

STEP 5: Professional Design
According to a recent study by Stanford University, 46% of Web sales are lost on web sites that lack the critical elements that build value and trust with website visitors. The number one reason people indicated why they wouldn’t buy from a web site was because it had an unprofessional “look and feel” that lacked credibility and did not “feel” trustworthy.

The solution is simple…

a) Use a professional “look and feel” that instills trust within your visitors
b) Show your Verisign Certificate and BBB Online membership on each page
c) Use testimonials
d) Offer a risk-free guarantee

As you can see, having a professional look, and persuasive copy (words) will help convert significantly more of your web site’s qualified visitors into new leads and customers. In turn, this will boost your company’s revenues and profits.

In actuality, those are very rarely the TRUE objectives; but rather the MEANS to accomplish one’s objectives. A web site’s objectives will in most cases be to drive sales and revenues or generate qualified leads.

The first step to building a winning strategy on the Internet is to identify your exact goals and set your web site’s objectives to achieve those goals. Here are two examples…

Web Site Goal: Lead Generation
If the main goal of your web site to generate more leads for your company, your web site’s objectives should be geared around two things…

1) increasing the quantity of your leads
2) increasing the quality of your leads

By focusing on these web site objectives you can identify what your web site needs to do to accomplish them. For example, if you want to increase the quantity and quality of your leads, you can identify that your web site should be re-designed to…

a) Attract more qualified visitors from the search engines
b) Display the benefits of your product or service
c) Educate your visitors and prospects on how to make a smart buying decision
d) Overcome the objections your visitors may have about your product
e) Persuade them to take action and become a lead for your sales team

To identify your exact goals and set your web site’s objectives to achieve those goals contact an Internet Media Business Consultant IMBC

Web Site Goal: Drive Sales and Increase Revenue

If the main goal of your e-commerce web site is designed to generate sales for your company, your web site’s objectives should be geared around two things…

1. Get more visitors to shop for and buy your products
2. Get visitors to buy larger orders
3. Get visitors to return and buy more often

As you can see from these two examples, setting specific goals and objectives for your web site will allow you to set your plan for improving your results. Now that you have your goals and objectives, you’re ready for the next step which is increasing your web site conversion rate.

To Successfully Drive Sales and Increase Revenues contact for a professional Internet Stragy Consult:

Internet Media Business Consultant IMBC