| In response to a conversion analytics article we | | | | increasing traffic, is that it is something that you can |
| wrote awhile back, one of our readers recently | | | | more directly control. |
| asked: | | | | In ideal situations, you would push both sides and |
| As the Founder and President of a breast cancer | | | | implement the best strategies for increasing traffic, |
| foundation, I wonder if you can comment on how | | | | as well as implementing the best techniques for |
| you might use conversion analytics to determine | | | | increasing conversions. However, it is important to |
| success for an enterprise, such as mine, that is not | | | | note that even these two approaches are closely |
| selling product but ideas and calls to action. | | | | related, they do have many important distinctions. |
| The short answer is that Conversion Analytics | | | | Tier 2 Conversions |
| focuses on measuring and increasing the number of | | | | In many cases, quality matters more than quantity. |
| people who complete a desired action, as well as | | | | For non-profits, we'll look at two examples: |
| increasing the quality of each action. The desired | | | | volunteers and asset donations. |
| action does not need to be a sale, and can be | | | | With volunteers, quality matters. Or course, quantity |
| anything like donating, volunteering, sponsoring, or | | | | helps too. But every non-profit I have worked with |
| learning. Conversion Analytics and Optimization can | | | | seems to have a very strong core of dedicated |
| help you measure and increase the rate at which | | | | volunteers. They are skilled, motivated, dedicated and |
| people complete this action. | | | | committed to the success of their cause. A tier 2 |
| For the long answer, I've included a quick recap on | | | | conversion seeks to increase the number of "regular" |
| how Conversion Analytics works for businesses, and | | | | volunteers that become core-volunteers, ideally |
| then translated that into conversion analytics and | | | | without reducing the number of total volunteers. |
| optimization for non-profits. As always, our search | | | | For example, instead of a group of regular (well |
| visibility and conversion optimization team is always | | | | motivated, but inexperienced) volunteers helping at |
| available to help, and even though we currently work | | | | an animal shelter, recruiting an experienced |
| mostly with businesses, most of us got our start in | | | | veterinarian to volunteer can have a huge impact, |
| the non-profit world and so we understand its many | | | | both in terms of the skills and services they can |
| unique needs and challenges. | | | | provide, and in terms saving you the cost of services |
| Conversion Analytics for Business: A Quick Recap | | | | that you would otherwise have to pay for. |
| In business terms, there are two things that we | | | | One veterinarian volunteer should have a much larger |
| want to increase: First, we want to increase the | | | | impact than a regular volunteer. The goal of tier 2 |
| percentage of our website visitors that buy a | | | | conversions might be modifying your message or |
| product. But not all sales are equal and so for our | | | | part of your website to attract and convert a higher |
| second goal we also want to increase the | | | | number of veterinarians. However, other tier 2 |
| percentage of visitors that buy multiple products, or | | | | strategies might include increasing the number of |
| that buy more profitable products. We'll call this Tier 1 | | | | hours that each person volunteers, or increasing the |
| and Tier 2 conversions. | | | | number of times that they return and volunteer. |
| Tier 1 conversions are just getting people in the door | | | | The other quality example is with asset donations. |
| and buying things. This can be increased through SEO, | | | | While in college, I helped coordinate item donations |
| on-website design, landing page optimization, and a | | | | for a local non-profit. We accepted almost any used |
| couple other techniques. Tier 2 conversions focus on | | | | item – clothes, appliances, books, etc— which |
| increasing the value of each sale – either by | | | | were then sold to raise funds. Starting out, we |
| encouraging people to buy more products, or to buy | | | | received a lot of junk, as people were looking for a |
| more value products. This is commonly seen on | | | | tax write-off by donating things they would |
| websites as "people who bought this product also | | | | otherwise have thrown away. |
| bought these products." | | | | However, by redesigning and redeploying to focus on |
| Conversion Analytics for Non-Profits | | | | quality goods, we were able to vastly increase the |
| Non-profits usually do not sell products. But, | | | | effectiveness of the donation service. The number |
| non-profits still have a call to action –an action | | | | of donations did not immediately increase, but the |
| that you need people to take in order for the | | | | quality of each donation did. We had local business |
| organization to be effective. | | | | donate their stock as things went out of season. |
| This could include things such as: | | | | This meant that instead of trying to store and resell |
| - Corporate sponsorships (monetary, underwriting, | | | | junk, we could keep things well organized and sell |
| supply donations, etc) | | | | things that were new or practically new, which helped |
| - Receiving grants, endowments or other | | | | exceed our goals. |
| government "sponsorships" | | | | These types of tier 2 conversions can have an |
| - Private donations or fundraising | | | | equally large impact and generally focus on creating |
| - Increasing the number of volunteers or volunteer | | | | larger conversions. |
| hours | | | | Some Common Questions |
| - Increasing attendance and participation at public | | | | Q: Are tier two conversions better than tier one |
| fundraisers | | | | conversions, or vice-versa? |
| - Event attendance (rallies, hearings, meetings, etc) | | | | A: Not necessarily. It really depends on where you |
| - Networking lists (for disseminating a message or | | | | are in your business. At some point, you will begin to |
| educational material) | | | | plateau in your ability to drive new traffic to your |
| - Participation of those being served (soup kitchens, | | | | site, and in your ability to convert that traffic into |
| homeless shelters, etc) | | | | some type of customer or donor or volunteer, etc |
| The standard argument is that in order to increase | | | | (Tier 1 conversions). At that point, it will become |
| the number of something (donations, for example), | | | | more important to focus on tier 2 conversions, but I |
| that you must increase the number of people that | | | | would almost never say that you should focus on |
| donate. While this definitely can be true, there is an | | | | one type at the expense of another. They should |
| alternative method. | | | | work together to provide a comprehensive solution. |
| Increasing the number of people you reach is usually | | | | Q: Where can I learn about specific strategies for |
| done through SEO, SEM and Web Marketing | | | | increasing conversions, or conversion optimization? |
| strategies. However, you can also increase the | | | | A: A good place to start might be our own blog, or |
| amount of donations received through Conversion | | | | just look around online. There are tons of resources, |
| Optimization, which seeks to increase the conversion | | | | and usually most areas have some sort of user |
| rate of your current audience. This focuses on | | | | group that meets regularly. Try finding your nearest |
| increasing the impact your message has on your | | | | Search Engine Marketing Professionals Organization |
| already existing audience. In business, we called this | | | | (SEMPO), or other web professional group. |
| "increasing the quality" of each lead or sale. But for | | | | Also, we have written a few articles here (and will |
| non-profits, it means getting more people to act | | | | continue to provide conversion optimization and SEO |
| without having to reach out to a larger audience. It is | | | | insights.) You can check out a few of our conversion |
| optimizing your message and web content to enable | | | | optimization articles on our blog. Or, if you have |
| and encourage people to act. | | | | specific questions, please let us know, or leave a |
| Like in business, we can break down our goal into | | | | comment below! |
| two tiers. | | | | Q: What is the difference between SEO and |
| Tier 1 Conversions: | | | | Conversion Optimization? |
| Tier 1 Conversion focuses on increasing the | | | | A: In very basic terms, SEO seeks to increase traffic, |
| percentage of visitors that become customers. Or in | | | | and Conversion Optimization seeks to increase the |
| the case of non-profits, increasing the percentage of | | | | percentage of that traffic that commits to action. |
| donors, sponsors, volunteers, participants or | | | | Both techniques are generally used to increase the |
| advocates. Generally conversion rates are fairly small | | | | effectiveness of a website. Conversion Analytics is |
| (around 5%) for most ecommerce sites, which | | | | the data and measurement side of Conversion |
| means that only 1 out of every 20 visitors will | | | | Optimization, and helps you make informed decisions |
| actually complete the requested action. | | | | about future changes or improvements. |
| For example, if you want to double your donations in | | | | Q: What type of Conversion Optimization consulting |
| a month, you can either double the traffic to your | | | | do you provide at Amadeus Consulting? |
| site, or you can double the percentage of visitors | | | | A: Amadeus Consulting is primarily a custom software |
| that donate. | | | | development company. As such, we have become |
| Increasing traffic to your site focuses on influencing | | | | very skilled in working the "data end" of conversion |
| factors beyond your website, and generally takes a | | | | optimization, and we take a very measurement and |
| longer amount of time to implement and improve. | | | | results driven approach. Also, we are able to |
| Increasing conversion rates focuses almost entirely | | | | implement and monitor everything, not just offer |
| on factors within your website, which can be more | | | | consulting advice. You can visit our site to learn more |
| easily deployed, tested and improved. The benefit to | | | | about our Search Visibility and Conversion Strategy |
| increasing your conversion rates, rather than | | | | Consulting Services, or contact us directly. |