First Things First - Conversion Before Traffic


by Mark R Zimmerman - Date: 2007-04-11 - Word Count: 499 Share This!

While some aspects of web marketing are beginning to shows signs of maturity, the interactive space is generally still in its infancy in terms of how to think about building audience and therefore generating revenue consistently.

I advise several web start-ups and PE firms and almost everyone starts the conversation talking about traffic generation. Whether your revenue model is ad-driven or not, your sustained success depends on conversion of traffic into true customers, people interested in what you have to offer who will come back for more.

You might be thinking "Of course, idiot!" and I'd do the same. But if it's that obvious, why do so few marketers and agencies BEGIN their strategy with conversion and retention instead of traffic? You need to understand how you'll convert a visitor before you think about the most efficient ways to go after traffic, or else you'll be going after (and paying for) the wrong traffic.

Where am I going with all of this? Nope, not a Direct Marketing 101 rant.

Where I think more time needs to be spent is on conversion testing and implementation. Sites have become so complex and robust that it's impossible to grasp the total value proposition by viewing the home/landing page or by perusing a few other parts of a site, even for many of the best sites. It would be like trying to sell a car these days by simply showing one or two photos. It doesn't work. And yet the average visitor isn't going to spend more than 30 seconds checking it out before making a snap decision.

So web marketers need to really think about what they have to offer and how to provide a pretty complete picture in 30 seconds or less. Attempts to do so by making it more enticing to click on various links to other areas of the site rely on an action by the visitor, a visitor who is not yet hooked enough to take the plunge.

Make it effortless, make it seamless, make it automatic. That's the basic premise of invisible media.

One example is Indaba Music, a magnificent new site for musicians around the world who wish to collaborate on writing, recording, publishing, and distributing their music. The site offers on wide array of related services for musicians, some of them fairly technical. The interface is very well done. An yet the simplicity of the design belies the robustness of the services. And there was no easy way to get your head around it all without exploring the site. Conversion was therefore a problem.

The solution... a short Flash video clip on the landing page that automatically loads and plays, providing a punchy and easy-to-understand overview in well under 30 seconds. Now the visitor knows what Indaba Music is all about before making that snap decision. And yes, conversions have skyrocketed.

With the conversion challenge solved, Indaba Music has rethought their acquisition/traffic strategy to further positive effect.

When everyone else does the same (if they haven't already), web marketing maturity will take another step forward.


Related Tags: marketing, customer, flash, interactive, media, database, direct, invisible, converison, zimmerman, indaba

About Mark Zimmerman:

With a deep background in integrating media, direct marketing, and technology in new ways to maximize customer relationships, I am looking forward to the types of transformations required for companies to capitalize on the opportunities that the emerging "invisible media" presents. My passion carries over into community affairs, and I serve on the boards of a number of non-profits dedicated to serving the developmentally disabled. And I always try to make the time for a little live music. But what I enjoy most is blue-skying ideas and making them actionable. You can contact me at 203.733.7828 or markz@zteammedia.com.

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