What exactly is a Web site conversion, and why does clear, customer-focused Web content make such a difference?
First, a definition of web conversions:
Let’s say target prospects arrive at your Web site via a Google search result, an email or other means of driving traffic. If they’re delighted with your site and they find exactly what they’re looking for, they’ll take the next step to make a purchase, subscribe to your service, download a free trial, become a qualified sales lead, etc.
Through these actions, they are converting from a prospect to an active customer in some way.
The goal of most business Web sites is to convert as many site visitors as possible into paying customers and ideally improve conversion rates over time.
Now for the second part of the question: Why does clear, customer-focused web content make such a difference regarding conversions?
Many companies know it’s critical to use keywords in their content to drive great results in search engines. Sadly, many of these companies achieve top Google rankings without considering what happens next.
Top search rankings do not equal conversion success.
Here’s a hypothetical example. Let’s say you search for “narrow tap shoes” in Google. The top result includes “narrow tap shoes” in its page title and description.
Then you click on the Google display, land on the company’s Web site, and find “narrow tap shoes,” simply repeated several times throughout the banner, headline, main text, footer, etc. The copy itself is practically unreadable.
Unfortunately, this keyword-stuffing strategy is focused on traffic, but it doesn’t help you find what you need; narrow tap shoes.
In addition, the company’s messages are all about how great they are. “We’re the world’s leading tap shoe company … we’re number one, we we we” (you get the picture). There’s very little content about solving the visitors’ need.
You can bet that prospects find no value in this kind of web content and they abandon the site as quickly as possible, looking for someone who can truly help them. It might be the company that shows up #3 or even #7 in Google results.
Therefore, it’s important to keep this approach in mind if you’re focused on developing web content that converts:
1. Make sure your web content weaves in the 1-3 most relevant key phrases on any given page in an ethical, helpful manner, and
2. Make sure your web content includes information that’s 100% focused on solving your visitors’ needs. Make it easy for them to convert into customers!
Yes, Google and other search engine results are very important. But they really only matter if your web content converts visitors into customers.
