Business Website Advice

While increasing website traffic is on everyone’s mind, even more important is increasing conversion rates.  We want more buyers! 

I thought it timely to share with you my answer to a reader who asked for more info on the topic.  Here’s my answer.

At the end of the 2008 I wrote recommending the use of specific keywords search phrases, rather than general ones. They bring less traffic but the traffic is more likely to be buyers.  The traffic is more targeted.

Remember my example:  instead of general: shovel, use more targeted, more specific: heavy duty garden shovel. 

Another example:  instead of the general Northland accommodation, you use more targeted:  Northland east coast beach house.  Those people looking for a Northland hotel will click off (cause a bounce) if they land on your beach house rental if they clicked on your link under the general Northland accommodation link.   Get it?

We want website traffic that is most likely to buy from us. We want a lower bounce rate. We want a lot of things but bottom line, we want more buyers.

More research can be done around long-tail keywords and improving conversion rates, and all things related. 

The crux of the issue is conversion (sales) rather than traffic.   Erroneously, people think they’re done when they increase traffic to their website. Not necessarily so. In my book it’s only part of the battle.

Incrasing traffic numbers can be a hollow vanity-number. I’m guilty of this too. I say, celebrate success. If traffic numbers are improving. Feel good. Yes, but don’t stop there.

You can get lots of traffic but high bounce rates (click offs). Not good. Find your bounce rate on your Google Analytics reports. Bounce meaning people landing on a page but not finding what they really want so they leave without looking further. It’s natural to have some of those but you want to increase page views.

Rather, you want traffic that really wants you.  That requires a two fold effort: 1) use specific long tail keyword phrases 2) fewer numbers will click through but those that do really want what you’re offering so conversion numbers are higher…you get real buyers.

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