What comes after search engine optimization? More optimization. Not for SEO purposes, mind you. That bridge already has been crossed. No, what brand marketers must now fine-tune into flawless working order is their system of conversion rate optimization – or CRO for those who crave brevity.
The significance of conversion rate optimization is self-evident: once SEO has stimulated traffic, the traffic components must be persuaded to do something. That something might be — make a purchase, fill out a form, or any of a dozen other possible action-steps. Basically, these avid travelers must covert from curious arrivals to committed doers – whatever the ‘do’ happens to be. Hence, boosting conversion rates is paramount. And that’s where conversion rate optimization comes in.
Brand marketers have many options when pursuing CRO. Among the most effective and yet simplest of these options is the ‘micro-commitment’ That’s right, not all commitments are monster-sized. Many can be conveniently compact – with a built-in capacity to go a long, long way. Hence, the micro-commitment.
The micro-commitment inventory could fill a warehouse. Consequently, brand marketers have a wide array of choices. Take the all-important user opinion. Brand marketers can invite prospects to provide feedback on say, a recently-posted article. This is a micro-commitment. So is agreeing to sign-up for a newsfeed, sharing via social media, and a million-and-one other possible cooperative actions. Taken individually, these small steps won’t exactly move mountains. But carefully chosen and combined, a bundle of micro-commitments is a major spur to user involvement. The involvement forges a bond between shopper and brand.
Consistency provides another boost to conversion rate optimization. Picture a user docking at your e-commerce site after searching for an after-July 4th sale. Presumably, you’re having one heck of a holiday spectacular. But upon arrival, said user is stranded on a generic landing page — nothing of a sale to be seen. Expectations shattered.
This type of disconnect frustrates visitors and drives them away in droves. Lesson learned: ensure consistency between searches and results to maintain robust conversion rates.
If you have questions or comments about conversion rate optimization, or about any other brand-related topic, feel free to send them our way.