Making money online isn't always easy. As a matter of fact, it can be almost impossible without a detailed knowledge of exactly what your visitors are interested in. What exactly draws their attention, keeps them on-site longer or makes them press that all important "Buy Now" button? When you know the answers to questions like these, you can start to modify your site content to match the needs and wants of its visitors. And as you can probably guess, tailoring your site to these needs will ultimately lead to more sales. This is a key fact in internet marketing. So how does one go about figuring out what makes people stay longer, or decide to purchase? Test, tweak and repeat... forever. Honestly, testing is an endless process, but for now I just want to give an overview of the basics. I'm not endorsing any specific software, as there are many available. A simple Google search should have you busy for a while. What I will suggest is doing a little research, and making sure you find a program that allows you to track clicks, sales and actions. Using software that only tests clicks is very limited and leaves a lot to the imagination! Also be sure to use something that allows you to do split testing. This is critical. There are many advanced systems that allow testing of many changes at once, but for now I want to cover the "old standard"... A/B split test.
With a standard split test, you can continually improve your sales page performance and boost conversions to limits well above your competition. Okay, so you have your Sales Page up and running, and are pleased with your 2% conversion rate. A friend of your tells you he's pulling down a 4.5% conversion rate on his site, and you decide that a little friendly competition is in order. Doubling your conversion rate may seem like a fairly impossible task, but it is easier than you might imagine. And this is how it's done...
There are a few key elements in every sales letter, but the ones I most often change when split testing include: The Headline, The Benefits, Testimonials, The Bonuses and The Guarantee. So I would take my standard page and make an exact duplicate. The only difference being you need to change one of the above elements. Try a different headline, or use a different testimonial, but you can only change one single element at a time. Show the pages equal number of times and track which one gets more sales, or sign-ups if you have a lead capture form instead. Once you find the better performing page, delete the other one and rerun the test introducing a new page with another variation of the same element. Continue to do this until you can no longer achieve a better conversion rate. Now move on to the next element and start anew. This is a time consuming, but very rewarding process, and you'll likely be surprised by some of your results!
Take the time to do this properly, and you'll likely find that your conversion rate will surprise even you. It's important to let your market tell you what works for them, and this is how it's done; at least one way. The process can literally go on forever, but you can apply what you learn from each test to other areas of your business in the same market. You can become an expert in a fraction of the time, and your sales pages will be on fire! Work on your copywriting, improve the relevancy of the bonus you add, address more targeted questions or concerns your prospects may have and on and on. This will all lead to more sales, and more importantly... more customers!
Michael Purvis is a full time Internet Marketer specializing in List Building Techniques and Traffic Generation Methods. He has a number of programs dedicated to helping newer to advanced marketers build a more successful and solid online business. You can check out his blog at http://www.ModifyYourThinking.com and if you're looking to get started with Internet Marketing, you can run through the absolutely free 30 day course at http://www.Million-Dollar-Deals.com
