Why You Should FORGET About Website Traffic!

By Willie Crawford
Posted Wednesday, November 10, 2004

The headline read, "A funny thing happens when you don't promote your website... NOTHING." Experience has taught me that that's a fairly accurate statement. If you are not promoting your website, you're not building your web business.

However, there is one thing you need to focus on MORE than generating traffic. That is converting that traffic into buying customers. If the visitors aren't converting, and you're spending money to generate traffic, then you're probably worse off than you would be if you did nothing.

If you can improve your conversion ratio, then your existing traffic and new traffic is worth so much more to you. First, improve your conversion ratio, then aggressively seek new traffic.

Consider an example of a site getting just 500 unique visitors a day, with a conversion rate of 3%. Let's assume this site markets a report that costs $49 and offers the site owner $30 profit after all expenses. This site is making 15 sales a day or $450 in profits. If this site can increase it's conversion rate to 5%, it would be making 25 sales a day and $750 in profits... a big increase with no additional expenses!

Increases in conversion rates of 2-3% are very common. Conversion rates of 20% or more are also not unheard of. After a site has increased its conversion rate, earnings from backend sales also skyrocket. That's because a VERY high percentage of first time customers become repeat customers if you offer them backend products. Increasing your conversion rate for first time visitors has an exponential effect on your bottom line... not a linear effect!

What are some way that you can increase conversion rates?

In a word... TESTING! Test new headlines Test new opening paragraphs Test new guarantees (different wording, longer or shorter time periods, etc.) Test offering different bonuses Test offering no bonuses Test new header graphics Test removing header graphics Test offering payment plans Test different up-sells on the order form Test rearranging the elements on the order form Test different wording in the call to action Test different colors used for emphasis Test different background colors Test different prices Test using different numbers of testimonials Test putting testimonials in different places on the page Test using audio or video on your page Test long copy vs short copy Test using different number of "order" links Test using different images within the page copy

In other words, test everything. Test one element at a time on your page, and track the difference that this made in your conversions. Do split testing where you compare the results on 2 or 3 different pages. Then use the page that did the best as the control and move on to testing the next page element. That's how you increase your conversions over time from 2-3% into the double digits.

Seasoned marketers will tell you that marketing is nothing more than tracking and analyzing your numbers. This is true. You need to know exactly what result each change on your page had. Fortunately, there is software out there that makes this job very easy. Some of it is even fr-e-e. There are also manuals that explain how to test most effectively. These manuals are how I was able to not be intimidated by the math and calculations that you DO need to do.

If you'd like to know what split testing software I use, and what I consider to be the best book I've ever read on the topic is, just send a blank email to my autoresponder at: willie3-60621@autocontactor.com. This information will totally blow your mind and put you ahead of 99.999% of your competitors. That's not hype, that's a fact.

You test because you cannot guess what the market wants. Top marketers and copywriters such as Jay Abraham, Dan Kennedy, and Gary Halbert all relate that when they tried to guess what the market wanted, they guessed WRONG! That's why they are consummate testers.

Testing often reveals surprising results. I've heard of marketers improving result for example by REMOVING the guarantee. I've heard of marketers improving results by doubling their price, or getting rid of a header graphic on a webpage. Those little things often prove to make a big difference and over time these differences can equal an over 1000% improvement.

After you've gotten a decent conversion rate, THEN you need to focus on getting more traffic. The secret to doing this is to learn what those getting tons of highly targeted traffic are doing, and do something similar. Study why the techniques that they use are successful at attracting not just any traffic...but highly targeted traffic, then apply those lessons.

You've invited to join me and 2 very successful marketers as we reveal ways of generating highly targeted traffic. This traffic is people who come to your site, looking for what you are selling. This is the only type of traffic you should put your time and other resources into generating... and it's a lot easier than you think. For details on a teleseminar we're hosting, visit:
(http://www.profitautomation.com/app/adtrack.asp?AdID=66804)

I've just revealed to you the very essence of a successful website. Continuously test and refine the website until you have an OUTSTANDING conversion rate. Then drive massive traffic to that site using techniques others have already discovered and proven to work. The third element that separates the ultra-successes from the failures is simply acting upon what you learn. What are you waiting for?

About the Author
Willie Crawford has been teaching others how to build an on-line business since late 1996. Willie demonstrates the power of automated residual income through his system at: (http://ProfitAutomation.Com) Visit now for a business boost.