Turn bounces into conversions with testing.
When a visitor clicks a link, or types a URL they are acting upon a desire to meet a need. This need may be for information, entertainment or a product. When the page has finished loading they immediately will have embraced or dismissed your website as having met their needs.
How best to meet that expectation requires some upfront knowledge of the visititor. If the visit was initiated through e-mail, banner or search engine marketing, you likely posses significant information about that visitor. Even organic search traffic sends specific information. This information can be utilized to customize the visit.
Without the right technology and knowledge, turning that visit into a conversion becomes much more difficult. Design, copy and page layout all contribute to your ability to convert as well. Each of these elements play a different role in the process of turning a visitor into a conversion. If you consider the process carefully you can see where each aspect of your site comes into play. First the design and position of content will significantly impact your conversion rate. A visitor can make a determination of their interest in your site in less than a second. This gives you a small margin of error in design and layout.
With technology we can test page layouts to give ourselves the best opportunity to get the conversion. This same techniques, called multivariate testing will help us choose copy, graphic elements and even product pricing. Having good analytics and a robust testing system is key. Where your customers make the connection will vary from product to product, but looking around at some large online entities give you a sense that some page elements are universally important.
As business become more web-savvy you have to make the most of every visit, so testing is vital. Also having a capable web merchandising professional can increase your conversions. Always look at each visit as an opportunity, having an intrinsic value. While you will not achieve 100% conversion, maximizing each opportunity should be the goal of your website.