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30/08/2013 by
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Social Marketing Will Boost Your Conversion Rate

Why social marketing is crucial for brands? Because today, virtually every business and individual has an online presence.

Social Marketing Will Boost Your Conversion Rate

Consequently, simply having a website or blog simply doesn’t cut it anymore as the chances of you standing out in a crowd of billions is virtually zero.

For this reason, you must invest time and effort in using your website or blog to maximum effect – and maximum effect means conversion.

I like comparing websites to real life businesses, and in the next few tips you are going to find out why.

Choosing Website Design Colors

Nobody wants to live in a monochromatic world and that definitely applies to the online world. People like to stare at beautiful things whether they be other people or works of art.

Choosing Website Design Colors

People will stay at a beautiful, colorful, well set out and well thought out website. And the longer people stay and the more they feel at home, the greater the chances of conversion. Color has a large part to play in the attractiveness of a website.

For example Blue is a color that relates to mental and physical peace, expression and communication. If you open a health website, blue is the color you should go with.

Here is where we can relate to real life, if you walk into a therapist’s clinic, a nice calm blue would make you feel much more open and relaxed than an outgoing strong color.

A/B Testing

Sometimes it is difficult to make up your mind as to what is most appropriate to put on a website – there are too many potential options and not enough empirical evidence as to what will work best.

A/B testing provides that empirical evidence. And in an ultra-competitive world like the Internet, it is the little things, the “one percenters,” as they are often referred that can make all the difference.

You can check headlines, photos, anything you want and see what gets a better response. Half of your visitors see one option and the other half see the alternative.

This is where the web has one of its many advantages from a real life shop, imagine changing your signs every 5 minutes, what a mess!

Using Social Media

It’s everywhere you look and has become a pervasive part of many people’s lives. Social media is often the first port of call when people are researching for information and want a human element rather than just the same old facts.

It is this social, human aspect that differentiates social media from a plain old website as it turns cyberspace into humanspace and that makes it a game changer in the realm of conversion.

It’s important to create a social presence, throwing contests via social media is a great way to bring more traffic and therefor – a higher conversion rate.

Customer Reviews

This is further confirmation of what has been missing from the online world and the attempts address this inadequacy.

Even though people feel more comfortable online than at any time before, they are still wary, Customer reviews help to add the human touch, thereby making conversion easier due to the inherent human need to have faith. When there is only electronics involved, faith – and conversion, is harder to attain.

Make sure that your reviews are genuine and from real people, such as a not so good review that you took care of, for example: “Great product, slow delivery. However when I informed them they sent me a bonus package to make up for it, thanks!”

This gives the reviews a much more human aspect and makes your business look much more reliable.

If you were in the supermarket looking at a new type of cereal, and someone walked by and said “I tried that last week it’s so yummy!”, bigger chances you’ll end up buying it.

Boom. Conversion.

Call to Action

Let’s continue with the human theme. In general, people are a lazy bunch. They need to be pushed and prodded before they’ll do anything.

The call to action is the little kick in the backside that surfers sometimes need to remind them that you didn’t design your website for their viewing pleasure but rather to get something from them; even though they should be made to think that they are getting something from you (just don’t write that in the call to action…).

Your call to action button should noticeable but not over the top. Don’t have a huge red button floating over the mouse button, but make sure that it makes people “push the button”. It should stick out from the rest of your website but still fit in.

Think of a sales assistant, you always want them in the background but not to be pushy, and be at your service immediately when you need assistance or a ready to purchase.

My Opinion

I believe that a well-considered marketing strategy must have an online presence and that presence ultimately must result in conversion; otherwise, you are just wasting your time.

The methods outlines are tried and tested ways of improving conversion, thereby giving making your online presence worthwhile.

The great thing about online businesses and blogs is that it’s so simple to make changes, you just need to be alert to make them in time.

On the contrary to a little shop on the corner, you can have a small business with an enormous online presence.

What About You?
What social marketing tactics worked best to boost your conversion rate? Let us know in the comments below.

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About the Author
Written by Sharon Robinson on behalf of Linkury, learn more from software marketing gurus at Linkury and come join us on Facebook.

Heading visual by shutterstock.

 

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