Quick Online Tips

5 Google Website Optimizer Tips for Effective Testing
How to Differentiate Your Business From the Competition
5 Best Scheduling Tools for Freelancers

5 Google Website Optimizer Tips for Effective Testing

Posted: 26 Nov 2010 06:22 AM PST

Guest post by David. Have you ever thought why most of your website's visitors leave your website without buying anything? Why you are not getting the sales you expected despite of having top rankings in search engines? Well, you are not alone.

ecommerce integration Low conversion rate is the most common and most difficult problem which almost every online marketer has to face. According to various studies, the average conversion rate for most of the ecommerce websites is 2-3 percent i.e. Only 2 to 3 out of 100 visitors converts into customers. But thanks to high SEO competition and ever increasing PPC costs more and more internet marketers are now focusing on conversion rate optimization to enhance the overall conversion rate of their campaigns and to keep them profitable.

Here in this article we'll cover some tips on how you can use Google Website Optimizer to improve the conversion rate of your website. Google website optimizer is Google's free web testing and optimization tool that helps you to test different versions and designs of your page. Learn more about GWO (Google Website Optimizer). Now let's look in to the tips below.

1. Segmenting visitors according to their source

Traffic from all sources is different and behaves differently. For e.g. – traffic you get from search engines will act differently than the traffic you get from social media sites. So the best thing to do is to segment traffic by various categories like traffic by source/ country/keyword/time etc and test different version of pages according to these segments.

The best and easy way to segment traffic is by using BTbuckets. To learn more about it and how you can integrate BTbuckets with Google website optimizer.

2. Setting up Your funnel

You can't improve anything without knowing the problem. Before doing any tests you need to find out the pages which are creating the problem, you need to find out the pages where most of your visitors leave your checkout process so that you can improve them.

You can create as many funnels as you want. But at least you should have following funnels – Funnel from homepage to your cart page, funnels for a complete checkout process including and excluding cart pages, funnel for checkout process including and excluding payment options.

3. Test both at micro and macro levels

Do not do all your tests focusing on the checkout process. You should test your pages on both micro and macro levels. Many times a test which is very successfully on micro level completely fails on macro level. For e.g. – It might be possible that your recent tests have improved the conversion rate of checkout process but the traffic from cart page to checkout page is still not performing well. So keep on testing with different page combinations like from product pages to complete of checkout process, homepage to checkout process etc.

Similarly, you should test every page of your website at micro level like how many visitors go from home page to product page, how many visitors who reached product page have clicked at "Add to cart button". By doing tests at micro levels you can focus on things at basic level.

4. Testing anything means testing nothing

Do not test random things just for sake of testing. Every website is different and you need to start testing with areas having major problems. For e.g. – If most of your visitors are leaving your homepage without visiting any product page then you should test the navigation and design of your website. Similarly if most of your visitors are leaving from product pages then you need to test your product pages first.

5. Take care of timing

Make sure that you launch right tests at right time. For e.g. – Testing your woolen products website in summers doesn't make any sense because conversion rate in summers will be obviously low. Take care of external factors which are out of your control and launch your tests according to it.

So these are the 5 things you should take care of while using Google website optimizer. Conversion rate optimization is not an overnight process and finding a perfect combination requires lot of tests to be conducted and patience. Do you use Google website optimizer for your website? Have you seen any improvements in your conversion rate? Feel free to share them with us in comments below.

Guest author David Smith works for Conversion Optimization Company Invesp and enjoys writing on SEO, landing pages, conversion rate optimization and affiliate marketing. You can also write guest posts here.

Original article: 5 Google Website Optimizer Tips for Effective Testing
Copyright 2010. Quick Online Tips. All Rights Reserved.

How to Differentiate Your Business From the Competition

Posted: 26 Nov 2010 03:03 AM PST

Guest post by David. No matter what your business or in what niche you decide to operate, you’re bound to find a variety of competitors fighting for their share of the market. This competition will likely raise the need to somehow distinguish your business from the crowd. Marketers call it ‘brand differentiation’.

Doing this can be difficult however; since it might feel like those in similar operations are always one step ahead of you. However, you sometimes must turn the tables and look at your competition not as an obstacle but as an opportunity from which you can gain some valuable insight.

1. Learn From Your Competitors

You might have to resist the urge to fight your competition. While in some instances you might find waging war against a competitor is a necessary evil, there is often much that can be learned from our enemies. Using your competitors as resources (especially if they are doing more business than you), can help you figure out what they are doing right, and in some instances, what they are doing wrong. This can help you to come up with ways to differentiate yourself from them.

2. Research

It may be that you don’t have that many competitors in your business’s vicinity from which you can glean information. It might therefore be a good idea to do some research on the Internet, trade shows, seminars and yes, maybe even the local library, to help you obtain facts and market information about your particular market vertical. This could help you come up with ideas as to how you can establish a particular niche that’s different from the competition.

3. A Distinct Advantage

Sometimes differentiating your business is as easy as offering one distinct advantage over the competition. Whether this advantage is discounted pricing, faster delivery time, higher quality products or services, or some other unique offering, it may mean the difference between standing out from the crowd and being lost in it.

4. Above and Beyond

Going above and beyond when it comes to customer service could provide you with a distinct advantage over the competition. Great service, whether it’s during a transaction or when correcting an issue, may mean that your customers are more likely to remember your business. There is also typically a customer base out there that would rather pay a little extra for a product or service in order to get the best of whatever is being offered, and this can be a great way not only to make more money for your business but to build and retain a strong customer base.

5. Experience

You and your business’s experience or expertise could be what sets you apart from your competition. Having extensive experience within a field can provide customers with a sense of relief and well-being. It’s like an advertisement saying, “We’ve been around for a long time, and it’s not just because of our good looks. We know what we’re doing here and aren’t some fly-by-night operation.”

6. Ask Questions

Asking customers what you and your business can do better, whether simply by conversing with them or by using comment cards or surveys, can help you find out what you are or aren’t doing to set yourself apart from the competition. This can also be a great way to make your customers feel involved in your operation and let them know that you are open to their input and willing to improve your service to them.

7. Listen and Take Action

Asking questions can be a great way to get a leg up on the competition, but you won’t necessarily get the competitive edge that you’re seeking simply by asking customers what they want. You must also listen to what they are saying and take action.

Many businesses will say that they are listening to your input or tell you what you want to hear, only to continue to do things the way they always have. A good business will listen to what their customers want and center their operations around those needs.

8. Know What You Do Best

Knowing what you and your operation do best can be critical to differentiating yourself from the competition. Some businesses try to incorporate many different aspects into their operations, only to discover that they can do them all but not do any of them exceedingly well. A good business owner however, often realizes what it is that his business does particularly well and focuses upon doing that better than anyone else.

Guest blogger David Boyd is co-founder of Credit Card Compare, one of the top websites in Australia offering a thorough and impartial comparison of credit cards. You can also write guest posts here.

Original article: How to Differentiate Your Business From the Competition
Copyright 2010. Quick Online Tips. All Rights Reserved.

5 Best Scheduling Tools for Freelancers

Posted: 25 Nov 2010 10:08 PM PST

Guest post by Sonia. Unless you've got a natural knack for self-organization, billing is one of the most tedious aspects of freelance work. Thankfully, there are a number of Internet tools to track, organize, and even bill freelance work for you.

Most are even free, with optional upgrades to pro features. If you're spending too much time on scheduling, tracking and billing, it's time to streamline your work life by incorporating an online scheduling/billing system. These are five favorites; any of them will make billing bearable.

1. MakeSomeTime

MakeSomeTime

MakeSomeTime is a solid all-around scheduling and management package. From the creation of work to your receipt of payment, MakeSomeTime is at your elbow. It includes a timer to log your freelance hours as you go, and an online permanent invoice and record system that can be accessed by your client at any time via a permanent URL. MakeSomeTime provides detailed reports on demand. The MakeSomeTime iPhone app makes it simple to log work hours on the go.

2. Toggl

Toggl

If you work on multiple short projects, and if you're always on the run, or if you're simply interested in the time logistics of your work efforts, Toggl might be the tool for you. It boasts a timer and tracking system that works on multiple platforms (including Linux!) and on multiple devices.

Toggl's strength is its logistical management of team productivity and earnings; its billing system is less integrated than comparable packages such as MakeSomeTime.

3. CurdBee

CurdBee

The curiously named CurdBee's claim to fame is simplicity — it boasts one of the friendliest user interfaces in the sea of scheduling tools. It also boasts a generous standard (free) account. You can manage an infinite number of clients and send an infinite number of invoices, using your own branding on the letterhead.

CurdBee handles billing and accepts online payments through PayPal and Google Checkout, and handles international currency as well. It does not include any tools to track your hours.

4. BlinkSale

BlinkSale

BlinkSale is another tool used primarily for billing rather than tracking, but it's a startup standard. It handles all of the functionality of CurdBee, automates recurring billing, and provides it all within a professional, customizable invoice. Unfortunately, it has no free account option, but rather a 30-day trial.

5. FreshBooks

FreshBooks

Its standard (free) membership provides relatively modest services, yet FreshBooks' system is one of the most widely used by startups. FreshBooks' pro packages grow as your business grows, allowing you to add professional-grade project management and collaborative functions as you add employees.

The free membership allows you three clients, e-mails with your personal logos, and accepts payments through the site. If you have dreams of your freelance business blossoming into a healthy firm, FreshBooks is the service for you.

Mismanaged scheduling, billing, and tracking time can cost you three to five hours a week. If you're freelancing full-time, the unpaid time you waste on billing can eat up 12 percent of your billable hours. Try an Internet tool and take back your productive hours.

Guest author Sonia Mansfield is the content editor for PsPrint and editor of PsPrint Blog. PsPrint.com is an online printing solutions company, which you can follow on Twitter @PsPrint.

An Ignoble Experiment

Pages

Sponsor

2010/11/26