Data or Leads? The Secret to Conversion Optimization

Tracking conversion optimization results is just part of online marketing, but most marketers make it more difficult than it needs to be.

Data is an important asset to every marketer. Data tells us when we are succeeding and when we are not. But most marketers get lost in the data and forget that those numbers represent real people.

Marketers get lost in their data when they relying heavily on search engines for traffic. When traffic comes from lead generation instead of search engine results, data is more meaningful. In turn, meaningful data can be used to further increase conversion rates.

Let's take a look at three popular conversion techniques and see how marketers are failing to use them to their fullest potential by relying solely on search engine results.

A/B Tests - Marketers live and die by A/B tests. A valid A/B tells the marketer what changes will produce positive results. Unfortunately, most marketers perform these tests when they are receiving traffic from only search engine results. A/B tests conducted on search engine traffic predict what will work for most visitors researching the topic. Tests on lead generated traffic predicts what will work for those visitors looking to buy.

Simplified Landing Pages - Short and simple landing pages perform better than more complicated landing pages. But all landing pages work better when traffic is lead generated. Most random web searchers that land on landing pages aren't really that close to buying yet. That is why most landing pages are longer and filled with ad copy. Lead generated traffic makes the landing page's job easier. All the landing page should do is tell them how to buy, not try to convince them that they should.

Promotional Content - Every landing page is a sales pages but customers don't want to be sold. The more promotional a landing page is, the better chance it has to convert a random web searcher into a paying customer. But it also increases the chances of turning off a ready-to-buy lead generated visitor.

Crunching data in order to figure out what works is part of online marketing. But data obtained from lead generated traffic will produce better results than that from random web searchers.