Moving along in our series on landing page optimization based on the Marketing Experiments Conversion Sequence, we’re going to look at the variable “m”: Motivation.
To recap, the Conversion Sequence C = 4m + 3v + 2(i-f) - 2a is a heuristic (memory aid) to express conversion as a function of motivation, the clarity of the value proposition (v), the incentive (i), friction or resistance in the mind of the visitor (f) and anxiety about the purchase process (a). It’s not a formula you solve for, so put your calculator away and breathe a sigh of relief.
Marketing Experiments has performed thousands of conversion tests and found the highest performing ecommerce sites address customer motivation — ecommerce site visitors are typically “hunters” or “browsers”:
1. Hunters already know what they want. They want to find the product quickly and easily. Usable site search, navigation menus and filters are essential to convert hunters.
2. […]
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Classic Closeouts is the best example of supporting a value proposition that I have come across in my travels around the Internet.
Clear Value Proposition
I love how Classic Closeouts presents a holiday focused value proposition (inferred):
Headline: We’ve got your holiday shopping all wrapped up
Sub-headline: With over 3000 items priced under $10 you’ll be able to overstuff those stockings
The headline alone does not a value proposition make, but combined with the sub-headline it proposes Classic Closeouts as the one-stop solution to the customer’s problem of finding gifts and stocking stuffers without breaking the bank. It’s both quantified and persuasive. It inherently encourages more items per sale. Bravo.
Congruence of the Value Proposition
According to marketing think-tank Marketing Experiments, it’s not enough to have a value proposition. It must be stated clearly and supported by every element on the landing page (congruence). Classic Closeouts does this very well:
Site Name: Classic Closeouts clearly communicates […]
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If you’re new here, welcome! And thanks for subscribing to Get Elastic. Friday is Blogger Digest day where we highlight posts from other blogs that are of value and interest to online retailers and Internet marketers.
Major e-tailers were droppin’ like flies on Cyber Monday, with major outages caused by minor culprits like CRM database and search engine glitches. Evan Schuman gives a detailed post-mortem of the Cyber Monday Butterfly Effect at Storefront Backtalk. Want alerts for major retailer crashes all holiday long? Follow Storefront Backtalk on Twitter.
Another reason you should focus on a unique value proposition rather than competing on price, many manufacturers are enforcing MAP pricing (minimum advertised price), which could impact comparison shopping. Internet Retailer has a very meaty article on how merchants can navigate MAP pricing, especially when compeititors aren’t playing by the rules.
Do you know how to calculate cost per new customer? […]
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This is a guest post from Anna Yeaman of Style Campaign, an email marketing and photography company. Anna also has a solid email marketing blog which I have come to love.
Helping shoppers find the right present for everyone on their list is the priority of your holiday email campaign. Sure you need to cover the basics, like gifts by recipient and price. But a little creativity can help you stand out in a sea of uniformity.
Get inspired by the 13 gift finder emails below. Be sure to check out my favorite No.13
1. Home Depot - By Customer Review:
11/20/08 - Top-Rated Products for the Holidays
view email here
Northern tool, Home depot and Norm Thompson are a few of the retailers featuring customer reviews in their email creative.
I would love to see a video, featuring real in-store shoppers. Who are they buying gifts for? What is their budget, and […]
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If you want to get some awesome deals from 30+ great retailers (Oakley, Joseph A. Bank, Toys ‘R Us, Protogolf, Dyscern, Designer Athletic, Trainz, Kodak, Frontgate, eBags and more!) and support some ChannelAdvisor customers, check out our 2008 holiday deals catalog.
It’s a pretty exciting experience, too, since it uses our RichCatalog technology — flip through pages like a real catalog!
So get some deals and get wowed in the process — get the catalog here!
Written by Scott Hurff (scott.hurff at channeladvisor dot com)
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Back in late October, I blogged about Crutchfield CEO Bill Crutchfield’s open letter addressing the credit crunch and why Crutchfield is a safe place to shop. Embedded in the letter was the value proposition that Crutchfield is well-positioned to stay in business (unlike some of its competitors), therefore it will be able to fulfill guarantees, warranties and post-sales support commitments.
While this is a value proposition, is it the one Crutchfield should strive to communicate clearly? Or is it a piece of or sub-value proposition to the unique selling proposition?
Check out Crutchfield.com’s home page.
What I love is that Crutchfield doesn’t have an identity crisis. Crutchfield is all about helpful advice and customer service. Rather than bombard you with blowout deals like nearly every other electronics retailer. Rather, it reinforces the service message with:
Tagline: 34 years of helping customers choose, use and enjoy electronics
Personal advisors […]
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As Jessica points out in her blog post, Google has listed some of the top searches on Google Product Search.
The Wii is at the top of the overall list with the iPod Touch right behind. Google has also broken out a couple categories like Video Games & Toys (Bakugan, Guitar Hero, Webkinz), Cold Weather (Pea Coat, North Face Jacket, Sweater Vest), and Specialty Foods (Chocolate Fountain, Chocolate Coins, Gingerbread House Kit).
Google is also highlighting special offers from Google Checkout merchants. There are hundreds of stores featuring $5, $10, or even $20 coupons (off orders of $100 or more) when the purchase is made through Google Checkout.
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Apparently Cyber Monday took JCrew and Bloomingdale’s down today, and a clever search marketer was quick to take advantage:
Bidding on the branded terms, Bonobos.com used “Big Retailers Site Down?” as the headline and qualified the ad by mentioning the site carries only men’s clothing.
Hat tip to Jamie Keaney, Get Elastic reader and Senior Search Strategist at Impaqt Search Marketing for spotting this clever PPC ad.
Next Free Ecommerce Webinar…
Dangerous Marketing Ahead: How to Break Bad Habits and Survive a Deep Recession December 10th, 2008 @ 9am PT/12pm ET
Panelists: Jeff Molander, CEO, Molander & Associates, Inc.
Jason Billingsley, VP Innovation, Elastic Path Software
Jonathan Salem Baskin, Entrepreneur, Consultant and Author of the controversial new book, "Branding Only Works on Cattle"
Register to Attend…
You may also like these similar posts:
How To Apply Google Search-Based Keyword Research
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Apparel Magazine checks out eTail Solutions
An Example of Excellent Search Result Marketing
Laptop Bags, PayPerClick […]
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Will post relevant news/stats here:
Live Cashback Having a Bad Black Friday (TechCrunch - 11/28)
US shoppers seek deals, buy less on Black Friday (Reuters - 11/28)
Apple offers limited Black Friday price cuts (Reuters - 11/28)
Shoppers cautious with gadget buys on Black Friday (Yahoo! Tech - 11/28)
Black Friday traffic takes down Sears.com (Yahoo! Tech - 11/28)
Shoppers hit stores but mood is subdued (WSJ)
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Will post relevant news/stats here:
Holiday Central 08 - CNBC
Holiday Sales Views Still Weak After Weekend Rush (CNBC - 11/30) - “According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), shoppers spent an average of 7.2 percent more per person to nearly $373 during the four-day holiday weekend from U.S. Thanksgiving on Thursday through Sunday. Total spending was $41 billion. More than 172 million shoppers visited stores and websites during that time, up from 147 million a year ago, the NRF said. Excluding repeat visits, the number of people who shopped over the weekend rose to 110 million from 99.5 million a year ago. But the NRF kept its forecast for total holiday sales growth of 2.2 percent to $470.4 billion, saying consumers had done more of their shopping in the Black Friday weekend in the past. Momentum is likely to drop sharply in the coming weeks and stores may need to offer […]
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