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03.17.06
Calling
All Conversions
 By
StraightUpSearch
Well it's that time again - time to renew my cell phone contract.
Should I keep the same provider?
They don't necessarily
have the best coverage. Then again, that can work to my advantage
when I don't really feel like talking: "Oh no, I'm losing you." What
about minutes? I could probably use more of them. Oh, and how about
one of those cool camera phones? Imagine the fun I could have.
I figured the best way to find what I was looking for was not to waste
a whole afternoon going from store to store, but instead research
online from the comfort of my own home. So I did. "Cell phone" was
the search term. 309 million websites were the results - that should
be enough. I followed a link to a site where I found a great deal
on a phone. The problem was, I didn't want to buy it online and there
was no site feature to help me find a local store. Back. Back. Back.
I follow the next link. Another great deal, and right in front of
me, clear as day, there is a link: "Store Locator." Oh splendid, there's
one right down the street!
Now I realize that I could've easily looked up the first provider
I came across in the phone book, but that's not the point of this
story. The point is that I shouldn't have to. The internet is saturated
with billions of websites. For virtually any product or service, users
are provided with thousands, sometimes millions of options. But not
all of these users want to buy online. In fact, studies have shown
that a majority of shoppers will perform the necessary research online,
but will complete their purchase offline. My plan, precisely. And
while the first website I came across did an excellent job of positioning
for such a competitive term, it failed to direct users to an offline
point of conversion.
There is a significant upside to being positioned well for targeted
terms relating to your business, but just as important is giving potential
customers what they want when they find you. Usability
is a crucial aspect to the design of any website, and it is an aspect
that is all too often overlooked.
You may think this posting was sparked from sheer laziness, but I
disagree. I believe it was my high expectations. I didn't feel I should
have to use the phone book to find the local cell phone provider I
was looking for, and guess what, I didn't have to. Establishing an
online presence can generate an enormous amount of increased traffic
for your website, and when that website is effectively designed from
a user's perspective, it can also generate enormous conversion rates,
both online and offline.
About
the Author:
Oneupweb
is the only two-time winner of the ClickZ award for "Best Search
Engine Engine Marketing Firm". StraightUpSearch´s
blog authors include experts from Oneupweb´s natural SEO, pay-per-click
campaign management, research, marketing, design, and sales
departments. |
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