Web Optimization PlaybookDESIGN = TRAFFIC + LEADS + REVENUE

DESIGN

+

USABILITY

GET FOUND

ONLINECONTENT CONVERSION

1.GET FOUND• Linking Strategy

• On-Page SEO

• XML Site Maps

• 301 Redirects

3. CONTENT STRATEGY• Messaging

• Blogging

• Social & Shareable Content

• Other Forms of Content

2. DESIGN + USABILITY• First Impression

• Consistency

• Imagery

• Navigation

• Accessibility

4. CONVERSION• Calls-to-Action

• Landing Pages

• Forms

• Newsletters

Reference: https://unfunnel.leadpages.co/f/14a860e2e639c5-143ed15c6639c5/14511285128bac-ZYPR9BwlRt26x4IoYk9kW/2015-website-optimization-playbook.pdf

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Gone are days where all it took was a URL, Flash, and an

expensive ad campaign to temporarily boost traffic. The reason for this shift?

Changing user behavior.

Today’s user consumes information when and how they want, often

without the involvement of a sales pitch. They want to be educated – not

sold.

INTRODUCTION

10 Years Ago Seller in Control

Outside Sales

Fulfillment/Customer Service

Inside Sales

Shift to Self-Service

New Types of Content

Today Buyer in Control

Website

Fulfillm

en

t

Brochures, Data Sheets, White Papers, Price Sheets, Testimonials

Plus – Website Content, Podcasts, Screencasts, Blogs,

Discussion Groups

New forms of content are a life-saving vitamin in the customer lifecycle. We need

to integrate each of them into the web experiences we create.

TODAY, THE WEB IS SOCIAL AND INTERACTIVE.

55

47

3936

3327

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Blogs Social Media SEO (Organic Search)

Telemarketing Direct Mail PPC (Paid Search)

% o

f R

esp

on

den

ts

Below Average Cost per Lead,% of Respondents by Lead Channel

Majority reported blog leads are cheaper

FIRST THING’SFIRST…

KNOW THE USER

Female, age 65 – post graduate, married w/ 2 grown children Monthly HH Income

= PhP45,000.00

“The internet is a functional tool, I don’t want to express myself online. I like emailing, checking the news, sport & weather but

also online shopping. I’m not very interested in running my social life online and I’m worried about privacy and security. I’m older

and have been using the internet for a long time.”

INTERNET USAGE & COMMUNICATION• Over 50% smartphone owners; < 20% tablet

• Communication Preferences: Email, website, social media (Facebook)

• Purchase Behavior: Travel, flights, computer hardware, software, books

EFFECTIVE TACTICS• Email blasts/newsletters/response, Facebook, organic

SEO, Pinterest, website features

• Most likely to convert: 9:00 to 9:30am

COSTUMER PERSONA – “Privacy Paula”

College-educated Female, age 45 - Married with 2 older children, 1 in Household

Suburban, Annual Monthly Income: Over 120K/month

“I use the internet to gain knowledge, information and to educate myself about the world. I’m not a big user of social

networks but I do want to hear from like-minded people especially to help me make purchase decisions. I’m very

interested in the latest thing.”

INTERNET USAGE & BEHAVIOR:• Over 50% smartphone owners; < 20% tablet

• Communication Preferences: Email, website, social media, SMS/mobile, online communities

• Purchase Behavior: Travel, gifts, software, books, telecommunications, banking, insurance

EFFECTIVE TACTICS:• Email newsletters/response, SEO/SEM, social media, website features, blogging, web video

• Social Tactics: Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, Google+, Twitter

AUDIENCE PERSONA – “Social Sally”

PART 1:

GET FOUND ONLINE

Social Media• Profile Links / Nav

• Bitly links in Posts

• Social share meta tags

Blog + PR + RSS Feeds

Cross-Site Linking on Stjude.org

Social Bookmarking• Delicious, StumbleUpon, Reddit, etc.

Brightcove + YouTube• Campaign Links in YouTube Channel Navigation

• Push campaign promo videos to YouTube

• Optimize YouTube for clicks to the site

• Tagged bitly links

• Call-to-Action overlays and / or annotations

BUILDING INBOUND LINKS

• Pick a primary keyword for each page

• Place keyword(s) in headline & subheads

• Image file names & ALT tags

• Header Tags (H1 – H6)

• Page URLs

• Keyword density of body content

But remember to write for humans first

…Search engines second.

On-Page SEO

Title Tags

• The ONLY remaining meta tag that affects

Google rankings

• NEVER begin it with the brand name

Meta Description

• Unique for every single page

• While it can’t boost, duplicate meta descriptions

can significantly hurt your search ranking

Keywords• Improve on-site search rank & SEM

• Too many tells Google SPAM

TITLE & META TAGS

Not the public HTML sitemap used as an index for content, but rather a dynamically built sitemap that updates on a

regular basis to include the most current pages of any site as we create them.

Typically, this is only available for subdomains (www.product.brandX.com) or campaigns that have a separate URL

(www.ProductX.com)

• Separates the campaign from holistic site to reduce clutter

• Tells search engines to rank campaign over stjude.org for certain keywords

• Prioritizes landing pages by user intention

Home Page = title search

FAQs = informational / inquiry search

Register = decision search

Donate = Conversion-style search query

XML SITEMAPS

1. Easy way to prevent 404 problems – with Google & the user

2. Tells Google that many different URLs are all one page improves ranking

3. Friendly URLs (e.g., unfunnel.com/joey-is-awesome) also help keyword ranking and the overall user experience

with the campaign site

301 Redirects

DESIGN & USABILITYPART 2:

Tips for Great Web Design• Proper use of colors: Use the right colors for your

audience to draw attention to select elements. Don’t try to

make everything jump out – or nothing will stand out. Avoid

a chaotic mix of colors and instead

pick 2 to 4 colors for your web templates.

Your site represents who we

are and what we offer the user.

When people see it for the first

time, they’re thinking…

• Animations, gadgets and media: Avoid anything

unnecessary. No Flash animations, no animated background

and NO background music.

1. Is this credible / believable?

2. Is it trustworthy?

3. Is this a REAL business / event / product?

4. Is this company stable?

5. Does this site make me feel welcome?

6. Am I in the right place?• Layout: Create a clear navigation structure and

organize page elements in a grid fashion (as opposed to

randomly scattered). And don’t be afraid of white space –

avoid clutter!

FIRST IMPRESSION

Consistent

Design

elements

such as Logo,

Navigation,

Links &

Color

MAINTAIN CONSISTENCY..

CONSISTENCY #Fail

RELEVANCEEffectiveness increases as connection between image

and perceived value becomes clearer. Choose images

with direct implication of value.

Most important…NO STOCK IMAGES!REALITYThe force of an image increases with authenticity.

Images bring realism that reduces the “virtual distance”

between an offering and the user’s perception of its

value. Choose images that help the visitor see and

touch the core value.

I’m a happy

customer!

RELATIVE WEIGHTImage effectiveness increases with relative graphical

proportion. Used properly, images should draw the natural

eye-path of a visitor, bringing more force to the value

communicated by the image. Too many visual elements only

confuse the visitor.

THEUSERIGHT IMAGES

• Keep the structure of primary navigation simple (and near the

top).

• Include navigation in the footer.

• Use breadcrumbs when needed, so people are aware of their

nav trail on bigger sites.

• Include a Search box near the top so visitors can search by

keywords.

Other 5%

The website has a beautiful appearance 10%

The website offers a cutting edge interactive experience 9%

The website makes it easy for me to find what I want 76%

NAVIGATION

• Don’t offer too many navigation options.

• Don’t dig too deep –it’s best to keep your navigation to no

more than 3 tiers.

• Include links within your page copy and make it clear where

the links go. This is also great for SEO!

• Avoid use of complicated JavaScript and (especially) Flash.

Mobile devices hate Flash – so does Google. And so does the

user.

In order to gain significant traffic, your site needs to be compatible with multiple browsers and

devices. Make sure anyone visiting your website can view it no matter what browser or application

they are using.

ACCESSIBILITY

CONTENT STRATEGYPART 3:

Questions to ask yourself about any web experience…

1. Will the user know what the campaign does for them – within seconds?

2. Will they understand what page they're on and what it's about?

3. Will they know what to do next?

4. Why should they sign-up or convert to your offer over any other?

MESSAGING

1. Create a few headlines and sub-headline ideas for your most important pages. Use a

powerful value proposition and avoid clichés, gratuitous poetry or corp-speak.

2. Include clear call-to-actions and next steps. Include links in your

copy, next step links at the end and calls-to-action where appropriate.

3. Test your copy. For the most accurate indicator of

winning headlines, use A/B testing to see which variation

drives the most conversions.

DELIVERING THE RIGHT MESSAGE

• In donation-specific content, speak to

your audience. Use words like “you,”

and “we.” Be transparent. Make yourself

sound human. Speak their language.

• Write as if you are helping them solve

their problems. Avoid “we are the best”

or “Brand X was blah blah blah” speak.

Instead, use “this is how we help you

______ with _____”

• Offer more than just the ask.

Provide calendars, eCards, videos, and

other value-added content. This nurtures

prospects until they’re ready to buy. Plus,

they get a story – not a sales pitch.

EDUCATE AND OFFER VALUE

• Provide unique content. People love it

and so do search engines.

• Write for humans, not search

engines. People don’t read like

robots.• Know your subject well. Yo0u probably

don’t want a mechanic writing about

brain surgery. Accurate equals quality.• Provide value with educational content

that helps others.

• Keep content fresh. Having news that’s

two years old still on your home page

probably gives visitors a bad feeling.

• Know your audience. Providing content

specific to users makes it more relevant

for them, and in turn, higher quality.

IMPORTANCE OF QUALITY..

• Evidence when needed. If using

facts, awards, testimonials, etc., back

up with sources and give credit when

it’s due.

Avoid “Gobbledygook” Next Generation

Flexible

Robust

Scalable

Easy to use

Cutting edge

Ground breaking

Best of breed

Mission critical

And so on…(I think you’ve had enough)Be Clear, NOT Clever. If awareness is one

of your goals, then step 1 is ultimately to

be understood. Just be clear with what you

want people to do on your site.

OTHER CONTENT TIPS

Reasons you need a Blog:

1. Creates fresh content and more pages of unique

content, which is great for SEO

2. Establishes you as industry thought leader

3. Helps drive more traffic back to your website –

and captures more leads than ANY tactic

4. Enables lead capture via “Subscribe” or “Sign Up

for Updates” calls-to-action

5. A great way to get inbound links!

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Don't Blog

Blog

Companies that blog have

55% more website visitors

Don't Blog

Blog

B2C companies that blog

generate 88% more leadsper month than those who do

not

88%

BLOGGING

• Product Reviews - on

content, products, and campaigns. Let

donors fundraise for us with insights

next to info we provide.

• Become a Social Network - Do donors log-in on

your site? We have social sign-in for

updates, information, or support. Why not offer

social features like forums, reviews, etc., using

the same tools?• Encourage Commenting - Allow user

comments and ideas – give

ownership via blogs, forums where

feedback drives programs• Plant social sharing across all core offerings and calls-

to-action.

.

• Allow Users To Curate Content – A

website full of new content is hard.

Give users power to submit content

they create or find.

MAKE CONTENT SHAEREABLE AND SOCIAL

Visual Content Types:

1. Imagery• (Infographics, photos, etc.)

2. Video3. Audio4. Online Utility Tools

• Giving calculator, templates, etc.)5. Games6. You Name It!

MAKE CONTENT SHAEREABLE AND SOCIAL

• Provide authentic customer stories and don’t hide these behind a form!

• Place real, short and powerful testimonials on your site.

- Consider placing testimonials on certain topics on the pages relevant to them

• The more proof you have – the better

- Make it part of strategy to collect case studies and testimonials when possible

• Leverage other online sites that provide reviews like TripAdvisor or Google

SOCIAL PROOF

CONVERSION

PART 4:

• Make them bigger and bolder than most

elements, but don’t overdo it.

• Consider colors of the CTA, whether it is

a link, button or image.

• Offer CTAs that provide value, like

events, reports, rewards, donations, sign-

up, etc.

• Make the CTA look clickable. Use buttons

or add a hover effects.

• Less is more. Keep it simple and clear

what is being offered.

• Test when possible. Different

colors, effects, shapes, words, and

placement.“Contact Us” is the worst form of a CTA

EFFECTIVE CALLS-TO-ACTION

Segment offers by Customer Lifecycle. Place lead gen offers (newsletter sign-up, download) on top-level pages.

Next-level CTAs (demo, event register, free trial) as user digs deeper.

CTAs both above and below the fold. Above the fold area gets the most views. Be sure to add some at the bottom

and within body content as well.

Some studies suggest placing CTAs to the right of the page work better…but testing this will ultimately determine

what’s best for your website.

CTA POSITIONING

Use Thank-You Pages for Additional CTAs.

Seen right after someone completes a web form. There’s often plenty of real estate to offer more CTAs. Once

a prospect completes a form, don’t stop there. Offer them additional ways to help (demos, trial

purchases, social shares, 1x versus Membership, etc.).

Test, Test, Test!

It’s unclear which version will drive the conversions. Test different placements to know which one works best for

your site.

CTA POSITIONING

• Brief description and bullets to

scan.

• Form directly on page with sub-

head re-emphasizing the offer.

• Content focuses on value.

• Not too long.

• Main navigation has been removed

• Logo remains in the top left corner.

• Clear headline describing the offer.

• Clear image of the offer.

• Social share icons

(bottom left - not shown)

LANDING PAGES

• Only ask for the information you need for

your CRM. Avoid asking for sensitive info

they may not want to give.

• Consider the value of the offer. The more

valuable an offer, the more information

you can ask for in return. If it’s a

newsletter subscription, only ask for

email address (maybe first name).

• Reduce anxiety. People are resistant to

give up their info. Add a privacy message

(or link to privacy policy) indicating their

email will not be shared or sold.

• Don’t use the word “SUBMIT” on your

buttons! No one wants to submit

anything.

• If download is your CTA, fulfill instantly. Include

confirmation link and next-level CTA on the next

page (e.g., “Thank You” page), with an auto-

responder email as well.

FORMS

Not all CTAs need to be big offers. You

should definitely offer a newsletter

subscription on your website.

Newsletters or mailing lists are the

perfect way to collect email addresses so

you can nurture

leads over time to become customers.

Just make sure it’s easy for people to

find your subscription form!

NEWSLETTERS

www.m2social.netLet us help you.