Since the end of the year holidays are quickly approaching, there is a short window of incredible opportunity for online retailers to take advantage. Many SEO experts get quite a few panicky requests from customers seeking better rankings going into holiday season. Unfortunately, there is no way this is going to happen at this point in the year. No one should be launching any kind of organic SEO campaign right now slated toward taking advantage of holiday shoppers. Therefore, the question comes up if something can be done, what should it be? The best answer is to improve conversions.
Take Advantage of Holiday Traffic Flow
There are a variety of ways to increase a site’s traffic flow using PPC or other instant type strategies such as eBay, shopping engine inclusions, placements and other ways. However, online retailers can take advantage of a couple of simple resources and tools that can make the most of whatever traffic you presently experience. Some of these strategies are going to come with a price tag, while others will be free. The following are tools and resources that have been successfully used in the past beginning with conversion enhancing tools.
Buying Is Based On Trust
Every SEO conversion expert on the planet will tell you that the one thing that each and every online shopper bases a buying decision upon his trust. You think there are any people buying smartphones from a shady looking fellow standing on the street corner this holiday season? Probably not because unless that guy happens to be your cousin Sam, is no way that you going to trust them about any transaction, especially one that would include high price than a typical smartphone with demand – even at street corner discount prices.
Sellers Must Create Trust
Selling online is the same thing. An online retailer just happens to be the web equivalent of the guy standing on the corner. There is a need to indicate to potential buyers that they can trust you. This is where I’m going symbols and testimonials make a big difference. When these appear on a website and help to add a greater feeling of comfort in potential customers that will feel better about presenting you with a credit card number although they really do not know you.
Avoid Common Mistakes
A typical newbie mistake made by website owners is placing testimonials and trust symbols “below the fold.” Online shoppers are going to be quite impatient allowing you five seconds or less to grab your attention when landing at your site. This is a short amount of time to gain trust compelling them to spend a lot more time examining what you have to offer. Everyone is busy, especially at holiday shopping time, so you don’t have to grab a shopper’s trust quickly or they will be gone. Always place your testimonials in trust symbols in a spot where they can be easily and quickly viewed once a site visitor lands on the page. Trust symbols can be a number of different images including major brand logos, security certificate providers, organizations and seals. Here are some favorites:
• McAfee Secure – continues to be one of those third-party guaranteed presence that people really recognize
• Organizational Seals include ones are also easily recognize such as the Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Bureau or other well-known business groups that you may have membership in which should be published so the world can see.
• Payment seals are the symbols indicating that major credit cards are accepted. Most online shoppers also readily recognize the VeriSign logo and almost everyone universally does recognize PayPal.
Online shoppers may not know why these things matter, but they know that they do and seeing these builds comfort doing business with you. Hardly any online shoppers know exactly what encryption is, but they will hesitate to give you their credit card information if there is no indication that encryption is available on your website.
Testimonials add a Human Touch to E-Commerce Experience
Visitors to your website will take the time to read testimonials because they want to “hear” what other shoppers have to “say” about you. This effectively transforms you from just a website to a client-conscious business that is actually run by a human being. You just happen to be using a website to make a connection with them. The online universe is typically faceless. Placing your testimonials in an easily viewed area allows visitors to read about the experiences that other people who are just like them had doing business with you.
Understanding how you help a consumer can go a long way toward making those conversions to customers with the traffic that you already are going to have this holiday season.