How One Word Or Even One Letter Can Boost Conversion Rates By Over 400%!

Recently I was reviewing the keyword specific conversion rate data of a consulting client of mine. I have been working with this client for a few months now, helping her improve the sales conversion rate of her website and we have had very good results, taking average conversion rates at her site from below 1% to just over 4.3%.

(Your sales conversion rate is simply the number of unique visitors your site receives vs. the number of sales you make. If you have 3 sales for every 100 visits your conversion rate is 3%.)

Now, one of the keys to improving conversion rates is to continually test and measure every detail of your website, marketing and traffic. While reviewing the data from one of her Google Adwords campaigns I stumbled across a few hard to explain results that perfectly illustrate the very large effect small differences can have on conversion rates.

The keyword "piano lessons" had a conversion rate over the last 30 days of 5.09%. The keyword "piano lesson" had a conversion rate of only 1.64%. Both of these keywords had the exact same Adwords title and description, the same average position in the search results and the exact same landing page on my clients website. The only variable is one letter in the keyword? an "s". Lesson vs. Lessons. That's it! Yet the plural version of the keyword (piano lessons) out sold the singular version (piano lesson) by over 300%!

Another key phrase that had an even larger variation was "how to play the piano" vs. "how to play a piano". Common sense would say that these two phrases would convert almost identically? Wrong.

Again, with identical titles, descriptions and landing pages, "How to play the piano" converted at 5.92%, while "How to play a piano" only converted at 1.42%. That is a whopping 417% difference between "a" and "the"!

Short-term variations and fluctuations in the conversion rates of individual keywords or landing pages are common. However, the data on both of these keyword pairs was measured over a full 30 days and several thousand clicks for each keyword. I don't have any easy answers why adding an "s" to a key phrase or changing an "a" to "the" caused such a difference in conversion rates.

Sure, you can guess at it and draw a few conclusions such as "plural keywords convert better than singular keywords" or "using 'the' in a key phrase is more specific and targeted than using 'a'". However, these conclusions are just guesses. The only real conclusion you can draw from this case study is that you have to test EVERYTHING!

If one word or one letter can have that big of an impact in an Adwords campaign, then a similar change in your main headline or guarantee can have an equally significant impact.

The lesson here is to test, test, test. What should you test?

  • Test headlines.

  • Test guarantees.

  • Test bonuses.

  • Test colors.

  • Test sub-headlines.

  • Test your copy.

  • Test different prices.

  • Test layouts.

  • Test autoresponder messages.

  • Test your USP (Unique Selling Proposition.)

  • Test ads.

  • Test keywords.

  • Test policies.

  • Test images and graphic design.

  • Test deadlines.

  • Test navigation.

  • Test your checkout process.

  • Test font sizes.

  • Test payment options.

  • Test EVERYTHING!

Now, when you are testing a change, only test one item at a time. This part is critical. Testing only one change will help keep your results as accurate as possible. If you change 4 items at once and see a 1% boost in conversion rate, it is possible 3 items are helping and 1 is hurting, so your conversion rate boost would have been greater with just the 3 changes.

The bottom line is this?

If you really want to take your website's sales conversion rate to the next level, you must absolutely commit to a focused and long-term campaign of testing and optimizing every aspect of your site. You never know when a small change is going to give you huge results!

Copyright 2004 Eric Graham

Want to improve your conversion rates? Eric Graham is the CEO of several successful online companies. A top authority on eCommerce & Internet Marketing, he's an in-demand speaker & consultant. Visit http://www.web-site-evaluations.com today for an in-depth evaluation to boost YOUR websites conversion rate!

About The Author

Eric Graham is the CEO of several successful online companies. A top authority on eCommerce & Internet Marketing, he's an in-demand speaker & consultant. Visit http://www.web-site-evaluations.com for a FREE subscription to his eCommerce Mastery newsletter.

executive chauffeured services Bradford .. Madison to Airport car
In The News:

Getting virus alerts on your iPhone? Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson helps you learn how to handle fake scam alerts and boost security.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says opening emails is safe, but risks arise from interacting with links, attachments or HTML content.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals four signs of compromised Social Security numbers and offers five steps to protect yourself.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson discusses how MAB Robotics' Honey Badger 4.0, a versatile robot, now walks underwater with amphibious skills.
An updated Android trojan called FakeCall hijacks bank calls. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says Android phone manufacturers and Google need to step up their game on security.
The Massimo Modular E9 is a sleek, smart and comfy tiny home in 409 square feet. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson takes a closer look at what the future of housing might look like.
Every stock trader should consider a virtual private network to safeguard their trading, according to tech guru Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson.
Apple recently announced its new lineup of Macs and rolled out Apple Intelligence, its latest artificial intelligence-powered feature for its products.
A Swiss-engineered robot can climb ladders, showing why it's at the cutting edge of autonomous robotic solutions for harsh industrial settings.
Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson presents the cities targeted most by robocalls, why this is happening and what you can do about it to protect your privacy.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents
Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson shares tips and suggestions for how to get the best use out of the updated Calendar app available with the latest iOS update.
Your Social Security number, your unique identifier used for many purposes, has likely been leaked on the Dark Web; here are some steps you can take to protect yourself.
Researchers have developed a new technology that creates strong, sticky fibers capable of lifting objects and capturing things from a distance.
Smart rings track the same things that smartwatches do, including steps, sleep and a general overview of your overall health, and they tend have more battery life than smartwatches.
Researchers have developed a robotic finger that can perform routine medical exams like those conducted by doctors, helping to address the growing shortage of trained professionals.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Insurance administrative services company Landmark Admin reported that a data breach from a May cyberattack affected over 800,000 people.
Sotheby's will auction the first artwork created by Ai-Da, the world's first robot artist created in 2019 by British gallerist Aidan Meller.
More than 250 million users of the Verizon Messages app will have to switch to another app. Verizon is shutting down Messages in the next month.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson provides a list of 10 celebrities who are the most targeted by deepfake scams, including Tom Hanks.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson discusses how Vast's Haven-1, launching in 2025, transforms space living with human-centric design.
UnitedHealth confirms over 100 million Change Healthcare users had their data stolen. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals what happened and what caused the breach.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson explains how iOS 18 brings new text formatting and animated effects to the Messages app.
Whether you're a social media veteran or novice, Facebook friend request scams are common. Kurt the CyberGuy provides tips to keep your account safe.

Make Your Own Brand!

There are millions and millions of websites on the Internet.... Read More

Effectively Using Robots Meta Tags

The "robots" meta tag, when used properly, will tell the... Read More

6 Steps To Your Own Website

A lot of people these days are interested in getting... Read More

Planning A Usable Website: A Three-step Guide

A website is like an information flow, with you as... Read More

Do You Need a Web Database?

Does My Web Site Require A Web Database?If your web... Read More

Content Management ? The New Standard in Web Design

The evolution of web development parallels the model of technology... Read More

The 2 Most Common Web Site Mistakes

When we review the sites of potential clients, there are... Read More

The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) & Web Accessibility

There's been widespread speculation about the new legislation being introduced... Read More

How Did You Get Here?

When marketing your website, it's important to know which of... Read More

5 Tips To Supercharge Your Website Sales Copy

The art of turning website visitors into paying customers depends... Read More

Websites for Writers ? Why You Need One and How to Get Started Today

It may seem like the publishing industry's equivalent of Beanie... Read More

PHP Redirect

A PHP Redirect automatically transfers a web user from one... Read More

You Cant Just Build A Website And Hope It Works!

Like any area of business your website needs some effort... Read More

Maximizing ROI via Web Site Traffic Analysis

We are clearly well past the innocent "golden age" of... Read More

Flash Deadly Sins (That Can Kill Your Web Business)

Looks like every client wants a Flash site these days... Read More

Website Success is Key

The popular search engine Google indexes over 8 billion websites.... Read More

Ten Ways NOT to Set Up a Website-based Service Business

1. As the first step, "Hire a web designer."First create... Read More

A Web Site for Your Small Business: How to Set Up a Website

Your web site will be your window to the world.... Read More

Why Every Small Business Owner Needs Two Websites

Every small business owner knows that they need a website,... Read More

Get Your Business on the Web

I can't think of any business alive today that couldn't... Read More

Your Website Should Be Selling

It may come as some surprise to a traditionally off-line... Read More

PIM Team Case Study: Creating Text Effects With PHP and GD

See how you can create graphic effects on text with... Read More

10 Tips For Running A Profitable Web Site

1. Address your targeted audience on your business site. Example:... Read More

Tips to Protect Your Downloads or Products

1. Upload robots.txt file in to your root directory and... Read More

Why You Need A Web Site

"I have a small business with just a couple of... Read More

O'Hare Chicago prom limo ..