Conversion Tracking – What is it?

Conversion tracking is the act of measuring the conversion rate of your website or web page. A “conversion” is when a visitor takes a measurable action that is predetermined by the website owner. This can be anything from downloading a white paper, filling out a form, making a purchase and so on. The conversion tracking rate of web page is the number of conversions divided by the number of visitors. If your web page has 1000 visitors and 20 of those visitors fill out the form on your landing page, this means your landing page has a 2% conversion tracking rate. 

What is a Conversion Tracking Goal?

Conversions can be anything from filling out a web form, downloading a white paper or making a purchase. The type of conversion is determined by the goal of each particular web page and the type of website. Most websites are purely informational, so making a sale will not necessarily be the conversion goal. It’s important to keep in mind that visitors will not necessarily know what to do on your website unless you tell them. “Contact us”, “Download now” and “Request a quote” are all strong calls to action that can encourage conversions. Setting goals as to how many conversions you need to achieve is helpful in determining the success of all your marketing campaigns.

How can you increase your conversion tracking rate?

The best way to increase conversion tracking rates is to test, test and test some more. There are basically two methods of online testing: multivariate testing and A/B split testing. Multivariate testing is when you test more than one aspect of a web page at once. This is the most cost effective and time-sensitive testing method, but it can sometimes be difficult to determine why the conversion tracking rate of a particular web page has changed. Was it the new logo, the call to action button or the larger photo that had the biggest impact? Was one element more effective or did all three contribute equally to the increased conversion? 

Unlike multivariate testing, A/B split testing is when you change only one element at a time. A/B split testing is more accurate, but also more time consuming and resource intensive. Testing one element at a time will not be useful to time-sensitive campaigns, since each element must be tested for a reasonable amount of time before you can trust the data enough to make informed decisions. Alternately, if you have more time or if the campaign is permanent (perhaps you are testing the overall design of a new website), then A/B split testing could be your best option. A/B split testing is highly effective, since you will always know the exact impact of each change. 

Start by tracking conversions with a few simple conversion goals. Before attempting any online testing or making any changes, make sure that you have enough data to use as a benchmark. Most importantly, do something! If you’re not tracking conversion tracking rates, how can you know if your business is performing well online? 

WSI can help you with conversion tracking, increasing your conversion tracking rates and your bottom line. Contact your WSI Internet Marketing Consultant today!