Blog
What's Working on the Web?
Where should your cross-sell pitch be on your web page?
Of course you want to generate the highest average order possible per web customer. And so you load up your product pages with pitches for other products the visitor might also be interested in. But can placing those cross-sell pitches in the wrong place reduce your overall results? The answer is yes.
A recent study compared web sales results from two different versions of the same page. Version one had cross-sell pitches for other products "above the fold".
Version two moved the cross-sell pitches to below-the-fold. Which version did better? Version two focused all its "prime real estate" - the area closest to the top of the page and "above the fold" -- to merchandising the main product and to prominently displaying "buy" buttons. And this singular focus on one product paid off. Customers actually PURCHASED MORE ITEMS when the cross-sell pitches clearly came after the main product pitch.
The lesson: the visitor has selected a particular product page for a reason. Use the critical top-of-the-page real estate to sell that product. Consider using the right-hand column for a special offer that motivates the sale of that main product. Below the "click here to purchase" button, your visitor will be ready to consider additional purchases they didn't originally search for.
Follow-up promptly with web inquiries to maximize their value
A recent study on web inquiry follow-up found what postal mailing list users have known for decades: the most recent names usually perform the best.
The study tracked sales results from names generated through a web inquiry form. Those names acquired within the last 30 days were compared to names acquired previously. The most recent names - traditionally called the "hot line" for postal mailing lists - responded better.
In fact, response rates plummeted for names older than 30 days. And at older than 60 days, rates dropped even further.
Database tracking note: it's important to keep track of your own results by "time on file", as every company's results will be a little different. Be sure to have a "first date on file" field to record the original date the name came on your file - and tell your programmers not to over-write that date FOR ANY REASON. You'll want a "date of first purchase" field to be added when the prospect converts, but you want to retain the "first date on file" field as well. Have a report run that shows you the number of names mailed, and the number of names converted to customers, by time on file. For example:
| Time on file: | # mailed: | # converted to customers: |
| 1-30 days | ||
| 31-59 days | ||
| 60-89 days | ||
| 90-119 days | ||
| 120-149 days |
We found for one client that so few sales were made to names older than 90 days, that mailing to names older than 90 days just wasn't profitable. So we stepped up our efforts to convert prospects to customers in the first 90 days after first appearing on the mailing list. And after 90 days, we send a special " Your last email from XYZ Company", with a link to a simple preferences page, that allows them to opt-in to stay on the mailing list, otherwise they're moved to inactive.
The lesson: have a continuous follow-up plan available, so web inquiries are emailed, postal mailed, or called as soon as possible. The longer you wait to follow-up, the lower your response will be (and the higher the percentage will be of those prospects who have already purchased from your faster-follow-up competitors).
Email eye-tracking finds graphics may improve readership
MarketingSherpa has reported results of email eyetracking lab tests. (And note: they didn't say they tracked actual RESULTS in terms of responses to email messages, they're just talking about how the eye moves.)
Their study found that when testing a text email versus the same copy with a graphic at the top of the email, the email with the graphic generated higher readership. Those receiving the graphic email actually read more words of the email message.
The graphic in the study wasn't an arresting visual - it was simple clip art. And the eye didn't spend a lot of time on the graphic itself. But for some reason, the presence of the graphic seemed to raise interest and engagement time with the email.
Should you always use HTML email messages? It's definitely worth testing against a plain text email message. (And speaking of testing . . .)
Highest email open rates and response rates belong to those who test
As with every other medium, to get the best results from email, TEST! In fact, marketers achieving the highest email open rates and the highest response rates tend to do more A/B tests - especially OFFER tests! Marketers with the lowest email response rates tend not to test. Nationwide, about 77% of marketers report running email tests. (If you're in the "let's just wing it" 23% -- or worse, your AGENCY never suggests running an email test - you're not getting your email money's worth.)
Further, those who segment their email lists to customize offers or newsletter content for each segment get substantially better results (what a surprise). And segmentation can have a dramatic effect on results, even for small e-mailers.
The lessons: no matter how small your email list, consider segmenting it to make your email offers and newsletters especially relevant by segment. And test your way to email success, by testing one offer against another, to continually search for ways to move your response rate up.
USPS Direct Mail Certificate Classes
Resume 2/15/06
Karen Marchetti will be presenting: