Lulu will be speaking about “Conversion Optimization” at SearchFest 2011, which will take place on February 23rd at the Governor Hotel in Portland, Oregon. Tickets are available now. To purchase, please click the following link.
1) Please give us your background and tell us what you do for a living.
I sell toys to get people outside. More formally, I manage the paid search program at REI. My background is in international relations and economics. A stint at the US Embassy in Caracas observing one fired up leader taught me a lot about deciphering intentions and implicit communication (aka – search behavior) while connecting with the people via consistent policies (aka – a website that delivers).
2) How do you convince a business that 36 question / 4 part web forms are not only not necessary but are hurting their lead flow?
You’re building a long term relationship here and never on a first date are you asked to divulge every aspect about yourself. The primary goal for a first visit should be to have the user walk away with some piece of “digital shwag”, some way for them to reconnect down the road. One romantic first date smooch, if you will.
I think this is an easier argument to make as people become more scattered by the constant stream of information bombarding them. Can the business owner even sit there and fill out their own form? Probably not.
3) What types of non-standard “calls to action” have you seen succeed for different business websites?
I’m definitely not a B2B expert but I’ve noticed an uptick in retargeting for both B2B and B2C sites. This is a tricky line to walk, but I think recognizing that any good customer will do their due diligence and learn about your competition means you have to be there when they are out there doing their research. Having traffic drivers in place to bring them back during this period is essential.
With the latest social features businesses have the opportunity to form bonds with potential customers that are deeper than a sales lead. So, inviting visitors to join in volunteer projects or participate in fundraisers is a great way to win that initial touch point and share a little about the personality behind the business. For instance, I’ve seen a couple of companies feature their “Movember” mustache growing contests to support men’s health. This is humorous and sticky and gives visitors something to remember the business by. At REI I get to do a lot of this because we have more going on than just product. Connecting visitors with volunteer opportunities, expert advice to learn more about activities or our slate of in-store classes and presentations is a great way to begin that relationship.
Todd Mintz knows PPC…knows Social Media…knows SEO…knows Blogging…knows Domaining…and knows them all real well. He runs growth marketing for )and is also a Director & Founding Member of SEMpdx: Portland, Oregon’s Search Engine Marketing Association, and he can be found here on Twitter and Facebook.