The Three R's of Internet Success

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Traffic
Retention
Conversion

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) increases traffic. This is often achieved with Pay Per Click until Organic growth can be achieved. SEO consists of optimizing the website for key words so that search engines will match the site with customers queries on Google or other engines.

Optimization is further improved by creating off page connections through linking with authority sites and then Web 2.0 techniques. These techniques are generally categorized into publication of blogs, articles and pr releases. Secondly it is achieved by getting referrals through interaction on Social Media sites.

Retention is the most underplayed aspects of internet success. The bounce rate for even the most popular sites is very high. The highest bounces rates are probably from pay per click advertisers who have taken the short cut of paying for placement instead of optimizing the retention value of their sites.

Finally, a conversion rate of a visitor to a purchaser or sign up is under 10% for most sites. If you visit a lot of sites like I do, the first thing I realize with static web sites is there is no emotional appeal. I often am not certain what the page has planned for me. Most people only give it a few seconds to communicate if they have lots of options.

I feel the next serious answer to retention and conversion is Video. We have fallen in love with it. It is not static, it is alive. It is welcoming and emotional. It can transition from retention to action. By comparison, it is so much more appealing than the static sites that I have visited that a good video has me enraptured. Not to mention that YouTube is now the second largest search engine.

As an example I provide one of the better video sites I have visited. http://digitorialmedia.com
It is time that sites that want to increase sales follow the three R’s and add video.