Martha is the marketer for Circus.com. She's patterned the design of her web site after BigTop.com, a successful competitor's site. Sales from the site haven't been as successful as she hoped. She's asking you for advice to improve the marketing effectiveness of her website. What advice would you give to Martha to make her site more successful?
Remove all flash content and switch fully to HTML5.
Broaden the scope of products offered on the site.
Focus on changes that improve user satisfaction of the site.
Provide a way for users to leave and read reviews from other customers.
Explanation
Analysis of Correct Answer(s)
The best advice is to focus on changes that improve user satisfaction of the site. This is the core principle of Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO). Martha's initial strategy of copying a competitor failed because what works for one audience may not work for another. Every website has a unique user base with different needs and expectations.
By focusing on her own users, Martha can: - Identify specific pain points: Use analytics, user testing, and feedback to discover why visitors aren't converting. - Formulate data-driven hypotheses: Make changes based on evidence about her users' behavior, not assumptions based on a competitor. - Build a better user experience: A satisfying and intuitive experience is crucial for guiding users toward a purchase and building long-term loyalty.
This strategic approach addresses the root of the problem, rather than just implementing a random tactic.
Analysis of Incorrect Options
- Provide a way for users to leave and read reviews: While adding reviews can build social proof and trust, it is a specific tactic. It might be a good idea, but it's just one of many potential improvements. It's better to adopt the overarching strategy of improving user satisfaction first, which will help determine if reviews are the highest-impact change to make.
- Remove all flash content and switch fully to HTML5: This is a very specific technical suggestion. It's good practice for modern web design, but we don't know if it's relevant to Martha's site or if it's the cause of her low sales.
- Broaden the scope of products offered: This is a business or product strategy decision, not a website optimization fix. The problem is that the current website isn't effective at selling its existing products. Adding more products won't solve the underlying conversion issue.