Conversion Architecture-Blueprint for Web Success

Website conversion architecture operates on the same premise as building architecture. Building architecture begins with the intended use of the structure and finishes with a focus on the end users. For instance, a building that is to be used as a home is designed around the intended eventual inhabitants, their lifestyle, tastes and preferences. In this sense, a high rise condominium in a bustling city will differ vastly from a rural farmhouse.

Website architecture is equally important for websites. Like homes, Conversion Architecture begins with the intended use and finishes focused on the end users.

Conversion Architecture is a fairly new concept in website design that focuses on a nurturing website design. A conversion site facilitates higher conversion success based on structure, strategy and a site structure designed to naturally nurture a Visitor closer to a conversion by serving easily accessible content based on their needs & desires.

A Vast Difference between Highrise Condos and Farmhouses

Meeting the customer’s needs equates to achieving your organization?s online goals. Make sense?

Depending on the organization, conversion goals can be measured by sales, subscriptions, donations or simply visitors/users. With strategic conversion architecture a website successfully guides inbound traffic using content, calls-to-action and landing pages.

The 4 “E’s” of Conversion Content

The building blocks of conversion architecture begin with delivering content in stages. Each stage will meet one of four basic objectives while interacting with website users, these include:
*Education
*Engagement
*Encouragement
*Embracing

(See 4 E’s here as they relates to the consumer purchase funnel)

By guiding website visitors through these stages you will help them discover information about your products and services, and join your list to register their interest, or take the steps to finalize their conversion.

Here are some examples of well-known brands with high-converting websites that are utilizing these stages in their conversion architecture.

Educate

EDUCATION

Woman Within?is an online retailer focused on providing clothing for plus-sized women. Unlike other online apparel vendors, the company?s website design goes beyond showing pretty models in lovely clothing.

Instead of showing supermodels, the site features average looking women but each product also includes detailed descriptions of how the item provides style, fit and value ? the company?s core brand promise. This content Education nutures their target toward a sale.

Conversion Architecture performs at a 25+ percent rate of conversion.

ENGAGEMENT

Engage

Land?s End?is a casual clothing company that has taken their highly popular print catalog online and created a site featuring a conversion architecture that converts at just over 19 percent. The website feels more like a lifestyle magazine and features online content written in language that speaks and connects with their targeted buyer personas.

Engagement easily occurs with data collection opportunities before, during and after the purchase.

ENCOURAGEMENT

Encourage

Vitacost?is one of the largest online vendors of natural health products. It features an extensive inventory of value-priced vitamins, supplements and other health products.

Vitacost also boasts an extremely high conversion rate of around 25 percent. One of the ways Vitacost facilitates conversion is through Education. The front page of the Vitacost site features simple and fun videos, providing a benefits overview of various supplements and products sold on the website. In addition, Vitacost produces two websites,?Wellness Times?and?Momonomics. ?focused on providing health and wellness content

Clearly the content is based on customer personas.?Both sites promote Vitacost as their exclusive sponsor and frequently link back to the Vitacost site for product purchases.

Embrace

EMBRACING

Doctors Foster and Smith?is a pet care product retailer. It focuses on providing pet owners with information they want and need to improve their pet’s care. Clearly this is an engaged audience.

So, this etailer makes it extremely simple for returning customers to make purchases, with an extensive customer account system. This encouragement is coupled with strong content that helps the website maintain a conversion rate that hovers around 20 percent.

Conversion Architecture and Your Website

Recent advancements in website conversion architecture began in August 2012. Websites that lack a strategic conversion architecture may be under performing and missing opportunities to convert the maximum amount of inbound traffic.

If your website is not designed according to a conversion architecture, a good place to begin is with a Free Website Grade.