Managing High Latency Clicks and ROI
Oct 9, 2007 Analytics Tools
Any search marketer will tell you that online marketing is a little like playing with hand grenades. You’re looking to make a big impact, but accuracy isn’t always guaranteed. Understanding point of purchase behavior does a lot to help decipher analytics because not every click through will result in an immediate conversion. Latent clicks are a result of slow converters, and can be a significant thorn in your side. Learn how to turn undecided visitors into ROI quicker.
Most of my generation has likely heard mention of the word latency before, especially in the context of online gaming. High latency simply means that an expected response from a signal is slow to return. Thus, latent clicks can be said to be a result of search users inability to convert immediately, or in a timely manner.
I have personally witnessed cases where online campaigns can sit in wait for up to three months before prospective clients convert into customers, even for the smallest of purchases! One would think that a purchase decision of $5.00 would not be a huge strain on the average search user, especially in our day of instant gratification. A general rule of thumb in analytics is: the longer you have to wait for a conversion, the less likely it will be you can track it. Like the annoying Michael Kuss from CityTV News says, “if you can’t see it, you can’t track it.”
There are a lot of roadblocks search marketers do not consider when setting up pay per click marketing campaigns. Here is a short checklist of things to consider when formulating your PPC campaigns:
- Landing page relevance: Does the page you are bringing people to have relevance to your keyword targeting, geo-targeting, and image/display text? If not, visitors will likely bounce off your page and back to the SERPs. Warmer prospects may linger with indecision and put off their purchase.
- Call to action: How easy is it for visitors to convert? Have you tried testing whether your niece or granny would purchase something on your site?
- Phone numbers: The scurge of the seas for search marketing. Once visitors have the option to phone in an order, you better have a contingency plan for tracking those conversions if you stand any hope in calculating ROI.
- Promotion: What makes your product or services better than your competition? You did research your competition, right? Make your message strong and clear.
- Time-sensitivity: Nothing says buy now, like saying “BUY NOW!” The best way to push visitors into making a quicker decision is to add a sense of urgency. If your product is in short supply, mention that quantities are limited. Even if you don’t have a time limit on an offer, adding one will help move things along quicker.
The preceding honorable mentions are just a few practical tips you can use to turn uncertainty and indecision into conversion. Tomorrow I’ll discuss landing page redesign and the importance of cross-selling, stay tuned!
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