We have a very specific conversion optimization process that delivers a 20% sales lift in under 90-days. Lower in the article we'll showcase studies to back our claims.
Getting here has been a slog ...
13 YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS Wish we had discovered this framework when we started.
It wasn't like we weren't getting results, we were, it's just that each project felt like a unique creation. This was creatively satisfying (like the pleasure a potter " gets from her work) but as we started to grow business planning was hard because we didn't know if the next test winner would appear after a few or many tweaks. The financial difference between those two quickly adds up.
We desperately needed a framework to drastically reduce the number of steps from the start to the finish line.
Overnight success is sold as something that happens overnight. It took us 15 to crack this nut, and if you stick around for another 15minutes it's yours to keep.
Here is the process that will deliver a 20% sales lift:
Let's Go
Recognize What You're Up Against
Four internet trends frame the problem
TREND #1
Site visitors aren’t sticking around. In 2020 Wolfgang Digital analyzed 130 million eCommerce site sessions and calculated the average time on site was 2 minutes and 32 seconds (source).
And with the explosive growth of TikTok, what will the time on site be like in 2025? PS: lower in this article you’ll learn how a marketer can str-e-t—c—h time on site.
Paid ads in 2022 cost 19% more but performed 14% worse. Will they be cheaper in 2023? Heck no.
TREND #4
There is increasing regulation around tracking users online. In 2021 Apple changed its default settings allowing Apple customers to block tracking data. This means sites can no longer track returning visitors in Apple-controlled environments.
Also, starting July 1, 2023, Google is no longer taking responsibility for holding your site visitor data.
BOTTOM LINE
It’s more important than ever for the marketer to understand visitor buyer psychology and drive conversions on the first visit itself.
Let’s start mapping a solution for you.
Find Your Most Important Page
Where is the buying decision made?
The most important page on your site...
Through the scientifically rigorous process of A/B testing, we discovered the page that had the biggest sustained impact on conversion rates, is your Product page.
To us, the product page is any page that does the heavy lifting of the product sale. If you have a paid landing page that's doing the bulk of product pitching then to us, that is your product page.
This is the page where the 'Buy-Or-No-Buy decision is being made and is where we focus all our energy and craft.
Bring a Very Specific Buyer Into Focus
This shopper is so close to buying - but often doesn't
Our approach to conversion optimization is unconventional. It ignores 84% of site visitors to triple down on a very specific type of visitor: Healthy Skeptics.
If site visitors are arranged into concentric circles the innermost circle represents your current conversion rate. These are people who are currently buying from you. Any resistance these folks experienced was overcome by your current sales pitch.
Next is an area that represents shoppers who were affected by your gravitational pull and came close to converting, but the pull just wasn’t strong enough to get them over the finish line .
These are our Healthy Skeptics.
There exist concentric circles beyond Healthy Skeptics but the energy needed to convert those bands is very high (maybe even prohibitively high).
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By contrast, Healthy Skeptics need just a little more convincing. Therefore, spend all your energy on them
Healthy Skeptics have 4 identifying qualities:
They recognize they have a problem
Value expertise
Are willing to 💵 to solve their problem
Need convincing
Multiplying Effect
By making our sales pitch attractive to Healthy Skeptics automatically making it 2x more impactful for all visitors to your site.
A standup comedian whose routine gets a hard-to-please audience member to laugh will get an even bigger reaction from an easy-to-please audience member.
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Recognize the 9 Truths About Online Shoppers
We see these traits play out over and over
Shoppers are exposed to over 1,000 ads a day (most estimates put the number at 4,000). Our brains simply can't make sense of all of this incoming information.
If we can somehow reverse engineer and understand the decision-making process buyers are using, it’ll give us a massive competitive advantage. While competitors are A/B testing promo codes we could boost sales without bribing with discounts.
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It’s taken 15 years and I’m sure we’ll discover more in the next 5 years, but for now, here’s what we know:
1: Shoppers are skeptical of too good to be true 2: They find expertise sexy 3: Root for people who beat the odds 4: Are fascinated by surprising details 5: Are visual animals 6: Need motivation to break habits 7: Love personalized experiences 8: Like knowing they’ve stumbled onto something rare 9: Must overcome their negative thoughts
It’s important to understand the interplay between Healthy Skeptics and the 9 Truths. When crafting copy for the 9 truths we’re looking at it from the Healthy Skeptic’s point of view.
We focus on Healthy Skeptics because copy that convinces them (they are hard to please) will be 2x more impactful on other site visitors.
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Identify Your Area of Focus
We've reached a fork in the road. Our approach changes depending on 2 sales distribution parameters...
SUCCESS
Deconstruct Your Best Seller Page
Are there vulnerabilities in your pitch?
Page redesigns are expensive.
Micro-improvements are strategic enhancements along the length of your bestseller page. Some micro-improvements are added to address questions, some to amplify desire, and some to improve the discovery of key page elements.
Deconstruction does three things: 1. It slows the brain so nothing is accidentally skipped. 2. Helps us learn from what's there so we can build on top of it. 3. Allows us to look at the page with a fresh set of eyes.
We take a full-page screenshot of the product page, scan it from the top, and annotate (number) each page element.
We allocate 2 hours for Deconstruction. At the end of that process, we have a very good idea of what the page is trying to pitch. The process of Deconstruction also creates mental space to note questions.
Some questions that appeared as the page above was Deconstructed: • How is this different from other insulated tumblers I've tried? • At $35 this is expensive, is that a good deal for what I'm getting? • The page talks about double-wall vacuum insulation technology. What makes that unique?
We're trying to find vulnerabilities in our pitch. A chain is as weak as the weakest Link. If our sales pitch is 85% perfect and there are just two things stumping shoppers it still results in no sale.
Once questions that Healthy Skeptics may have are noted we're ready to make micro-improvements to the page to address them.
Make Micro-Improvements
Small enhancements that lead to significant impact
Page redesigns are expensive. Micro-improvements are strategic enhancements along the length of your bestseller page. Some micro-improvements are added to address questions, some to amplify desire, and some to improve the discovery of key page elements.
But all micro-improvements are made within the existing page structure, which means you'll see a 10% sales lift without updating the page design.
Micro-improvements are constructed using 9 truths (covered in Step 4) and target
Healthy Skeptics. By convincing Healthy Skeptics we are automatically also more attractive to all site visitors.
This Limited Edition label is interesting, but I’m not given any information about what makes it limited edition. Before making a change here, I would ask YETI: “What makes this limited edition? Once I have the answer, I’ll make this label clickable and on click show a lightbox with more info that amplifies the impact of this being a limited edition product.”
I won’t make a change to the product name.
Under these stars, I’d add this copy:
47,723 reviews & counting. Here are some of our favorites >
Here are some of our favorites > would be a link. On click, I’d show a lightbox window with the following:
What you see below is a collection of some of our favorite reviews. But if you prefer to see all the reviews, you can click the button below:
[Customer review 1]
[Customer review 2]
[Customer review 3]
[Customer review 4]
[Customer review 5]
{Read More Reviews}
This lightbox would feature a handful of my favorite reviews, reviews that I felt covered a variety of different use cases, contained surprising details that a shopper might find interesting, etc. At the bottom, I’d include a button that says {Read More Reviews}. On click, the user would be taken to the Reviews section at the bottom of the product page.
This product page has over 47,000 reviews. While that’s a compelling detail on its own, we still want shoppers to see the reviews. This micro-improvement gives us an opportunity to increase the visibility of positive reviews, which invariably results in higher conversion rates.
What is a Magslider™ lid? It sounds cool, but some shoppers will want to know more. These shoppers are known as Diggers (learn about skimmers vs diggers here).
Even if this detail is covered lower on the page (it is), why not give the shopper who wants to know more now the ability to do so?
I’d make “WITH MAGSLIDER™ LID” a link (or add a tooltip icon beside the copy). On click, I’d show the following content in a lightbox window:
Magslider™ Lid Is Magnetically Sealed for Ultra Protection
The Rambler® Tumbler harnesses the power of magnets to provide an ultra-tight seal. Keeps temperatures locked in (and anything else locked out — bugs, dust, rain…). Open or close with the flick of a thumb.
The lid is 100% BPA-free and dishwasher-safe.
I’d also use this as an opportunity to highlight important details, such as the fact that this product is 100% BPA-free and dishwasher safe, details that are somewhat buried deeper on the page and are therefore harder to find.
I’d change this copy from:
A go-to for coffee on the go. Fits in most cupholders.
To:
The ultimate bestseller from the most recognized name in the world of on-the-go cups.
This builds more excitement and credibility.
The main product image is the most visible element on a product page. Since we know that essentially all shoppers will see this image, it’s a great opportunity for us to highlight important details. I’d modify this image to include this copy:
– Guaranteed to fit most cupholders. – Maintains drink temperature. – Puncture & rust-resistant.
Take a look:
Many of the reviews rave about the customization that’s available with this tumbler. But I don’t feel that the customization options are clear enough on the page. To improve this section, I’d change the Color: label to Make it yours (Color + Customization):
I’d remove the Customize button (which to me only communicates that maybe you can customize the color more) and add a button above the color options that says: {Add custom logo, monogram, text, or design + }
The button is more wordy, sure, but it fully communicates what customization options are available. As a result, I’m confident it would get more engagement.
9–13: I wouldn’t make any changes here, at least not right now.
$35.00 can be a lot of money for a cup. But I know YETI makes high-quality, long-lasting products, which means the price is worth it. But I can’t rely on shoppers feeling the same way. Instead, I need to communicate this idea and justify the price for the shopper (learn more about price justification).
Just to the right of the $35.00 price tag, I’d add this copy & built to last a lifetime.
This quickly communicates that this $35.00 price will only need to be paid once or twice over the course of many years. Shoppers correlate longevity with value.
15–16: I wouldn’t make any changes to the quantity selector or Add to Cart button.
17–20: If a shopper is on your site, the first thing you want them to do is buy from here. Putting more emphasis on a “Find a Store” tool only delays the purchase (potentially indefinitely). Normally we’d remove this from the product page entirely, but if a client really wanted to keep this on the page, then we’d simply deemphasize it.
In this case, I’d swap #17 (the “Find in Store” tool) and #20 (the 5-year warranty info), and change the 5 YEAR WARRANTY text to this 13 5 YEAR WARRANTY
The 5-year warranty requires more attention to make shoppers feel comfortable with making a purchase. I updated the copy to amplify the impact of the warranty duration, which is quite generous (most warranties seem to last just 1–3 years).
I’d remove the 21, 22, and 23 content. The focus of a product page should be to sell that product. Cross-selling and upselling shouldn’t receive this much attention, at least not at this point on the product page.
Above #24, I’d add this image with the following copy on it (this is what we call a Picture Story):
TAKE THE RAMBLER® WITH YOU ANYWHERE.
THE OFFICE, THE BEACH, THE CAMPGROUND, THE BOAT…
Here’s how that could look:
This communicates an important selling angle (more on this below) that I want to be highly visible on the page. I felt that if shoppers could imagine themselves taking their tumbler with them everywhere that they’d more easily see the value.
Additionally, I’d show all the slides from this gallery in #24 on the page by default, one on top of the other. Since I’m removing #21–23, there is enough freed-up space on the page to prevent this change from significantly extending the page length.
I’d also amplify the copy in these (former) slides. I’d change slide 2 to say:
Puncture & Rust-Resistant 18/8 Stainless Steel
Drop it, kick it, throw it — the Rambler® Tumbler can handle it. Its kitchen-grade, 18/8 stainless steel construction provides more durability than 18/0.
We extensively tested the Rambler® and we weren’t gentle. It has fallen off trucks, down rocky hillsides, been kicked by a horse, and lived to tell the tale.
We’re building more excitement with this copy and explaining the significance of 18/8 stainless steel (which on its own is an abstract detail that most aren’t familiar with).
I’d change slide 3 to this:
Keep Drinks In the Goldilocks Zone
Shine or snow, the Rambler® Tumbler will keep the temperature of your drinks “juuuust right” thanks to our perfected double-wall vacuum insulation technology.
Here I’m highlighting another important selling angle — that this tumbler keeps drinks at the perfect temperature — by relating it to a familiar story (Goldilocks).
I’d then update slide 5 to this:
Magnetically Sealed for Ultra Protection
The Rambler® Tumbler harnesses the power of magnets to provide a tight seal. Keeps temperatures locked in (and anything else locked out — bugs, dust, rain…). Open or close with the flick of a thumb.
Again, the goal here is to amplify the copy and build more excitement.
I wouldn’t make any changes here at this time.
This section is only letting shoppers know that there are 3 size options, information that is evident at the top of the page when you add this to your cart. A more effective strategy would be to use this space to emphasize another important selling angle.
I’d add this image (which is currently only on the desktop version of the page):
Then I’d update the image to include this copy on it:
Keeps ice frozen…
Keeps coffee hot…
ALL DAY.
I’m not sure if this copy is 100% accurate, so to make sure I would ask YETI and make adjustments if needed.
On this image, I’d add the following copy: Guaranteed to fit your cupholders.
This is a critically important detail that YETI already emphasizes in a few locations. However, we know shoppers are drawn to images, so including this message directly on an image dramatically increases its visibility.
28–31: I wouldn’t make any changes here at this time.
I’d add a blur effect or transparent overlay on top of the reviews section. On this overlay, I’d add the following copy:
Why in the world would I add this? Doesn’t this increase friction?
Yes! But in a good way. I want the shopper to slow down at this point and take in my message, which is doing a few things:
1: It’s forcing the user to acknowledge how many reviews we have (over 47,000), which increases credibility and their confidence to buy.
2: We’re acknowledging that our opinion on our own product is meaningless. What means the world is what shoppers just like them are saying. This builds a sense of likability and shows the shopper that we aren’t just salespeople — we want them to buy only if it works.
3: And finally, we’re explicitly giving the shopper a goal: to read 10 reviews. They may only read 4, but at this point, chances are very good that that’s more than what they would have read otherwise. The more reviews shoppers read, the higher likelihood they will convert. This is especially important in this example because a negative 1-star review is the first visible review on this product page at the moment. We need to encourage shoppers to read beyond that first review to get a full picture of this product.
Include the URL of your top product and we'll do the Deconstruction of this page for FREE and email you our Micro-improvement ideas!
Write Your Long-form Sales Pitch
The key element of our entire conversion optimization approach
The micro-improvements delivered a 10% sales lift. But we need a 20% lift. The long-form sales pitch (LFSP) will make up the difference.
How to think about your long-form sales pitch: Imagine you had 60 minutes to talk about your amazing product. What would you say? That content is your long-form sales pitch.
All we do is reframe it based on the 9 truths and aim it at the healthy skeptic.
Selling Angles
Just showing a long-form sales pitch on a page will not magically move the sales needle.
That sales pitch needs to be anchored to one or more themes. A sci-fi novel and a detective tale may have the same general storyline but they have different aesthetic themes. One is in the future, the other is on earth.
Selling Angles are hooks the marketer handcrafts to get the reader - who wasn't planning to spend a lot of him here—to do just that.
When Apple launched the iPod 20 years ago they didn't pitch it as, "This machine has a 5GB storage capacity" They said:
Because site visitors are distracted It's important to focus on a few Selling Angles.
Up to 6 Selling Angles = good
12 Selling Angles = You need to cut around 50%.
Crazy Idea
Include the URL of your top product and we'll do the Deconstruction of this page for FREE and email you our Micro-improvement ideas!
How long-form sales pitch is presented on the page
Instead of force-fitting it we add multiple call-to-actions (CTAs) to draw out detail seekers. If we just embedded the detailed explanation on the page it would make the page super long and disturb existing conversions. Our goal is to keep existing conversions and add on top. So we only show the long-form sales pitch when a user raises their hand 🙋♀️.
Maximizing discovery
If the page had just 1 long-form sales pitch TA it can be easily missed. So we need to conditionally show the CT a few times along the length of the page to maximize discovery.
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We now need to build the pitch using the 9️⃣ truths.
I'd like to share 4️⃣ long-form sales pitch case studies. We aren't just going to show the pitch we'll also explain every choice that was made. Nothing is held back. Our wonderful clients have given us full permission.
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Why is the long-form sales pitch a pop-up? Why it's long? If you want to dig into these questions, go here: Write Your Long-Form Sales Pitch
Just drafting a long-form sales pitch will not magically improve sales. For that we need to adjust two levers:
a. Long-form sales pitch discovery rate
A discovery rate of under 8% is too low. You'll need to continue tweaking the design, wording, and the number of TAs to the long-form sales till that the discovery rate is way over 10%.
b. Impact of a long-form sales pitch
Once the discovery rate has been fixed we need to look at the conversion impact. If it's under 10% it's time to tighten things. Here are a few things we could do:
i. Work on the opening of the pitch. Openings matter a lot. If our shoppers aren't getting past our first paragraph there is a 0% chance they'll discover the gold in paragraph 4.
ii. If step 1 didn't work, chop copy length by 50% and focus on your main Selling Angle.
iil. If the two steps above didn't work, go back to your Selling Angles and find something that's radically different. Why radically different matters: Contrast gets noticed. This is key.
We need shoppers to react. A flat A/B test is the worst possible outcome because it means people saw our concept and didn't even bother reacting. There are zero learnings in flat A/B tests.
The marketer's job is to get a reaction - positive or negative.
Our goal isn't to gain insights that are a little better, we want to leapfrog the competition.
Liquid Death sells water in a can. This is a stupidly saturated market.If they tested an idea whose central point of view was "we have more minerals than the other guys" it would have made close to 0 impact. So, they did this:
It's undeniable that this idea has a unique point of view. It forces the viewer to have an opinion. That's what you need from your long-form sales pitch.
Construct the 'Why We Exist' Pitch
Bridge the vulnerability barrier between the shopper and you
For a new visitor to a product page, their first thought isn't, "This is a great product I'm going to buy it" it's "Who are these guys? Should I seriously consider their offering?"
As a result, the first thing I need to do is sell this new visitor on me, the brand. That's what Why We Exist solves.
Few of the things we are trying to convey in the Why We Exist story are:
1. Empathy: Letting them know we hear and understand their struggle. There are a lot of emotions wrapped in making a purchase.
2. Expertise: You've spent years improving your processes - manufacturing, research, shipping, warehousing, and studying the competition. By paying one low price the shopper gains all the benefits of those learnings. This is a huge advantage and needs to be communicated in your story. To dig deeper, read this article: Copywriting Secret: Demonstrate Expertise.
3. Philosophical alignment: Sir James Dyson, the founder of Dyson said,"I just want things to work properly."
This is what their brand embodies, and how Dyson.com was able to expand from just a vacuum cleaner brand to a whole family of products with "I just want things to work properly" as the connecting thread.
Shoppers are looking for companies that have a worldview that matches theirs. Were subconsciously seeking out tribal connections.
Did the 3 details we're trying to convey spark ideas for your own pitch? /
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Allow the Discovery of 'Why We Exist'
Get the mountain to Mohammed
On most all sites, when a new visitor enters the product page the brand immediately launches into the pitch for that item. But think about this from this visitor's perspective. They don't know who you are. We need to sell them on us before pitching our product. Without that layer of trust, there is no commerce.
You may have a page that gives your back story (your About Us or Why Buy From Us page) but to read it the user has to leave the product page.
If you look at your Google Analytics I am dead sure you'll see people who go to these back story pages have a much higher conversion rate vs site average. I can also be certain that under 10% of your visitors discover this back story page. Translation: It's a powerful conversion catalyst but not enough people see it.
A golden rule in marketing is that if an asset converts really well, but isn't visible, make it visible. Don't make the shopper leave your product page, bring that content to them.
You need a Why We Exist call-to-action (CTA) that's conditionally sprinkled across the whole site (including all product pages).
Conditionally means once any of the Why We Exist CTAs is clicked all other mentions become invisible.
The beauty of this technique is that it maximizes discovery (people who miss it at one location will be nudged again and again) while minimizing annoyance (since people who click will not see it again).
Is this conditional CTA idea clear? Let me know if it isn't and I'll send a video to explain it. /
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Test & Tweak
How do your shoppers react?
We have two dials to play with:
a. The number of site visitors who discovered the Why We Exist pitch
b. Conversion impact of Why We Exist pitch
If the pitch discovery rate is under 10% continue adjusting the Why We Exist CTA placement, repetition, copy, and design till the click rate is over 10%. With a low click rate, it's hard to draw conclusions on performance.
If the discovery issue has been fixed but the A/B test isn't showing / we need to tighten things.
Few things we could do:
i. Work on the opening of the pitch. Openings matter the most. If our shoppers aren't getting past our first paragraph there is a 0% chance they'll discover the gold in paragraph 4.
it. If the step above didn't work rewrite your pitch and make it radically different. Why radically different matters:
Contrast gets noticed. This is key. We need shoppers to react. A flat A/B test is the worst possible outcome because it means people saw our concept and didn't even bother reacting. There are zero learnings in flat A/B tests.
The marketer's job is to get a reaction - positive or negative.
Liquid Death sells water in a can. This is a stupidly saturated market. If they tested an idea whose central point of view was "we have more minerals than the other guys" would have made close to 0 impact. So, they did this:
It's undeniable that this idea has a unique point of view. It forces the viewer to have an opinion. That's what you need from your long-form sales pitch.
