Optimization or Conversion?

So what is it?!

I know.  My question doesn’t make sense.  Allow me to explain. We’re in the middle of remessaging Sitebrand. As such, we need to revisit what we do as it relates to those who would be our consumers.  When you do this exercise, you force yourself to really understand your current and future clients.  Pretty much Marketing 101, right?  The toughest part in these exercises is nailing down what you do such that your target market understands, or at least has their interest piqued, such that they want to know more.  It’s the beginning of the messaging funnel that draws the prospect in and starts them on their way to a sale.  If you’ve ever been through it you’ll understand how this is often the most controversial aspect of remessaging.  Rarely does anyone agree and even if you manage some consensus there will always be someone else out there to tell you how you’ve got it wrong.  Welcome to Marketing!  (remind me again why I like this field so much!)

So that explains the question.  For a vendor such as Sitebrand that does dynamic online personalization, persuasion and conversion solutions, the argument around what our prospects would positively react to in that initial messaging was "Optimization or Conversion".  What are your thoughts?

Let me tell you what I think.  I think it’s Conversion.  As a Marketer, I absolutely hate the term Optimization.  When I hear that, I think of expensive consultants pouring over my systems trying to do efficiency studies which will result in more consulting engagements to apply the recommendations of the efficiency studies which will then encounter some unanticipated complications as a result of my unique infrastructure and architecture which will require more expensive consultants to analyze my technology framework which will then result in more expensive consultants to implement topographical improvements which will remove the bottlenecks I didn’t know I had which will allow the consultants to upgrade my hardware and software configurations which will then require expensive consultants to train my staff on the changes which will result in a loss of productivity and revenue generation activity which will result in many late nights for me and my team as we desperately try to catch up.  But I’ll be ‘optimized’!

Said another way, to me Optimization means tweaking some settings.  It doesn’t mean ‘make more money’.  And as I’ve said before, that’s how I’m measured.  I’m the HIPPO, as Jim Sterne recently alluded to in a session he gave (stands for Highly Paid Person with the Opinion).

Now - talk to me about Conversion and I’m all ears.  You’re getting to my end-game.  You’re talking results!  Measurable results.  Career enhancing results!  Bloggable results!  Tell me more!

Ironically - I shared some of my thoughts with Jim Sterne in a dinner outing the night before his seminar.  Guess what?  He disagreed.  He told me I was biased and that it was all about Optimization.

So I thought about it and I think he’s wrong.  After all, I’m the Marketer.  I am my own target customer.  And I think you know how I feel about Optimization.

So after watching his session, I engaged him again.  This time I told him he was biased (he didn’t look too impressed).  I said that his bias was as a result of living in the trenches of web analytics and measurement.  Being measured by productivity enhancements will create a bias towards Optimization.  In reality, Optimization drives Conversion.  They’re tied together.  And guess what?  He agreed.  So, Jim and I remain good friends.  Whew!

But there you have it, don’t you?  It’s all about knowing your customer.  I’m the executive - talk to me about Conversion.  Maybe you’re the analytics expert.  I’ll talk to you about Optimization.  In the end we’re all measured by results.  And the only results that truly count are financial.  At least in the business world.

If you enjoyed this discussion about messaging and understanding your customers, you may want to check out our next webinar where we talk about understanding the personas visiting your website.  You need to personalize to optimize their experience and convert them for success.  Or something like that.

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Posted in Conversion, Darryl Praill, Optimization, Web Analytics