Searchme.com is awesome and could disrupt our notion of what converts

Check this out- Searchme.com visual search results.

If this takes off and gets traction, it has the potential to strongly alter how conversion takes place. Your loosely controlled meta description will no longer matter at getting people to your site- your actual design will! This search engine does away with tradition search results and uses an iTunes inspired "cover flow" to display website screenshots.

On a large screen, it is easy to pick out the primary value proposition and read key copy- if it exists. With this site, I can quickly make a decision as to whether or not a site even stands a chance at getting my business- without even visiting it.

Personally, I think this is one of the coolest technologies I have seen in a while, and have only begun to debate the long term implications on conversion. Certainly many of the same things still apply, but now you have to balance "organic search juice" with a compelling design and clear messaging.

This is something top sites have done a great job at for a long time, so it may be nothing new to them. But a quick glance through several searches on Searchme.com and it became clear- if this idea takes off, sites which don't strongly embrace conversion oriented design don't stand a chance.


Warm Regards,

Scott Miller, CEO

The 3 C's of Conversion (Plus One More)

I was in Chicago this week for the Search Engine Strategies Chicago Conference. While speaking at the session "Landing Page Optimization Clinic" I made a comment that seemed to resonate well with people so I thought I would repeat it here for anyone who did not make the session.

When I look at a page for the first time, I examine it under the premise of a simple framework I call the three C's of conversion. It goes like this:

Does your landing page:

1. Capture the attention of the visitor?
2. Communicate your primary value proposition to the visitor?
3. Close the sale, lead, or other offer you are making?

Each of these steps are essential to boosting conversion. On my snow-delayed flight out of Chicago, I thought I should add one more C to the equation: the Customer!

Obviously, with no customer, there is no sale!

The reason this is important is simple: upon arrival to your site, the customer has some expectation in mind, something he or she was looking for. In order to capture, communicate and close, your site must be as relevant as possible to this customer.

In the coming days I will be sharing more specific recommendations and insight on analyzing and improving your Cs of conversion.




Warm Regards,

Scott Miller, CEO

Author of "The ConversionLab.com," The worlds first "How to" guide to testing and optimization. Visit http://www.conversionlab.com/ for a special offer!