Conversions and Touchdowns: How Football Can Increase Conversion Rates
Written by Toonimo
Today four NFL teams compete in the Conference playoffs. The winners earn a coveted spot at the Super Bowl, which will take place in a few weeks in Arizona. After careful consideration, there are many similarities between the game of football and online marketing, especially conversion rate optimization. Here some of the practical marketing lessons that can help any brand out in the battling the toughest competitors in the world of marketing.
Goals
In football, both teams are constantly focused on the prize- either winning the specific game or getting to the Super Bowl. Winning the Super Bowl means that the team is praised forever. Achieving this milestone requires establishing many goals, both short and long term, along with practicing, testing new plays and teamwork.
Conversion rate optimization, and any aspect of digital marketing, is very similar. The company must identify specific goals and what conversion rates would be identified as successful, even if the final result is not optimal conversion.
Fans and Audience
In football, some fans identify with several football teams. They could be fans because of affiliation to the city, fans of a specific players, personal association or other reason. In conversion
In conversion rate optimization and e-commerce the audience can be a global audience and many customers may be fans of several companies within the same industry. No one company dominates the field and as long as the service is superior, customers are often not as loyal to one brand, as they are to a football team.
Practice Drills and Testing
In the NFL, as with many sports, practice makes perfect. Teams spend countless hours perfecting specific plays and refining their on-field positioning.
In conversion rate optimization, practice and testing is the only way to succeed in high yielding conversions. Testing is the name of the conversion game and it requires constant tweaking and reevaluation before success is achieved.
Strategy
This is a no brainer. Whether playing offense or defense, identifying and executing a solid strategy is critical in winning games.
A sound conversion strategy, creates a clear blueprint for implementation. It allows a company to remain on course and stay focused on the ultimate win- converting customers.
Researching the Competition
Similar to strategy, understanding the competition is a critical component in football and conversion rate optimization.
Knowing the competition, their behaviors, and active campaigns, enables the company to prepare appropriately and create a realistic course of action.
Determination
The high stakes of a football game means that there will always be a winner and a loser. The competition is fierce and is not for those who are not familiar with high stakes.
In conversion rate optimization the stakes are equally high. Companies can't give up at the first sign of a tough time. They need to remain determined to succeed for the long haul and keep the eye on the prize.
Data
Football is all about data. The statistics help both teams understand behaviors, plays and changes based on performance.
In onsite optimization, tracking and measuring metrics is the foundation for successful implementation of a campaign. Using the data and user information enables a company to constantly improve their game.
Conversions
In football, third and fourth down conversions are the focus of any good offensive team. Converting yards into touchdowns is the ultimate strategy.
For online businesses, conversions is always the primary goal. Engaging customers online and slowly handing, or guiding, them towards the conversion will turn sideline players to avid fans.
As we await the results of today's NFL conference finals, think about other similarities between onsite conversions and engagement.
