Conversion Optimization

After a much needed break, I am finally back and in action. Selling a company recently took a lot of work, but the work definitely has paid off. What I mean by that is I am able to take all of the knowledge I gained and redistribute it to our community. My focus has shifted to user experience, user psychology, and conversion optimization, as well as all things social media. Combining creative marketing campaigns around social media and ultimately converting a prospect to a customer when they are on a site. Anyone these days can drive traffic. Conversion of a user is a specific skill.

Today I will have the pleasure of watching @gregoryng present at the SEO Meetup (organized by none other than our very own Phil Buckley) here in Raleigh about conversion optimization. Greg is the Chief Experience Office at Brooks Bell Interactive. As CXO (Chief Experience Officer), Greg is responsible for ensuring that marketing strategies are realized through exemplary creative work. Gregory's direct experience runs deep and includes working for clients like Dell, Bank of America, American Express, Fidelity Investments, the Salvation Army, Microsoft, DSW Shoe Warehouse, and Dunkin' Donuts. I will follow up with a blog on what I learn from Greg. I am sure it will be a "gem".

Here is a great list of books that deals with conversion optimization. Find them, read them, know them all. They are great. (Compliments of Bryan Eisenberg)

Psychology, Human Behavior, and Persuasion

• “Made to Stick” by Chip and Dan Heath
• “Waiting For Your Cat To Bark?” by Bryan Eisenberg and Jeffrey Eisenberg
• “Persuasive Technology” by B.J. Fogg
• “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” by Robert Cialdini
• “Your Key to Sports Success: How Understanding Your Brain Type Will Enhance Your Athletic Ability” by Jonathan Niednagel
• “Please Understand Me: Character and Temperament Types” by David Keirsey
• “The Art of SpeedReading People” by Paul D. Tieger and Barbara Barron-Tieger
• “Why We Buy” by Paco Underhill

Marketing, Branding, and Selling

• “Ogilvy on Advertising” by David Ogilvy
• “Secret Formulas of the Wizard of Ads” by Roy H. Williams
• “Call to Action” by Jeffrey Eisenberg and me
• “The Psychology of Selling” by Brian Tracy
• “How to Master the Art of Selling” by Tom Hopkins
• “The Sales Bible: The Ultimate Sales Resource” by Jeffrey Gitomer
• “Selling the Invisible: A Field Guide to Modern Marketing” by Harry Beckwith
• “5 Steps to Successful Selling” by Zig Ziglar
• “Focus: The Future of Your Company Depends on It” by Al Ries
• “Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions” by Dan Ariely
• “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie

Usability and Information Architecture

• “Designing Web Usability” by Jakob Nielsen
• “Web Usability: A Designer’s Guide” by Jared M. Spool
• “Information Architecture for the World Wide Web”
• “Web Form Design” by Luke Wroblewski
• “The Persona Lifecycle” by John Pruitt and Tamara Adlin
• “The Elements of User Experience” by Jesse James Garrett
• “Don’t Make Me Think” by Steve Krug  (one of my personal favorites)

Copywriting

• “Persuasive Online Copywriting” by Jeffrey Eisenberg and Bryan Eisenberg
• “Breakthrough Advertising” by Eugene M. Schwartz
• “Advertising Secrets of the Written Word” by Joseph Sugarman
• “The Associated Press Guide to Good Writing” by Rene J. Cappon
• “Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer” by Roy Peter Clark
• “Copyblogger Blog” by Brian Clark

Testing

• “Landing Page Optimization” by Tim Ash
• “Always Be Testing: The Complete Guide to Google Website Optimizer” by John Quarto-vonTivadar and Bryan Eisenberg

SEO, SEM, E-mail Marketing, & Social Media

• “The Art of SEO: Mastering Search Engine Optimization” by Eric Enge, Stephan Spencer, Rand Fishkin, and Jessie Stricchiola
• “Winning Results with Google AdWords” by  Andrew Goodman, while we anxiously await “Pay-Per-Click Search Engine Marketing: An Hour a Day” by David Szetela
• “Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day” by  Dave Evans
• “Email Marketing: An Hour a Day” by Jeanniey Mullen
• “YouTube and Video Marketing: An Hour a Day” by Greg Jarboe
• “Six Pixels of Separation: Everyone Is Connected. Connect Your Business to Everyone.” by Mitch Joel
• “Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust” by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith
• “Twitter Marketing: An Hour a Day” by ClickZ’s own Hollis Thomases
• “Inbound Marketing: Get Found Using Google, Social Media, and Blogs” by Brian Halligan, Dharmesh Shah, and David Meerman Scott

This is a great list.  I have read many, and have many more to read.  Stay tuned for more great stuff.