Recherche avancée

Sur d’autres sites (6846)

• Revision 32594 : plugins en minuscules, et alias pour les noms de sites

  1er novembre 2009, par fil@… — Log

  plugins en minuscules, et alias pour les noms de sites

• Conversion Funnel Optimisation : 10 Ways to Convert More

  24 janvier 2024, par Erin

  Converting leads into happy customers is the ultimate goal of any sales and marketing team. But there are many steps in between those two events, or in other words, funnel stages. 

  Your sales funnel includes all the steps you take to make your audience aware of your product or services and convince them to purchase. Conversion funnel optimisation strategies can help you move users through the stages of your sales funnel. 

  This article will show you how to optimise your conversion funnel and boost sales — no matter how your funnel looks. We’ll go over practical tips you can implement and how you can analyse and measure results.

  Let’s get started.

  What is conversion funnel optimisation ? 

  Conversion funnel optimisation is the strategic and ongoing process of refining and improving the different stages of a sales or marketing funnel to increase the rate at which users complete desired actions.

  A sales funnel represents the stages a potential customer goes through before purchasing. 

  The typical stages of a sales funnel include :

  • Awareness : At the top of the funnel, potential customers become aware of your product or service. 
  • Consideration : In this stage, prospects evaluate the product or service against alternatives. They may compare features, prices and customer reviews to make an informed decision.
  • Conversion : The prospect completes the transaction and becomes an actual customer by purchasing.
  • Loyalty : You can turn one-time buyers into repeat customers and brand advocates. 

  It’s called a “funnel” because, similar to the shape of a funnel, the number of potential customers decreases as they progress through the various stages of the sales process — as you can see illustrated below.

  

  Sales funnels can vary across industries and business models, but the general concept remains the same. The goal is to guide potential customers through each funnel stage, addressing their needs and concerns at each step, ultimately leading to a successful conversion. 

  You can create and monitor a custom funnel for your site’s user journey with a web analytics solution like Matomo.

  Try Matomo for Free

  Get the web insights you need, without compromising data accuracy.

  Start for free

  No credit card required

  The importance of conversion funnel optimisation 

  At the heart of conversion funnel optimisation is the quest for higher conversion rates. 

  Refining the customer journey can increase the chances of turning visitors into customers who return repeatedly.

  Specifically, here’s how conversion funnel optimisation can benefit your business :

  • Increased conversions : Marketers can increase the likelihood of turning website visitors into customers by making the user journey more user-friendly and persuasive.
  • Higher revenue : Improved conversion rates aren’t just numbers on a chart ; they translate to tangible revenue. 
  • Increased ROI (return on investment) : By optimising the conversion funnel, you can get more value from your marketing and sales efforts. 
  • Improved customer satisfaction : When customers find it easy and enjoyable to interact with a website or service, it positively influences their satisfaction and likelihood of returning.
  • Data-driven decision-making : Businesses can make informed decisions on budgets and resources based on user behaviour and performance metrics by analysing and optimising conversion funnels.

  ​​Ultimately, conversion funnel optimisation efforts align the entire funnel with overarching business goals.

  10 ways to optimise your conversion funnel 

  Here are 10 ways to optimise your conversion funnel.

  1. Identify and segment your target audience

  The key to a successful conversion funnel begins with a deep understanding of your target audience. 

  Identifying and segmenting your audience lets you speak directly to their pain points, desires and motivations.

  One effective way to know your audience better is by creating detailed buyer personas. These are fictional representations of your ideal customers based on thorough market research and real data. Dive into demographics and behavioural patterns to craft personas that resonate with your audience.

  

  Note that consumer preferences are not static. They evolve, influenced by trends, technological advancements and shifts in societal values. Staying attuned to these changes is crucial as part of optimising your conversion funnel.

  Thus, you must regularly update your buyer personas and adjust your marketing strategies accordingly.

  2. Create content for every stage of the funnel

  Each funnel stage represents a different mindset and needs for your potential customers. Tailoring your content ensures you deliver the right message at the right time to the right audience. 

  Here’s how to tailor your content to fit prospective customers at every conversion funnel stage.

  Awareness-stage content

  Prospects here are seeking information. Your content should be educational and focused on addressing their pain points. Create blog posts, infographics and videos introducing them to your industry, product or service.

  This video we created at Matomo is a prime example of awareness-stage content, grabbing attention and educating viewers about Matomo.

  Consideration-stage content

  Prospects are evaluating their options. Provide content highlighting your product’s unique selling points, such as case studies, product demonstrations and customer testimonials.

  Here’s how we use a versus landing page at Matomo to persuade prospects at this funnel stage.

  

  Conversion-stage content

  This is the final push. Ensure a smooth transition to conversion with content like promotional offers, limited-time discounts and clear calls to action (CTA).

  Loyalty-stage content

  In this stage, you might express gratitude for the purchase through personalised thank-you emails. Follow up with additional resources, tips or exclusive offers to reinforce a positive post-purchase experience. This also positions your brand as a helpful resource beyond the initial sale.

  Reward customer loyalty with exclusive offers, discounts or membership in a loyalty program.

  3. Capture leads

  Lead magnets are incentives offered to potential customers in exchange for their contact information, typically their email addresses. 

  Examples of lead magnets include :

  • Ebooks and whitepapers : In-depth resources that delve into specific topics of interest to your target audience.
  • Webinars and workshops : Live or recorded sessions that offer valuable insights, training or demonstrations.
  • Free trials and demos : Opportunities for potential customers to experience your product or service firsthand.
  • Checklists and templates : Practical tools that help your audience solve specific challenges.
  • Exclusive offers and discounts : Special promotions are available to those who subscribe or provide their contact information.

  For instance, here’s how HubSpot uses templates as lead magnets.

  

  Similarly, you can incorporate your lead magnets into relevant articles or social media posts, email campaigns and other marketing channels.

  4. Optimise your landing pages

  Understanding how visitors interact with your landing pages is a game-changer. So, the first step in optimising your landing pages is to analyse them.

  Enter Matomo’s heatmaps — the secret weapon in landing page optimisation. They visually represent how users interact with your pages, revealing where they linger, what catches their attention and where they may encounter friction. 

  

  Here are a few landing page elements you should pay attention to :

  • Strategic visual elements : Integrate high-quality images, videos and graphics that support your message and guide visitors through the content.
  • Compelling copy : Develop concise and persuasive copy that emphasises the benefits of your offering, addressing user pain points.
  • Effective CTA : Ensure your CTA is prominently displayed, using compelling language and colours that stand out.
  • Mobile responsiveness : Optimise your landing pages for various devices, especially considering the prevalence of mobile users.
  • Minimal form fields : Reduce friction by keeping form fields to a minimum, requesting only essential information.
  • ​​Leverage social proof : Integrate testimonials, reviews and trust badges to build trust and credibility.
  • A/B testing : Experiment with variations in design, copy and CTAs through A/B testing, allowing data to guide your decisions.

  Try Matomo for Free

  Get the web insights you need, without compromising data accuracy.

  Start for free

  No credit card required

  5. ​​Use compelling Calls to Action (CTAs)

  Crafting compelling CTAs is an art that involves a careful balance of persuasion, clarity and relevance.

  Here are a few tips you can implement to write CTAs that support your goals :

  • Use language that compels action. Instead of generic phrases like “Click Here,” opt for more persuasive alternatives such as “Unlock Exclusive Access” or “Start Your Free Trial.”
  • Make sure your CTAs are clear and straightforward. Visitors should instantly understand what action you want them to take. 
  • Tailor CTAs to the specific content on the page. Whether it’s a blog post, landing page or email, the CTA should seamlessly connect with the surrounding context.
  • Position your CTAs strategically. They should be prominently displayed and easily noticeable, guiding visitors without intruding.
  • Create a sense of urgency. Encourage immediate action by incorporating language that instils a sense of urgency. Phrases like “Limited Time Offer” or “Act Now” can prompt quicker responses.

  6. Have an active social presence

  Social media platforms are bustling hubs of activity where your target audience spends a significant portion of their online time. Cultivating a social media presence allows you to meet your audience where they are, fostering a direct line of communication.

  Moreover, the integration of shopping features directly into social media platforms transforms them into seamless shopping experiences. Nearly half of Instagram users shop weekly through the platform. 

  Also, the US social commerce sales continue to grow each year and are expected to reach $79.64 billion by 2025.

  

  7. Build a brand community

  Four in five customers consider communities important to how engaged they are with a brand.

  A strong community fosters a sense of belonging and loyalty among members. When customers feel connected to your brand and each other, they are more likely to remain loyal over the long term. 

  Also, satisfied community members often share their positive experiences with others, expanding your brand’s reach without additional marketing efforts.

  For example, Nike’s community for runners is a digital space where individuals share their running journeys, accomplishments and challenges. 

  

  By strategically building and nurturing a community, you not only enhance retention and spur referrals but also create a space where your brand becomes an integral part of your customers’ lives. 

  8. Conduct A/B tests

  A/B testing systematically compares two versions of a webpage, email or other content to determine which performs better.

  Examples of elements to A/B test :

  • CTAs : The language, colour, size and placement of CTAs can significantly impact user engagement. A/B testing allows you to discover which variations prompt the desired actions.
  • Headlines : Crafting compelling headlines is an art. Test different versions to identify which headlines resonate best with your audience, whether they are more drawn to clarity, humour, urgency or curiosity.
  • Images : Test different images to understand your audience’s visual preferences. This could include product images, lifestyle shots or graphics.

  

  With Matomo’s A/B testing feature, you can test various elements to see which is successful in converting visitors or moving them to the next stage of the conversion funnel.

  9. Leverage social proof

  In an era where consumers are inundated with choices, the opinions, reviews and endorsements of others serve as beacons, guiding potential customers through the decision-making process. 

  Simply put — when people see that others have had positive experiences with your brand, it instils trust and confidence.

  

  You can proactively gather social proof and display it prominently across your marketing channels. Here are some examples of social proof you can leverage :

  • Customer reviews : Positive reviews and testimonials from satisfied customers serve as authentic endorsements of your products or services. 
  • Case studies : In-depth case studies that showcase successful collaborations or solutions provided to clients offer a detailed narrative of your brand’s capabilities. These are particularly effective in B2B scenarios or for complex products and services.
  • User-generated content : Encourage customers to share their experiences. This could include photos, videos or posts on social media platforms, providing a dynamic and genuine portrayal of your brand.
  • Influencer endorsements : Collaborating with influencers in your industry or niche can amplify your social proof. When influencers vouch for your products or services, their followers are more likely to take notice.

  10. Measure and analyse performance

  This is a continuous loop of refinement, where you should use analysis and data-driven insights to guide your conversion funnel optimisation efforts.

  Here’s a systematic approach you can take :

  1. Identify the path users take on your site using a feature like Users Flow.
  2. Map the customer journey using a Funnels feature like the one in Matomo. 
  3. Identify the metrics that align with your conversion goals at each stage of the funnel, such as website traffic, conversion rates, click-through rates and customer acquisition costs.
  4. Assess conversion rates at different stages of the funnel. Identify areas with significant drop-offs and investigate factors that might contribute to the decline.
  5. Use heatmaps and session recordings to see first-hand how users interact with your site.
  6. Create an experiment to test and improve a specific area within your funnel using insights from the heatmaps and session recordings.
  7. A/B test, analyse the results to understand which variations performed better. Use this data to refine elements within your funnel.

  See how Concrete CMS 3x their leads with conversion optimisation.

  Conclusion 

  The customer journey is not linear. However, it involves a few specific stages your audience will go through — from first learning about your product or services to considering whether to try it. The goal is to turn them into happy and loyal customers.

  In this article, we went over strategies and practical tips you can use to guide customers through the conversion funnel. From segmenting your audience to capturing leads, optimising landing pages and running A/B tests, there are steps you can take to ensure your audience will move to the next stage.

  And of course, you have to continuously measure and analyse your performance. That’s how you know whether you’re heading in the right direction and, if not, where to correct your course. 

  For that, you need a robust web analytics solution with conversion optimisation features. Try Matomo free for 21 days and start optimising your conversion funnel—no credit card required. 

  Try Matomo for Free

  21 day free trial. No credit card required.

  
  

  Your email address
  

  Your website address
  

  Your Analytics subdomain will be .matomo.cloud (

• Reverse Engineering Italian Literature

  1er juillet 2014, par Multimedia Mike — Reverse Engineering

  Some time ago, Diego “Flameeyes” Pettenò tried his hand at reverse engineering a set of really old CD-ROMs containing even older Italian literature. The goal of this RE endeavor would be to extract the useful literature along with any structural metadata (chapters, etc.) and convert it to a more open format suitable for publication at, e.g., Project Gutenberg or Archive.org.

  Unfortunately, the structure of the data thwarted the more simplistic analysis attempts (like inspecting for blocks of textual data). This will require deeper RE techniques. Further frustrating the effort, however, is the fact that the binaries that implement the reading program are written for the now-archaic Windows 3.1 operating system.

  In pursuit of this RE goal, I recently thought of a way to glean more intelligence using DOSBox.

  Prior Work
  There are 6 discs in the full set (distributed along with 6 sequential issues of a print magazine named L’Espresso). Analysis of the contents of the various discs reveals that many of the files are the same on each disc. It was straightforward to identify the set of files which are unique on each disc. This set of files all end with the extension “LZn”, where n = 1..6 depending on the disc number. Further, the root directory of each disc has a file indicating the sequence number (1..6) of the CD. Obviously, these are the interesting targets.

  The LZ file extensions stand out to an individual skilled in the art of compression– could it be a variation of the venerable LZ compression ? That’s actually unlikely because LZ — also seen as LIZ — stands for Letteratura Italiana Zanichelli (Zanichelli’s Italian Literature).

  The Unix ‘file’ command was of limited utility, unable to plausibly identify any of the files.

  Progress was stalled.

  Saying Hello To An Old Frenemy
  I have been showing this screenshot to younger coworkers to see if any of them recognize it :

  
  
  

  Not a single one has seen it before. Senior computer citizen status : Confirmed.

  I recently watched an Ancient DOS Games video about Windows 3.1 games. This episode showed Windows 3.1 running under DOSBox. I had heard this was possible but that it took a little work to get running. I had a hunch that someone else had probably already done the hard stuff so I took to the BitTorrent networks and quickly found a download that had the goods ready to go– a directory of Windows 3.1 files that just had to be dropped into a DOSBox directory and they would be ready to run.

  Aside : Running OS software procured from a BitTorrent network ? Isn’t that an insane security nightmare ? I’m not too worried since it effectively runs under a sandboxed virtual machine, courtesy of DOSBox. I suppose there’s the risk of trojan’d OS software infecting binaries that eventually leave the sandbox.

  Using DOSBox Like ‘strace’
  strace is a tool available on some Unix systems, including Linux, which is able to monitor the system calls that a program makes. In reverse engineering contexts, it can be useful to monitor an opaque, binary program to see the names of the files it opens and how many bytes it reads, and from which locations. I have written examples of this before (wow, almost 10 years ago to the day ; now I feel old for the second time in this post).

  Here’s the pitch : Make DOSBox perform as strace in order to serve as a platform for reverse engineering Windows 3.1 applications. I formed a mental model about how DOSBox operates — abstracted file system classes with methods for opening and reading files — and then jumped into the source code. Sure enough, the code was exactly as I suspected and a few strategic print statements gave me the data I was looking for.

  Eventually, I even took to running DOSBox under the GNU Debugger (GDB). This hasn’t proven especially useful yet, but it has led to an absurd level of nesting :

  
  
  

  The target application runs under Windows 3.1, which is running under DOSBox, which is running under GDB. This led to a crazy situation in which DOSBox had the mouse focus when a GDB breakpoint was triggered. At this point, DOSBox had all desktop input focus and couldn’t surrender it because it wasn’t running. I had no way to interact with the Linux desktop and had to reboot the computer. The next time, I took care to only use the keyboard to navigate the application and trigger the breakpoint and not allow DOSBox to consume the mouse focus.

  New Intelligence
  
  By instrumenting the local file class (virtual HD files) and the ISO file class (CD-ROM files), I was able to watch which programs and dynamic libraries are loaded and which data files the code cares about. I was able to narrow down the fact that the most interesting programs are called LEGGENDO.EXE (‘reading’) and LEGGENDA.EXE (‘legend’ ; this has been a great Italian lesson as well as RE puzzle). The first calls the latter, which displays this view of the data we are trying to get at :

  
  
  

  When first run, the program takes an interest in a file called DBBIBLIO (‘database library’, I suspect) :

  === Read(’LIZ98\DBBIBLIO.LZ1’) : req 337 bytes ; read 337 bytes from pos 0x0
  === Read(’LIZ98\DBBIBLIO.LZ1’) : req 337 bytes ; read 337 bytes from pos 0x151
  === Read(’LIZ98\DBBIBLIO.LZ1’) : req 337 bytes ; read 337 bytes from pos 0x2A2
  [...]
  

  While we were unable to sort out all of the data files in our cursory investigation, a few things were obvious. The structure of this file looked to contain 336-byte records. Turns out I was off by 1– the records are actually 337 bytes each. The count of records read from disc is equal to the number of items shown in the UI.

  Next, the program is interested in a few more files :

  *** isoFile() : ’DEPOSITO\BLOKCTC.LZ1’, offset 0x27D6000, 2911488 bytes large
  === Read(’DEPOSITO\BLOKCTC.LZ1’) : req 96 bytes ; read 96 bytes from pos 0x0
  *** isoFile() : ’DEPOSITO\BLOKCTX0.LZ1’, offset 0x2A9D000, 17152 bytes large
  === Read(’DEPOSITO\BLOKCTX0.LZ1’) : req 128 bytes ; read 128 bytes from pos 0x0
  === Seek(’DEPOSITO\BLOKCTX0.LZ1’) : seek 384 (0x180) bytes, type 0
  === Read(’DEPOSITO\BLOKCTX0.LZ1’) : req 256 bytes ; read 256 bytes from pos 0x180
  === Seek(’DEPOSITO\BLOKCTC.LZ1’) : seek 1152 (0x480) bytes, type 0
  === Read(’DEPOSITO\BLOKCTC.LZ1’) : req 32 bytes ; read 32 bytes from pos 0x480
  === Read(’DEPOSITO\BLOKCTC.LZ1’) : req 1504 bytes ; read 1504 bytes from pos 0x4A0
  [...]

  Eventually, it becomes obvious that BLOKCTC has the juicy meat. There are 32-byte records followed by variable-length encoded text sections. Since there is no text to be found in these files, the text is either compressed, encrypted, or both. Some rough counting (the program seems to disable copy/paste, which thwarts more precise counting), indicates that the text size is larger than the data chunks being read from disc, so compression seems likely. Encryption isn’t out of the question (especially since the program deems it necessary to disable copy and pasting of this public domain literary data), and if it’s in use, that means the key is being read from one of these files.

  Blocked On Disassembly
  So I’m a bit blocked right now. I know exactly where the data lives, but it’s clear that I need to reverse engineer some binary code. The big problem is that I have no idea how to disassemble Windows 3.1 binaries. These are NE-type executable files. Disassemblers abound for MZ files (MS-DOS executables) and PE files (executables for Windows 95 and beyond). NE files get no respect. It’s difficult (but not impossible) to even find data about the format anymore, and details are incomplete. It should be noted, however, the DOSBox-as-strace method described here lends insight into how Windows 3.1 processes NE-type EXEs. You can’t get any more authoritative than that.

  So far, I have tried the freeware version of IDA Pro. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get the program to work on my Windows machine for a long time. Even if I could, I can’t find any evidence that it actually supports NE files (the free version specifically mentions MZ and PE, but does not mention NE or LE).

  I found an old copy of Borland’s beloved Turbo Assembler and Debugger package. It has Turbo Debugger for Windows, both regular and 32-bit versions. Unfortunately, the normal version just hangs Windows 3.1 in DOSBox. The 32-bit Turbo Debugger loads just fine but can’t load the NE file.

  I’ve also wondered if DOSBox contains any advanced features for trapping program execution and disassembling. I haven’t looked too deeply into this yet.

  Future Work
  NE files seem to be the executable format that time forgot. I have a crazy brainstorm about repacking NE files as MZ executables so that they could be taken apart with an MZ disassembler. But this will take some experimenting.

  If anyone else has any ideas about ripping open these binaries, I would appreciate hearing them.

  And I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised to learn that all the literature in this corpus is already freely available and easily downloadable anyway. But you shouldn’t be too surprised if that doesn’t discourage me from trying to crack the format that’s keeping this particular copy of the data locked up.