Continuing on the quest to increase efficiency and conversion of your VDP, this article will take a look at two very different topics, but, when combined are HIGHLY effective. The last post discussing ways to improve your VDP talked mostly about presentation and display. Today I want to look at the psychology and what can be done to make sure your message gets across. Also, we’ll discuss the topic of split testing and why you need to be doing it (but most aren’t).
So let’s start with split testing. In the first article, there was a screenshot of an Amazon PDP (product display page). The things that stand out the most are the fact that:
1) the best pictures are front and center
2) the products best features are presented right there as soon as the page loads
3) you have the option to buy right there with one click
4) they create scarcity by informing you that they only have a certain number left in stock
But don’t just look at Amazon, take a look at any major retailer and how their PDP shows up. Take a look at Best Buy, or eBay. These major retailers didn’t find the best converting set up overnight. Sure, they all have multi-millions of dollars to throw at focus groups and what not, but there’s something YOUR DEALERSHIP can learn from what they’ve done without spending big bucks. Now, it might take a little bit of time to come to any business changing results, but if you were to do even a little bit of this, you’ll be leaps and bounds above your competitors who, you can also be guaranteed, are NOT doing this. Two very simple words; split test.
Ask yourself (or your internet manager, or website vendor) when was the last time you ran a split test on your website? The answer is likely never. The reason Amazon, Best Buy and eBay PDP’s are so effective and convert like crazy is because they’ve done hundreds and hundreds of split tests to see what converts the best. Amazon alone, does about 200 split tests a month, in total they’ve done over 10,000 split tests on their website. Have you ever tried switching around the placement of items on your website?
Your website likely has several large banner graphics displaying deals and details. Why not try shrinking it down to three or four, instead of seven or eight? Everyone loves options, but the options available, the more confused a person becomes. Remember those choose your own adventure books? You’d get two, three choices at the most. Try putting your best four deals and details in the scroll feature and see if you get more clicks than if you have seven or eight displayed on the scroll feature. You’ve likely never tried placing a search function in plain view on your homepage. Instead, most dealer websites have to hope that the customer will take the initiative and click on either the “New Vehicle” or “Used Vehicle” navigation option. Why not try putting a vehicle search box right on the homepage, above the fold, on the right hand side, see if your monthly vehicle searches goes up.
Next, take a look at all of the “action buttons” on your website. Action buttons meaning what a customer clicks to send you information. These can be found of credit apps and contact forms. Have you ever thought about testing different colors or sizes of button? Some studies have found that green, red, and yellow convert better than other colors. You also may want to test putting different wording into the action buttons you’re using. For example; on your VDP, if a customer wants to submit a lead to get a price, instead of your button saying “get eprice” or something along those lines, try some different wording such as; “get today’s best price.” It’s creating urgency, showing that tomorrow the price could be different. You might also try “get YOUR best price.” This sets off a psychological trigger that will turn website visitors into leads.
Speaking of psychological triggers, think of the button you’re using on your contact form. Is it a gray button that simply says “submit?” In most cases it is. Think about that word for a moment. No one likes to submit! Using the word submit can send a negative thought to the brain and potentially make it less likely that the customer will perform the action you intended them to. Most people think that being 100% logical up front is the way to win a customer, but that’s actually not so. Instead of turning this post into a psychology study from here on out, let’s break it down quickly. In the brain of a human, there really exists three brains. The reptile brain, the middle brain, and the logical brain. All thoughts must pass through the reptile brain before continuing onto the middle and logical brain.
This is a concept that most don’t understand. You reptile brain must decide whether to eat, kill, mate with, or ignore what it comes into contact with,be it another animal or an idea. It thinks like a caveman, so you must present ideas in a way that gets past that brain and moves up. By being visual, emotional and tangible, you’ll get through the reptile brain. You’ll want to put your best content front and center and make things as easy as possible for your customers to complete the actions you want them to complete.
To wrap up, the important points are to use the right language and psychology but also, start split testing your website to see what converts best. Try placing search bars in different places, switch up the look of your VDP and also test to see if using different sized, and color action buttons work better. And pay extra special attention to the wording you use on your pages. Keep it simple and neat.