Career Changes: Reality Hits
I know I said this the last time, but it bears repeating — I had no idea that so much effort went into building and optimizing websites. It’s mind-boggling (that is if you’re interested in this stuff) how much attention is paid to the minutest of details.
I mean things as minor as the arrangement of content to font type to color selection can increase or decrease conversion. These are all areas that I took for granted. Before this module, I thought website designers just sit down at their desks and put together what they think looks good.
While I’m sure some people do work that way, the people who are concerned with optimizing the user experience engage with their customers to increase conversion.
Normally, when I go on Amazon.com I search for what I want, order, look at the accessories, pay, and move on with my day. But there’s a lot of back end research that goes into making that whole shopping experience as pain-free as possible, not to mention the subtle marketing strategies designed to make me buy more than I initially intended.
I’m now wondering how much of my online purchases have been as a result of clever marketing tactics as opposed to me actually wanting to make the purchases.
Best Practices
I started this module last week Sunday, but despite spending at least 3 to 4 hours a day on the material, I just finished it yesterday on Saturday. The Conversion Optimization mini degree is quite robust. CXL does a great job of explaining each topic and providing supplemental reading to support the modules. I think that’s what is slowing me down to be perfectly honest, reading all the supplemental reading.
But like I mentioned last week, my goal is to really understand this course and be fully equipped to work in the field of Conversion Optimization. So skipping the supplemental reading (except for the books, there are just not enough hours in a day) is not an option for me. I’ve just got to keep my eye on the prize and do my best.
This module covered the best practices for eighteen different areas in-depth. It started by reiterating the importance of research and stressed that we shouldn’t just use best practices blindly without testing them out for our specific customers and target audience.
I like the emphasis on research and testing.
I learned about web forms (those things you grudgingly fill out with your personal information on websites) and how to increase their completion rates. According to an Eloqua study, the “sweet spot” for the length of web forms is between 5 to 10 fields. The longer the form is the more likely people aren’t going to fill it out, abandon it, and move to your web form-less competitor.
I think the areas of the module that I found most interesting are the ones concerning eCommerce. I like shopping online. I get to go from shop to shop, all from the comfort of my home, expending very little energy. This module discussed the best practices for eCommerce Category Pages, Sign-Ups, Pricing and Pricing Pages, Internal Search, Shopping Cart, and Checkout Pages.
What I found most interesting is how much emphasis is put into these areas that I previously overlooked, by companies that are serious about converting visitors into buyers. I also realized that many companies are losing money by not optimizing critical pages. I’m not sure if it’s that they don’t know or they don’t care.
We looked at areas relating to design. While I understand the rationale behind it, as a Conversion Copywriter I should understand design so that I can provide support to the design team when they’re implementing my ideas, I did not enjoy learning about typography and visual design. They seem more technical than I desire to be. But as they say, “no knowledge is ever wasted.” So I may not have enjoyed learning about those areas, I’ll probably find use for them sometime in the future.
Website Speed Optimization is one aspect that I’m a little confused as to whether or not it should be one of the duties of a CRO. While yes, a slow website will mess up your conversions and increase your bounce rate, making it look like you’re not effective. But if that is under the purview of the CRO, what exactly are the technical guys doing? Is a CRO basically like a technical Jack of all Trades or the General Manager of the IT team?
Now, that I’ve learned about the best practices for eighteen different areas of websites I’ll never look at them the same way again. Which on one hand will be annoying because I won’t be able to visit a website without being critical, on the other hand, it’s nice to know that so many companies are in dire need of my services. At least I know where to start sending my pitches when I finally finish the certification course.
Time Management
I’ve got to be honest, I’m struggling to stay on top of all the studying that’s required. CXL recommended at least 10 to 15 hours a week on the training. Right now, I’m doing 4 to 5 hours a day, totaling 28 to 35 hours a week. On top of that, I still feel like I’m behind.
With COVID-19 restrictions being reduced and increased movement allowed, I expect to return to full-time work soon. I don’t know how I’ll be able to maintain such a strict study regime. The only glimmer of hope I see in this time management cloud is the fact that others have completed the mini degree in 3 months. That is if what they’re saying on the CXL Facebook group can be believed.
I’d really like to include time to review my notes, just to make sure everything sticks. There’s nothing worse than someone who has finished training or University, who knows absolutely nothing about what they’ve been trained on. Right now, I’m just writing as fast as I can in hopes of covering ground. I’m not sure if all the information is sinking in.
But I’m hopeful. At least I’m enjoying what I’m studying. I can’t imagine embarking on a career change only to find out that I don’t like the new career path that I’m about to go into.
