21 Conversion Pitfalls Anyone Can Totally Avoid
This CRO book tells the story of how a successful e-commerce company was born out of Brice’s frustration with a would-be client that refused to take his advice… so he did it himself, hired his own conversion rate optimization agency, used A/B testing to increase its own conversions by over 950%, and made everyone more successful along the way.
This conversion rate optimization book is for marketing professionals who want to learn if the following common pitfalls are preventing them from getting more results from their website and digital marketing efforts:
- Having an innovative website could be shooting you in the foot
- Targeting an “average” client can be killing your ROI
- The hunt for perfection is keeping you from finding your real secret sauce
- 18 other invaluable lessons of an e-commerce startup that can help ANY web business that want more results from its website
Ryan turner –
You may “think” you know…but you have no idea. At least not until it’s proven though your data. And even then you could be misinterpreting your own data if you haven’t been trained what to correctly look for.
This book has COMPLETELY changed the way I approached http://sweetvirginias.com . I feel empowered that I will not fall into the common traps that others get lost in and miss out on their own success.
Natalie Vosberg –
This book really opened my eyes to how much potential is out there for conversion optimization. It was interesting to see how Brice’s salon website evolved over time. His advice helped me understand why testing ideas for your website is incredibly important. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who is building a new website or is looking for ways to boost revenue on an existing site.
Florence –
In a marketing world where most brands are struggling to succeed, designing a new website or spending more on PPC ads seems like the only way to increase revenue. This “little” book bulldozes over those perceptions with a clear outline of the author’s 21 e-commerce pitfalls, all of which he learned first hand with the launch and evolution of his own business.
His story is a unique one, I haven’t found many other like it; a book written by an IBM guy who owns a salon furniture company and so easily teaches the principles of conversion rate optimization which spill over into an understanding of exceptional customer service, branding, great design and ultimately the bottom line.
This might be my biggest takeaway: know you customer, if you follow your customer, that’s where the money is.
This book speaks to everyone: the new entrepreneur, the defeated guy who stares at his computer every night with only ideas and no empowerment to move forward with his business dreams and the marketer like myself who wants to gain that edge that we all desire for our clients.
A must read, especially with the pretty cool offer McBeth includes in the book.
Landen –
This is not your typical marketing book. You won’t read about a YouTube video that went viral or a meme that got retweeted 20k times.. You’ll find out how a real business owner took an industry he knew nothing about and made it into a very successful ecommerce site in under 2 years.
Josh –
This book is a quick and easy read filled with practical optimization tips. When I read a book with a highlighter and book marks in my hand, I know that I will revisit it every time I build out a project.
Experience is learning from your own mistakes. Wisdom is learning from other’s mistakes. My CRO friend, Brice shares 21 mistakes that you as a marketer can avoid with your marketing.
One hidden nugget I scooped up was understanding the buying patterns of your users, for example he noticed that before his customers checked out they went to the about us page and then the return/warranty page… Knowing this about your customers can help build out intelligent buying sequences for your visitors.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge Brice.
Jason –
If you’ve figured out how to get people to your site but haven’t solved how to get them to stay and take action this is the book for you. In the book Brice takes you through his journey of creating a successful Salon Furniture eCommerce site through conversion rate optimization. His systematic approach to understanding why his site wasn’t converting and then getting it to convert was eye-opening. It was refreshing to read a marketing book that gives practical advice and tactics you can execute immediately.
Jonathan Hufnagel –
I met Brice and heard his story at a One Million Cups event here in Dallas. I was intrigued with what he and his team had created through A/B testing the Standish web site. Curious about my own business and web site, I set time aside to meet with Brice, and signed up for his Workshop and read Salon Chairs Don’t Sell Themselves (easy read).
During the workshop, I was amazed at how many OBVIOUS features I was missing from my web site that would help my conversion rate from prospects to customers… such things as, testimonials, accreditation, layout, color, etc.,., which, if used properly, would make a huge difference. After the workshop I implemented simple changes to drive conversions on my site. I noticed a difference almost immediately in the number of prospects that were asking to have conversations with me.
I would recommend Brice’s workshop to anyone who owns a business or is in-charge of their business’ web presence. Brice provides a simple, straightforward, workshop with action items you can take with you and replicate over and over to optimize conversions on your site.
Andy Zich –
Brice nails it in this book from the beginning, just like he did years ago when I worked with him. Effective marketing isn’t about fluffy websites and taglines; it’s about getting results. So many agencies fail here, to their clients’ detriment. Brice always got this, and so does his company…. to his clients’ benefit. Reap separates itself from the typical ad agency that has a band of “web and social experts” who are just trying to sell you the most expensive media or Facebook “likes” to aid their commissions. Reap Marketing’s model is that they only win when their client wins, which is the way it should be. In typical Brice fashion, his methods are brilliant! I’d hate to be his competition…
Chuck Sharp –
Brice knows is stuff and he learned it by actually building a business. What you get in this book are practical ideas that actually work; You will save time and money if you listen to Brice. I’m a fan.
Annie –
A great, short read that’s full of insight. I love how Brice gets to the point without drowning you in anecdotes, information, and jargon. The information is presented in an easy-to-digest manner, which is nice. Most importantly, I love how the insights are based off of Brice’s own failures and experiences. Overall, I highly recommend this book to all marketers, business owners, aspiring entrepreneurs, etc. I promise you’ll walk away feeling inspired and motivated to apply the lessons Brice learned through his own experiences.
Travis Lofley –
Brice is an excellent storyteller and gives you a clear picture of what went wrong with his business in the beginning and how he corrected it. At the end of most chapters you’ll find a list of applicable pitfalls that he learned through that stage of time in his journey. A must-read for anyone doing digital marketing.
Katelyn –
This book is great resource for anyone starting an e-commerce business or looking to maximize the success of their current business. “Salon Chairs don’t sell themselves” shows you that anything is possible if you are willing to do the work, ask the hard questions, and implement necessary changes. You can’t read this book without learning something!
Trent –
Brice offers a quick yet engaging read in his book, Salon Chairs Don’t Sell Themselves. He offers real world, practical solutions to conversion rates and the e-commerce industry, He freely gives his advice from his successes and failures. Don’t read this once and then put it down. If you’re looking to start your own website or improve your existing site, use this book as a reference to aid you in increasing sales and conversions!
nomad botanicals –
This web design book understands that websites are about doing business, not about pretty graphics and code.
Irving Chung –
This is a must read book if you are interested in driving practical website results and conversions. I’ve been in marketing for over 25 years and the majority of the focus in on building brand recognition through distinctive design and driving demand whether in store or online. This book focuses on backend conversion. One of the best points he raises is if you are able to increase conversion from the existing leads your results would grow. Point is that you should get your conversion optimized before spending time and money increasing the leads into the funnel. Once your conversion stream is optimized you gain exponential return on any new leads added to the funnel. Definitely a refreshing point of view that is very pragmatic and results oriented. Highly recommend the book.
Mark Evans –
If you are new to commissioning a website, you’d be mad not to read this before you go one step further.
If you are a much-scarred old hand, then you’ll enjoy Brice’s personal account and be reminded how to avoid further wounds to your pride and business.
Thanks, Brice. Time to get back to our current site rebuild – hopefully avoiding most of the pitfalls!
Alexander Abell –
I picked this up as I am constantly looking for new information to become a better marketer. My job doesn’t have anything to do with salon chairs, but since the book came highly recommended I figured it was worth a read.
I’m glad I did! The book reinforces the importance of testing and gives a personal journey from “hey what if…” to “look at all we’ve accomplished”.
It’s not only a story of triumph, but also a use case that can bring vast insights into any online business. If you are a new entrepreneur who is struggling to get some initial traction, or an experienced one who wants a fresh perspective, I highly recommend picking up a copy and reading end to end.
Mike Sullivan –
I highly recommend this book for someone new to the world of digital marketing. I think Brice does a great job of bringing clarity and simplicity to complicated subject matter. The reader is getting an experienced point of view and he turned many of my preconceived notions upside down. This is a worthwhile read for its material, but is honestly also an enjoyable read. Brice’s voice and storytelling bring these examples to life. I came away with a clearer understanding of the concepts and learned additional detail about the author’s unique approach to the marketplace
Jerry Acuff –
This is a quick read that is packed with great ideas that anyone who cares about marketing products or services on the internet must read.
Brice has had success practicing what he teaches and his examples scream “brilliant and practical “.