If you’re looking to create a blog and make money, understanding how to increase a conversion rate is key. So what exactly is conversion rate?
Conversion rate is the percentage of your readers who become engaged with your content, are connected with what they’re looking for, and turn into a buyer. When you can do this consistently by sincerely helping connect your audience with what they’re searching for online, you have yourself a thriving business. It’s the key to being able to work from your laptop.
The first goal is to keep the reader’s eyes on your page. Too many times a reader is greeted by a page that instantly makes them lose interest and hit the back button. But did you know there is a perfect blog post structure you can apply to your content to keep your readers engaged and connected? There is, and it’s simple to put into practice.
In this post (with video), I’m going to show you exactly how to increase a conversion rate by using the perfect blog post structure. I’m going to give you the definition of a good bounce rate for a website and show you how to keep your readers connected and interested with proven tactics to improve conversion rates.
When you focus on creating a great user experience for your audience. you’ll find conversions skyrocketing and this adds dollar signs to your bottom line.
How to Increase a Conversion Rate with Perfect Blog Post Structure
Watch the following video and dig into how to improve your conversion rate and lower your bounce rate. Learning how to write a blog and make money consistently boils down to using the perfect blog post structure that delivers. Follow these simple steps that focus on your reader’s user experience, and you’ll be swimming in traffic and conversions in no time.
What is a Good Bounce Rate for a Website?
Bounce rate refers to the percentage of people who visit your site and then leave (bounce) without visiting any other part of your site. A high bounce rate is not a good thing. So, the key to keeping your audience engaged is to present to them right away the value of the content ahead.
So what is a good bounce rate for a website? An excellent bounce rate is anywhere from 25-40%. This means only 25-40% of your readers leave without visiting another part of your website. An average bounce rate is anywhere from 41-55%. A below average bounce rate is 56-70%, with anything above 70% being considered poor.
You don’t want over half your readers leaving right when they get to your site. This means all that great content you’re writing and all the great linking you’re making is going completely unnoticed. For this reason, we structure our content for maximum engagement immediately as our readers arrive.
Keeping Your Audience Engaged: The APP Method for Writing a Blog Post
Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce to you: the APP method. This simple approach may very well be the perfect blog post structure for improving your bounce rate and increasing conversions. Consistent conversions mean consistent revenue, and if you’re blogging for business, then this is equivalent of holding the golden ticket.
On the internet, you only have a few seconds to grab your audience’s attention. So it’s important to take full advantage of this and make the content “above the fold” that much more attention grabbing.
What is Above the Fold Content?
Above the fold content is that content that you see immediately upon arriving at a website without scrolling down. Have you ever gotten to a website and been greeted by a wall of text? Never greet your reader with a wall of text! They’ll be hitting the back button before your images even load.
First impressions are everything. So taking the extra time to create engaging content that greets your audience above the fold is important. The APP method is like a template for this greeting area. It gives you the perfect blog post structure that grabs attention and welcomes your readers to the rest of your content.
The APP Method, Part 1: Agree
You need to catch your reader’s attention right out of the gate. When a reader takes a look at a blog post and reads something they agree with they tend to read on. Remember, they’ve found your post through a search. This means you need to address that question and prove that your content is the answer they’re looking for.
If you start off the post with something off topic, or start with a tangeant, the reader could easily bounce before you make your point. For this reason, make your point fast and make your point agreeable. Don’t beat around the bush. Hit them with a solid point they’re going to agree with.
Take this article as an example. The very first sentence reads, “If you’re looking to create a blog and make money, understanding how to increase a conversion rate is key.”
Any reader finding this article is obviously searching for how to increase their conversion rate. This opening statement is direct, to the point, and 100% on topic. It then takes the reader immediately to the second critical part of the APP method, the promise.
The APP Method, Part 2: Promise
With the “promise” portion of the APP method, you are promising on the delivery of the answer your reader is searching for. This is crucial.
Your first few sentences grab their attention, and then they read on for confirmation. If it’s not there to their liking (guess what?)… bounce!
So be clear in the delivery of your promise. Again, no beating around the bush. No storytelling just yet. The first seconds when your reader gets to your site are crucial.
If you don’t grab they’re attention in the first 15 seconds they’re gone.
Give them clear confirmation that they’ve found their answer in that time frame, and they’re sticking around. In this article I highlight my promise in bold in the third paragraph: “But did you know there is a perfect blog post structure you can apply to your content to keep your readers engaged and connected?”
This is me promising the answer to their question on how to increase their conversion rate. I’ll show the reader how to apply a simple blog post structure that grabs the reader’s attention and keeps them on the page. This finally brings us to the preview portion of the APP method.
The APP Method, Part 3: Preview
The preview tells the reader why they need to scroll down for more. You’ve found common ground with them, made statements of fact confirming you have the answer to their question, and now you’re assuring them you’re about to deliver.
You can use your preview to introduce a tease. You’ve gotten past the crucial first seconds, and now, more than likely, they’re staying for a few minutes. To ensure this, tease to what’s coming below the scroll.
In my preview at the beginning of this article, I include a tease to a video to make sure the reader will stay to watch. “In this post (with video), I’m going to show you exactly how to increase a conversion rate by using the perfect blog post structure…”
Don’t Forget to Include an Image Above the Fold!
An appealing image that greets your reader is a must! Scroll up and check out the APP method template. See that pic in the right corner of the template? It’s there for a reason! No one wants to be greeted by a wall of text.
Content is king, but aesthetics are very important to creating a good user experience. Don’t forget to include relevant images in all your posts to greet your audience!
How to Improve Bounce Rate Further? Embed Video in Your Posts!
Readers. Love. Video. They just can’t resist hitting the play button and sitting back and watching. By its very nature, a well placed, relevant video will improve your bounce rate greatly.
Video causes your reader to stay awhile. When your video is appealing, it subconsciously tells your audience that your content (and links) are worth exploring further.
And if you’re creating your own videos, this also allows for your personality to shine through. Instead of just words on a screen, you’re now a voice and even a coach helping your reader with the topic at hand.
Are you starting to see the correlation between bounce rate, building traffic to your blog, and conversions? Readers who stay translate to readers who return. Building a successful website is all about building with the user in mind.
Get Trained & Turn Consistent Conversions Into a Business
Learning how to increase a conversion rate using the right blog post structure is the foundation to creating a successful affiliate marketing blog. Take a look at your website with the eyes of a new visitor as often as you can. Think of what works for you when you visit a website for the first time, and pay attention to the things that make you click out of one.
Focus your attention on creating the best user experience possible and all the other things fall into place. A great user experience leads to improved bounce rate. A good bounce rate leads to more and more traffic. Traffic leads to conversions, and consistent conversions lead to consistent monthly revenue.
If you’ve found this site, you’re likely trying to put the pieces together to build an online business of your own. There’s an online community that is the leader in this kind of training. I highly recommend checking it out for yourself. Create your free starter account, and take the training for a test drive. You’ll be very happy you did.
Feedback, Follow, and Subscribe!
Do you feel this blog post structure will be something you begin using immediately? Do you better understand how to increase a conversion rate and keep your audience engaged? What methods are you currently using to keep a reader engaged? Have you began recording your own videos?
Tell me in the comments below! Share your insight! Ask any questions you have! I always reply and very much look forward to helping you in any way I can.
OMG I just loved loved this very clear post on how to create an appealing reader experience with my blog. You’ve helped me so much with this very clear blog. I loved it and I was engaged from beginning to the end. That means you nailed your own APP very well. I will start implementing it right away. Thank you so much.
Very glad to help! Thanks for the great comment!
Your ‘app’ method is sure to hit home with most online marketers because it is a unique way of describing the first few seconds when someone lands on your page. You only have a short few seconds to capture their attention else they are gone. You must provide an answer to their question or a solution to their problem because if you don’t the next website they go to will. I like the way you included the video to highlight every word that you said.
Most people will stop to watch a video, and those few short minutes will drop your bounce rate, which is a ranking factor. I have learned a lot from your discussion on how to increase conversions. I hope to start using your app method very soon.
Very happy to help 🙂 Glad you enjoyed this.
Such a great read Eric! I think most people believe that once they post their content, traffic will just flow in and convert automatically, but this is such a nice way to see that you must first sell the visitor on reading the content, before you’ll even make a sale. I will definitely keep this in mind when generating my own work!
Thank you.
Very true! Once I learned the ins and outs of writing articles for affiliate marketing I realized there’s a whole science behind building traffic and converting. When you realize this, not only does your online business thrive but your audience will get the great user experience they deserve. Thanks for the comment!
I really enjoyed your post. The video is awesome and it really puts things in a way that i understood. I even learned a few things along the way. I always had a hard time understanding what bounce rate actually was. Now I completely get it now. Thanks for that.
Keeping people on my site and having them convert is what I am personally focusing on. Thanks
Very glad to help you! Another great way to keep your bounce rate down is to embed YouTube video into your posts. You can check out my article on that as well. Thanks for the comment!
Hey Eric! I’m Your Huge Fan and reason is I’m a On-page SEO Expert and i learnd On page Seo from you with your youtube Videos, Blog And Ebooks,
I’ll expect more and more from you as google algorithm changes as you provide more valuable knowledge about SEO.
Thank you so much! Yes, the google algorithm is always updating and changing, and the great thing about that is that no matter how much it changes, keeping your focus on creating the best user experience and quality content for your audience is what keeps you at the top. The ones trying to cheat the system or beat the algorithm are the ones who lose their rankings and have to start from scratch. When you keep your audience and providing quality content as your top focus, you always get rewarded. Thanks so much for the comment and kind words!