Designing for Digital ROI

Combing profits from your website is a lot like picking bugs from your buddy’s fur –  the work is tiresome, but the payoff is delicious. Luckily, we’re expert bug pickers, which is why we know how to design with ROI in mind. A recent article on SimplyZesty.com explores the relationship between actual online behavior and some common misconceptions about designing for the buying consumer.

SimplyZesty says that because websites can be a source of sales, we’re holding them to the wrong standard, whereas mediums like television and radio have never been held to such an instant standard of closing sales. The article explains the relationship, “We’ve thought that because you can just be a click away from buying a product or converting on a website if users don’t do that straight away, it’s a failure. So the ‘trust’ remains in costly methods such as TV, which will never be expected to prove this because they can’t.”

After pouring over some research, the article highlights the fact that “The fact that we’re more inclined to buy something from a brand after engaging with it online is what’s important. An increased likelihood to buy is all that should ever be asked of an online campaign, particularly one that is content-led. To force a transaction at that point, or to judge that as an indicator of success is detrimental.”

Basically, what this report means to us is that, if you’re designing a system for identifying ripe bananas, you should collect the green ones too, ‘cause they’ll be ripe before you know it. Using clever Drupal customization options can help you tailor a web design that gives you the best of both worlds.

SimplyZesty underscores the point of recognizing true buyer behavior, saying, “This is ignoring the multitude of other touchpoints a brand has with their audience where success can be judged. We take on any of these roles at any time, or sometimes not at all. I’ll probably dig out a link a friend shared to an art site when I want to buy a painting. This could be six months down the line, far too long to get noticed on any campaign report, so my contribution to the ROI will be overlooked. Combine the buying behavior of all your customers, all who function individually, and you suddenly realize why there will never be a [single] proven ROI online.”

There are many Drupal features that allow you to create different content types to target direct conversions and calls to action while also creating more engaging styles like blogs or videos, that keep visitors coming back until they turn from green to yellow.

What are some of your favorite design features for maximizing your digital ROI?