Marketer’s guide to always-on website optimization

To catch the eye of your target customer while also maximizing your team’s effort and time, you need a strategy to keep your website optimization fresh, effective, and always running. 

Website optimization has long been a pillar of any successful B2B marketing initiative, but as you undergo A/B testing and iterate over time, you may find it too labor-intensive to make all the tweaks your results suggest. An always-on approach, however, keeps your marketing engine running when your team is tied up with other tasks.

In this post, we’ll explore the benefits of always-on website optimization, debunk myths that may prevent you from considering it, and offer actionable tips to help you build your always-on website optimization strategy.  

Always-on website optimization by the numbers

An optimized user experience at its most basic level helps convert visitors into paying customers. But taking it a step further with additional tactics can improve your chances of attracting and keeping long-term customers. 

A user experience that translates seamlessly to mobile devices is one example where website optimization makes a difference: Data shows that conversion rates can increase by 15% when a website’s loading speed is less than two seconds, and 37% of consumers are more likely to buy from a business whose website is compatible with mobile devices.

A website with personalized CTA language can increase conversions by 42%. Even something as seemingly trivial as the color of a CTA button can have an impact on conversion rate optimization. For example, visitors tend to click red buttons more often than green ones.  

The examples of optimized user experiences make clear the necessity of website optimization as a strategy to meet consumer expectations and drive more conversions. 

Understanding always-on optimization

Always-on optimization is a website marketing strategy that requires web teams to continuously enhance and refine their campaigns and programs, particularly as they relate to a user’s experience and overall website performance. This ongoing, scalable strategy is often automated for optimal results, with the goal of converting website visitors to customers and increasing customer retention down the line. 

An always-on approach differs from traditional optimization because it is a constant process. Continuous monitoring, automated actions, and real-time adjustments to the website enable as-needed tweaks as soon as new performance metrics become available. 

The benefits of always-on optimization are especially applicable to smaller businesses and/or smaller teams. By flipping a switch, you can turn on your optimization efforts and keep them running even when you’re off the clock. Consistency in this optimization assures visitors they can expect a tailored experience each time they visit your site, contributing to brand trust and brand loyalty. 

Perceived roadblocks to always-on website optimization

A continuous optimization strategy may sound like a dream, but many teams find it difficult to implement such a strategy for the following reasons.

• Missing the right tools. Teams need a robust infrastructure to support always-on optimization. This includes a tool or tools to handle data, process findings, and share recommendations in a timely manner.
• Poor or no user data. In order to set up an always-on optimization strategy, you need enough data to inform how the program tests and optimizes experiences. Teams that are just getting started with web optimization tools might not have this data readily available until their tools are up and running.
• Time-intensive training. Most new processes require a training period to get teams up to speed on how to achieve the best results. Depending on the tools or processes you choose, this might be simple or it may be a heavier lift than you anticipated. 

The roadblocks above might seem like enough to deter you from setting up always-on optimization, but implementation is much easier than you might think. 

Next, we explore how to activate always-on web optimization for your business.

How to activate always-on optimization

Regardless of the size of your organization or your expected return on investment, you’ll want to include the following steps as you build out your optimization strategy.

1. Define your goals

Before starting any new project, you must align your team on what you hope to achieve. Goals for always-on optimization might be to generate leads, increase brand awareness, improve conversion, foster customer engagement, or extend the amount of time visitors spend on your site. 

2. Audit your website and identify areas for improvement 

Once you’ve established your always-on optimization goals, you’ll want to conduct an audit of your existing website and make notes of what you might want to change in order to achieve those goals. 

For example, you may want to update your CTA language, test different headers, find ways to accelerate page load speed, or focus on making your content more SEO-friendly to increase traffic to your site. Knowing exactly what you’re striving for will ensure your project stays on track and that you’ll get the data you need to make adjustments as you go. 

3. Understand your users, personas, and target audience

A website for everybody is a website for nobody. If you try to appeal to as large an audience as possible, you’ll fail to capture the attention of people who might actually convert. As you identify your website optimization targets, keep your ideal customer in mind. 

Through personalized content and messaging, including specific landing pages based on user intent, you’ll be able to direct visitors toward actions that help solve their unique pain points and keep them engaged. Customers who are presented with messaging and products that speak specifically to their needs are more likely to take the action you need in order to convert them to customers. 

4. Use the right tools

Always-on optimization requires systems, tools, and skills beyond the activities of traditional website optimization. 

Ideally, you’d have anoptimization tool that helps you execute on your strategy. Such a tool might enable teams to design UX-optimized web pages, test them through A/B testing, simplify copy adjustments with a built-in content management system, and establish your site’s authority through keyword research, all of which can improve the website experience and increase conversion rates.

5. Automate where you can

Automated actions ensure that every interaction between your site and your site’s visitors is consistent with your brand identity. From responses to web form inquiries to nurture email copy, automation enables seamless consistency across all touchpoints. If you’re not already using AI to automate some of your personalization tactics, it’s a great time to start.

6. Continuously test and monitor your strategy

Always-on optimization doesn’t necessarily translate to “set it and forget it.” The best-performing website optimization strategies involve A/B testing, experimentation, and analysis of user behavior to find the right messages and actions for the right audience. Teams should take note of website load time, page speed, faulty UX, traffic sources, and bounce rates. Regular performance assessments can help teams refine their efforts and reach their goals faster. 

Always-on web optimization built for success

Implementing an always-on optimization strategy is an essential chapter in any marketing success story. Continuous enhancements to areas of the website through  personalization and automation can help boost your conversion rates while also creating brand loyalty. 

As you begin your website optimization journey, use the steps above to define what you want to achieve and determine how you and your team can realize your vision. Once you’ve built out your website optimization program, you’ll have a well-oiled lead-gen machine that can help you establish a steady stream of prospects.