Do you have a Growth Strategy for this quarter?

The 4th quarter, of 2020, is already upon us.

Do you have a growth roadmap ready yet?

If you do, what does it look like? (please share in the comment section)

If you don't have one yet, don't worry. There's still time to put together an impactful growth strategy that translates into more customers, sales, and profitability.

But, there isn't much time to waste – so let's get started right away!

I have compiled nine components you should consider as your outline for your 4th quarter growth push:

1. Have a defined goal

Before we talk about coming up with the right conversion strategy, you need to have goals that you aim to reach as a brand. Goals give you a starting point, focus, and a destination to reach. Without taking the time to set the desired goals, you won't be able to measure progress. Take time in the very beginning to think of what conversion goals do you want to achieve at the end of this quarter.

2. Conduct research

In the world of conversion optimization, research informs the action you will take towards reaching your desired goals. Research makes up so much of what we do in this CRO world. You literally cannot begin the optimization process without it. By research, I mean conducting both qualitative and quantitative research.

3. Know your targeted audience

One of the biggest mistakes you'll ever make in conversion optimization is trying to appeal to everyone. The moment you try to speak to the world, no one will hear you. You've got to be able to solve a very specific problem for a very specific person. Every part of your marketing must aim to satisfy the specific needs of that particular person.

4. Evaluate your competition

You will not stand out from the competition if you don't know anything about your competitors. Prepare a written evaluation of your competitors and compare their performance with your own. Analyze their websites and social media platforms. What are they bringing to the market? What is the quality of their products or services? What kind of customer experience do they offer? What is their unique selling proposition?

5. Have a unique selling proposition

A good strategy is about being different. Your target audience has many alternatives to choosing you. How different are you from your competitors? Why should someone choose you over the competitors? What is the difference that makes the difference in your business? It would help if you found out. You can use your brand story, customer experience to create that difference for your brand.

6. Create KPIs That Reflect Your Strategic Priorities

Your key performance indicators (KPIs) are measures that help you understand whether you are achieving one or more of your strategic goals. You'll want to know your average order value, CTRs, bounce rates, cost per conversion, time spent per page, and many other KPIs.

7. Reduce Visitors' Fears Uncertainties and Doubts (FUDS)

FUDs are certain elements that cause bad user experience and deflate user confidence. These elements raise doubts on your website regarding whether your product or service is the right choice for your visitors. Ultimately, FUDs result in a complete loss of trust and abandonment of your site. You need to identify these conversion roadblocks and remove them.

8. Play the long game

Of course, there can be quick wins in conversion optimization –and these are usually usability fixes. But if you want big wins, you have to be willing to play the long game. I know its tempting to have a quick win here and there all the time. But in CRO, it doesn't work like that. In this context, a long game means following a CRO approach, doing thorough research, and being guided by your customers' priorities.

9. Test

Do you want to know what's working and what's not? Test. Constantly testing gets you closer to attracting people who are interested in your product. Guessing what your customer wants is a waste of time, and uninterested parties aren't going to bring you revenue anyways. Make testing integral to your functional strategy design.

That's it from me. Go get 'em.