There is something to be said for newer smaller conferences. Which, because of the quality of the Conversion Conference, hosted by SiteTuners.com and RisingMedia.com, it won’t stay small for long.
Geno Prussakov, Laura Cruz (me), David Szetela in front of the AMDays sign.When there are fewer people in attendance you are able to really sit and talk to many of the attendees. By the end of the show, I was able to make many real contacts that I got to know on a more personal level.
Because of the sheer size of some industry conferences, you miss so many people and have to settle for a quick “Hello – Let’s talk soon!”
Conversion Conference provided a more relaxed open setting that really allowed for beneficial networking.
Moving on to the incredible speakers present, the speakers I attended gave actionable steps that I could put into practice right away.
Here are some of my take-a-ways from the sessions I attended:
Brian Massey giving the keynote presentation on “Your Customer Creation Equation”Brian Massey, otherwise known as the Conversion Scientist, had an especially entertaining presentation on Video Marketing as the keynote speaker Wednesday morning. He points out to change slides frequently during webinars and to place your call-to-action button near your video.
Bill Leake of Apogee Results reminds us that email is a relational business, not transactional. Always use a call to action in your subject line.
Tim Ash of SiteTuners.com, in his keynote opening speech promised we would be stuffed and suffer from information overload by the end of the second day. He kept his promise, people were loaded with notes and things to do after each session.
Jenny Halasz giving her presentation on “Landing Pages for the Real World”.Jenny Halasz of Archology Inc. tells us that data does not equal insights and to consider the user’s needs above all else!
Jay Berkowitz of Ten Golden Rules encourages us to try the sideways sales letter and to take action on what we’ve learned here.
Jeremy Leonard of MediaWhiz lets us know what users prefer mobile pages that look like apps. An excellent tip!
Chris Goward of Wider Funnel reminds us to create test hypothesis. I already have a few started!
Mona Patel of Motivate Designwarns that simple isn’t cheap, but it will be money well spent.
Mona Patel speaking on “The Complexity of Simplicity: Designing websites that motivate users”I love what Jeff Sexton of Wizard of Ads said about creating compelling images, “Figure out the ritual, inject a little trouble, you have images that will live forever.”
The Sessions
The conference offered three classes per session. I’ll be honest. Choosing the one I wanted to attend most was a rough one.
Of the session I felt not to be missed, can only be described in Mr. T’s words, “I pity the fool.” This describes the brave souls that offered their websites up for a live critique by Tim Ash and Bill Leake in front of the entire crowd. Their open humiliation was rewarded with completing advice that will be sure to pay off with higher conversions.
A special treat for me was hearing Susan Weinschenk speak. She is simply on a whole different usability level that I really never knew existed. She uses NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) to improve user experience and conversion. Her books are on my To-Buy list and I’m excited to gleam more knowledge from her extensive testing and experience.
I know there are quite a few industry conferences out there, but I would really encourage you to add Conversion Conference to the list. After all, you can send all the traffic in the world to a landing page, but if it doesn’t convert, then it is wasted money, effort, and time.
Affiliate Marketing
I also wanted to touch on the AM Days as well, held in conjunction with the conference. I didn’t get to go to as many sessions as I would have liked, but the ones I did attend were informative. These include the session by conference creator Geno Prussakov of AM Navigator during ConvCon on “What makes them tick? How knowing your affiliates can increase conversions.”
What was interesting to note is that the majority of all Affiliate Managers there were from the CPS side of affiliate marketing. CPL networks were not in attendance. I realize that even at the industry conferences, Affiliate Managers are working the booths, not in actual session attendance.
Now, we require that doctors, tax accountant, even hair stylists go back to school to continue to learn. The Internet and marketing channels and marketing methods change all the time. So, what about Affiliate Managers? What is the last training your AIM received? Just throwing it out there.
Books
Going back to yet another take-a-way from the Conversion Conference is that I really need to write a book! I got the impression that every speaker had a book or two published. I’ll list them below. Some I own and do really enjoy and feel they are insightful. Since I do want to begin public speaking, I’m assuming the book writing is my first logical step. I’m currently accepting ideas!
The main thought I want to leave you with is that if conversion is important to you and your business (Yep – that should mean you!) Then the Conversion Conference is a must for you!
The next one in the States is in San Francisco April 15 to 17, 2013.
Be there, I know I will be!
