The Always Be Converting Show

Always Be and Converting Discuss E-Commerce Best Practices

Always Be: [enthusiastically] "Alright, Converting, listen up! We're going to crush it today. No more beating around the bush. We've got to always be... converting!"

Converting: [with a raised eyebrow] "I’m sorry, did you just use the phrase ‘always be converting’? Is that a new slogan, or are you attempting to combine every marketing cliché into one single sentence?"

Always Be: "No, no, no, it’s the Always Be way! You know, Always Be Closing! That’s the secret sauce. Always Be Selling! Always Be Scaling! Always Be... uh, selling… wait, no. I meant converting. Always Be Converting!"

Converting: [leaning back in his chair] "Right. But let me guess, that means we should focus on pushing product pages, using pop-ups, and having a million call-to-action buttons everywhere, right?"

Always Be: "Exactly! You’ve got it! Pop-ups on every page, even the checkout. Pop-ups on the checkout page. Pop-ups are life, Converting!"

Converting: "You mean pop-ups like the one that shows up 3 seconds after a customer lands on a page, blocking half the content and making them wonder if they’re on a spam site?"

Always Be: "Exactly! And then, they’re like, ‘Wait, I can’t leave without getting a 25% discount!’ It’s psychological warfare, Converting. You’ve got to push them into the funnel."

Converting: "That’s called a conversion funnel, not psychological warfare. And frankly, I think we’ve all had enough pop-ups in our lives to last a lifetime. Have you thought about maybe, I don’t know... testing whether they actually work?"

Always Be: "Test?! Oh, don’t even get me started on testing! We don’t need testing, Converting. We need results. The numbers will come, eventually. Trust me. Just... always be optimizing, and that’s enough. It’s like magic!"

Converting: "Optimizing without testing is like driving a car without looking at the road. Sure, you might get somewhere, but you’re probably heading straight for a wall."

Always Be: [snaps fingers] "Boom! That’s what I’m talking about! A wall is exactly where we want to go. Straight to the sales, baby. Straight to the top!"

Converting: [sighs deeply] "You know, testing isn't about playing it safe. It’s about finding what works for your customers. Not just throwing random strategies at them and hoping something sticks."

Always Be: "Oh, come on! Don’t tell me you’re one of those ‘data-driven’ people. I’m a visionary, Converting! I can just feel when a product page is going to pop. I sense it in my bones."

Converting: [stares at Always Be] "You’re saying you feel the data? Like, you get a gut feeling about CTRs and bounce rates? Do your bones also tell you what your conversion rate is?"

Always Be: "Okay, okay, I get it, you’re the numbers guy. But numbers can lie, Converting! I trust my gut. Take this banner ad for example—"

Converting: "You have a banner ad on your homepage for ‘Discounts That Will Change Your Life’? Is that the one?"

Always Be: "Exactly! It’s bold. It’s in their face. It grabs attention! Plus, it’s got a countdown timer, so you know they need to act now. Urgency! Scarcity! FOMO!"

Converting: "And you tested this, right? You know, to see if the timer actually increases conversions, or if people are just annoyed by it and leave the site with their lives still unchanged?"

Always Be: [pumps fist] "I don’t need tests, Converting! I’m in the zone. Besides, it’s a countdown timer, what could go wrong? People see it and immediately think, ‘I have to buy now!’"

Converting: [rubbing temples] "I’m not even going to ask if you’ve tested the length of the timer. Because I know you haven’t. We’ve already discussed that 99% of people abandon countdowns when they don’t feel like they’re actually getting a deal."

Always Be: "99%?! Whoa, that’s a huge number, Converting. Are you sure? Because that sounds like a stat I’m just going to... well, ignore."

Converting: "Don’t ignore the stats! Stats are there to help us make informed decisions. We’re not guessing. We’re trying to optimize for the customer’s experience. It’s all about providing value."

Always Be: "Value, huh? You mean like when we offer a free ebook in exchange for an email sign-up?"

Converting: "Exactly! But you don’t just give them a free ebook because you think it'll magically increase your conversion rate. You offer something that your customers actually want. Like, I don’t know... maybe an exclusive discount, or access to VIP offers."

Always Be: "Right, but the ebook makes us seem knowledgeable and helpful. You know, like we’ve got the insider tips. And then, when they download it, bam! We’ve got their email, and now we can nurture them!"

Converting: "That’s true, but do you actually have a plan for that nurturing phase? Because if you're just sending them weekly ‘Here’s another ebook!’ emails, they’re going to unsubscribe faster than you can say 'automated marketing flow.'"

Always Be: "Whoa, whoa, whoa—nurture them? Like with flowers and hugs? I thought we were in the business of sales here, not… affection."

Converting: [groaning] "Nurturing is about guiding your leads through the buyer’s journey. It’s about building trust. You need more than just ‘Buy Now!’ or ‘50% off today only!’"

Always Be: "But trust doesn’t sell, Converting! Urgency and scarcity do! That’s what I’ve been saying all along!"

Converting: "Trust does sell. People buy from brands they trust. Which is why your landing page with the ‘Guarantee or your Money Back!’ badge on it looks like it was designed in 2008 and is giving everyone trust issues."

Always Be: "Okay, okay, I get it. I hear you. Maybe I need to work on building trust and relationships more. But what about the checkout process? You know, I’m all about streamlining it to make sure there’s no friction."

Converting: "Ah, now you’re speaking my language. A frictionless checkout is the holy grail. But it’s not just about making it fast and easy. It’s about reducing distractions and making the customer feel confident. You can’t just throw in a ‘Buy Now’ button with three different payment options and expect them to pull the trigger."

Always Be: [with a proud grin] "I knew you’d appreciate the streamlined approach! So, what’s your take on one-click checkout? You know, making the whole process feel as effortless as possible?"

Converting: "One-click checkout is great when it’s done right. But it’s not the answer to everything. You’ve got to ensure you’re not skipping over important steps that could help the customer—like reviewing their cart, showing them related products, or offering them upsells at the right moment."

Always Be: "Ah, upsells! Now that’s my kind of thing. What about offering a bundle of complementary items? Like, if they’re buying a laptop, we offer them a mouse and keyboard bundle."

Converting: "That’s a great idea! But you can’t just throw it at them like a discounted offer at checkout. You need to make it relevant. Show them why this bundle is the right choice for them, based on their interests, behavior, or what’s in their cart."

Always Be: "Ah, so I need to get more personalized? Like, a tailored experience for every shopper?"

Converting: "Exactly. Personalization is key. People don’t want to feel like they’re just one of a million customers. They want to feel like you’re speaking directly to their needs."

Always Be: "Alright, I’m sold! Personalized upsells, relevant offers, trust-building emails—this is a lot of work, Converting. But I’m all in now."

Converting: "It’s worth it, Always Be. At the end of the day, it’s not just about making the sale—it’s about creating a relationship that turns your customers into repeat buyers. A long-term investment, you know?"

Always Be: [pauses, thinking deeply] "Okay. So we’re building relationships now. I can work with that. Maybe I’ll even send a thank you email after the sale... with no countdown timer."

Converting: "I’ll believe it when I see it. But for now, let’s make sure we actually get those conversions. We can worry about the relationship part later."

Always Be: [grinning widely] "Right. First, always be converting. Then, we’ll get to the warm fuzzies."

And that’s the story of how Always Be and Converting started optimizing their e-commerce strategy… sort of.