Internet Marketing Secrets with Matt Bertram

Episode Title: Maximizing Results When Website Traffic Falls: Expert Insights with Trevor Levine
Release Date: August 25, 2025
Featured Guest: Trevor Levine, Conversion Specialist, Marketing Experts
Host: Matt Bertram

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Matt Bertram tackles a pressing issue for digital marketers and business owners: how to maximize website conversions when organic traffic is plunging, largely due to shifts in Google’s AI search and LLM-driven overviews. Matt is joined by conversion expert Trevor Levine, who shares proven frameworks, optimization tactics, and deep strategic advice for squeezing more sales, leads, and results from every visitor—especially crucial in a world where each click is more precious than ever.

The conversation dives into funnel structure, offer creation, guarantee strategies, landing page anatomy, testimonial techniques, checkout page hacks, and the psychological triggers needed to drive high-value actions, with actionable examples across both B2B and B2C.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The New Reality of Website Traffic & Conversion Focus

• SEO & AI Disruption: Google’s AI overviews have slashed organic traffic by 58% on average, forcing businesses to re-think their digital strategies ([01:27]).
  • "Only about half the traffic's coming to the website, and they're very transactional looking to buy. You gotta be laser focused on making the most out of that customer and converting that customer." – Matt Bertram ([01:53])
• The Imperative for Conversion: With less traffic making it to your site, every visit counts more than ever.

2. Funnel Structure: Offers, Content, and Page Types

• Traffic Sources & Context:
  • Many listeners drive both SEO and paid ad traffic, often landing visitors on generic service or branded pages instead of purpose-built landing or squeeze pages ([05:14], [05:32]).
• Aligning Offers by Funnel Stage:
  • High-ticket: For coaching/consulting ($500+), put the big ask (book a call) on a separate conversion-optimized page.
  • Low-ticket/Recurring: Bundles, tripwires, and info-products are more challenging to make profitable; bundling products or creating irresistible front-end offers can help ([12:21]).
• No One-Size-Fits-All: "It depends on your price point. It depends on your type of service." – Trevor Levine ([09:59])

3. The Anatomy of High-Converting Offers

• Establish Value Before Price:
  • VSLs (Video Sales Letters) are crucial for higher-ticket items to withhold price until objections are addressed ([10:30]–[12:21]).
  • "It's really important that you do not provide a link to your checkout page or reveal the price too early in the sales process." – Trevor Levine ([10:31])
• Bundling & 2-Step Checkouts:
  • Use bundle deals to increase AOV, and employ a 2-step checkout to capture emails for follow-up ([15:15]).
• Differentiation & Unique Selling Proposition:
  • Convince readers why your solution is uniquely better, especially in crowded markets ([16:35]–[17:54]).
  • Craft testimonials that describe before/after results for transformation credibility ([17:54]).

4. Driving Initial Engagement: Ads & Lead Generation

• Guaranteed Gain & Bold Guarantees:
  • Go beyond the standard "money-back" – offer bold or conditional guarantees to reduce risk and drive action ([22:46]).
    • Example: "You can send the empty container back after you use the thing with a photo showing us, you know, that you used it. And you can still get a refund...that's a guaranteed gain." – Trevor Levine ([23:10])
  • Use conditions to protect bold promises ("Have to submit homework by midnight every Monday to qualify") ([24:32]).
  • "You can put it in your headline. Yeah, you'll be in a loving relationship in six months or you don't pay. That's pretty compelling." – Trevor Levine ([25:10])
• Compelling Messaging:
  • Ads should tap into prospects' immediate fears or aspirations, e.g., "Are you worried about AI taking your job?" ([21:46])
  • Frame “guaranteed gains”—irresistible, no-lose offers to boost response ([26:08]-[26:49])

5. Landing & Sales Page Optimization

• Page Flow & Structure:
  • Problem Agitation: Start with customer's real pain points, agitate, and amplify ripple effects ([31:48]–[33:49]).
    • "You want to talk about how is it impacting their life in other ways? How is it making them feel disconnected from their family?" – Trevor Levine ([31:48])
  • Introducing Solution & Differentiators: Reveal how your offering uniquely solves their problem and call out competitor shortcomings without naming names ([37:23]–[41:44]).
  • Testimonials: Focus on specific, outcome-oriented testimonials with before & after scenarios ([43:11]).
  • Offer Structure: Move from describing what you sell to presenting valuable, urgent offers—tripwires, bundling, bonuses, or "VIP" perks ([44:15]–[53:49]).
  • Urgency without Fake Scarcity: Use natural consequences ("someone else may publish your book first!") in lieu of arbitrary deadlines ([56:08]).

6. Case Studies & Memorable Moments

• ReMax Bootcamp Magalog:
  • A magalog (sales letter in magazine format) for a $2,000 bootcamp sold $250,000 in two days:
    • "Within two days, he sold out the boot camp and grossed $250,000. So I’m pretty proud of that." – Trevor Levine ([37:01])
• Tripwire Offer Results:
  • Offering a $7 segment of a $200 online course led to 9.1% opt-in buyers, increasing overall sales ([46:07]).

7. Checkout Page Optimization Best Practices ([58:00] onward)

• Don’t Reveal the Link Too Early: Place checkout links after strong value build-up ([58:29]).
• Remind and Reassure: Place guarantees, summaries, images, key testimonials again on the checkout page ([58:29]–[60:25]).
• Testimonials:
  • "The most believable ones are video testimonials and screenshots of reviews...because you can't edit those, right? So they know...that is a real review." – Trevor Levine ([61:11])
  • Use headshots, full names, and context (city/state or business title).

8. Five Common Mistakes That Kill Conversions ([62:26])

1. Too Many Adjectives, Not Enough Verbs:
   • Focus on action and results, not fluff ("Stop wasting time..." vs. "innovative product").
2. Process Over Benefit:
   • Sell outcomes, not deliverables ("Be free of pain" not "eight sessions, PDFs").
3. Talking About Yourself, Not The Customer:
   • Avoid “I/we” and highlight "you/your" benefits.
4. Lack of Word Pictures:
   • Use vivid scenarios ("playing with grandkids") to make benefits tangible.
5. Ignoring Negative Ripple Effects:
   • Spell out the consequences of inaction in concrete, emotional terms.

9. Additional Resources & Final Advice

• Trevor offers a free critique of your website copy at marketingexperts.com ([65:53]).
  • "There's no obligation, there's no cost...You can run with the suggestions we make and improve your conversion rates." – Trevor Levine ([66:10])

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• "Only about half the traffic's coming to the website, and they're very transactional looking to buy. You gotta be laser focused on making the most out of that customer and converting that customer." – Matt Bertram ([01:53])
• "It depends on your price point. It depends on your type of service." – Trevor Levine ([09:59])
• "It's really important that you do not provide a link to your checkout page or reveal the price too early in the sales process." – Trevor Levine ([10:31])
• "Before we get to bundling... we have to convince the reader that the supplement that's being offered is better and different than anything else that would potentially solve your problem." – Trevor Levine ([15:16])
• "You want to look for something bold... that's a guaranteed gain." – Trevor Levine ([23:10])
• "Within two days, he sold out the boot camp and grossed $250,000. So I’m pretty proud of that." – Trevor Levine ([37:01])
• "The most believable testimonials are video testimonials and screenshots of reviews that you got on independent sites like trustpilot or Yelp...you can't edit those." – Trevor Levine ([61:11])
• "Don't assume that people will believe that your testimonials are real. Some people are skeptical." – Trevor Levine ([62:13])

Guidance for Listeners

• Actionable Takeaway: In a post-AI search world, conversion is king. Your ability to deeply understand your audience’s pains, build differentiated offers, structure guarantees, and surgically optimize your landing/checkout process is more crucial than ever.
• Free Resource: Visit marketingexperts.com for a no-obligation critique of your website copy.

Suggested Listening Map

• [00:00–03:05] – Intro, industry changes, the rise of AI and conversion focus
• [05:14–10:31] – Offer structures: landing pages, VSLs, mid-funnel vs. high-ticket
• [15:15–17:54] – Unique selling proposition, testimonials, and differentiation
• [22:46–25:10] – Bold guarantees; how to condition and promote them
• [31:48–43:11] – Landing page anatomy: problem, agitation, solution, testimonials
• [58:00–62:26] – Checkout page optimization and testimonial best practices
• [62:26–65:38] – Five mistakes that wreck conversion rates
• [65:53–end] – Final advice, resources, how to connect with Trevor

For more digital marketing secrets and detailed conversion frameworks, subscribe to Internet Marketing Secrets and visit MatthewBertram.com.