Lou Betancourt

Your application to join Conversion Rate Experts (CRE)

Introduction

Thanks for your interest in a role at Conversion Rate Experts. We’ll use this Google Doc as a shared space to manage your application to join our team.

Stage 1

Here’s what to do in the next seven days (if this won’t be possible for any reason, let us know at careers@conversion-rate-experts.com).

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• If you haven’t already, make a copy of this document. Call the new version “YYYY-MM-DD Your name - CRE Application”.

• In your copy of the document, complete the questions below.
   

1. Your full name:   Lou Betancourt

 

2. Your email address:   Lou.Betancourt@Yahoo.com

 

3. Do you personally know anyone at Conversion Rate Experts?:   No

 

4. All of the roles at Conversion Rate Experts involve making something awesome. Can you describe the most awesome thing you’ve made (personally or professionally) and include a few of the challenges you faced and how you overcame them.
 

I am very much interested in joining the Conversion Rate Expert team.

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I have been in the direct marketing space for more than 35 years. I have been in the digital marketing and digital publishing space for more than 20 years. 

I co-founded a financial publishing business that targeted self-directed investors. The site competed with The Motley Fool, Seeking Alpha, MarketWatch, Investing Business Daily and many other online financial publishing firms.  

We invested just $1,500 each – for a total of $3,000.  I was responsible for all marketing.  My partner was responsible for developing the content. The business eventually grew to more than $22M.

 

The business model included generating leads and qualifying prospects so we can place them in the appropriate personalized marketing sales funnel.  

 

Leads were generated through Google, Bing, Yahoo, display ads, native ads (Taboola, Outbrain RevContent), content display networks, co-registration offers, e-newsletter-sponsorships and, of course, content marketing and email distributions to house files and advertising databases.

 

We did experience some challenges with the business. When we first started the business the cost of generating a lead was between $1.00 to $3.00.  Over time, as more financial publishers went online, the cost-per-lead increased significantly to MORE THAN $35 per lead.  This forced us to change our business. Our editors/analysts all developed their own YouTube channels and established their Facebook pages. This was a game changer. Our editors were able to develop relationships with many of their readers and develop a following. It improved renewal rates and helped us cross-sell other services that were written by the same editor.

 

We also relied more on new advertising channels, social media, and we even returned to traditional marketing channels. We went back in the mail. We invested a lot of money but it worked out for us.  Leads and subscribers generated were far superior since leads were acquired from “paid” files.  They were subscribers or expires to other financial publications. In other words, they were actual buyers, not FREE report seekers. 

 

Our success can be attributed to better engaging with prospects and subscribers and all of the testing we implemented. When we launched a service we tested many marketing variables.  We tested price points, subscription terms, offers, premiums (free reports) offered, the number of free reports offered, report titles, promotional copy, order page and other variables. 

 

I sold the business in 2020.  

 

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5. Create a two-minute video showcasing whatever you’ve

described in question 4 above. (Share the video with

careers@conversion-rate-experts.com and add a link to the

video below.)

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6. Think of a task that you do regularly (e.g. making a cup of coffee).

Now, imagine that you’ve just met someone who has never done

this task before—write down instructions for this person to complete

the task.  

We’ll use CRE’s suggestion -- making a cup of coffee . . .
 

Instructions on how to make a delicious cup of strong and dark coffee.
 

 -- Go to the kitchen counter where the coffee pot is located.
 

 -- Open the cabinet door above the coffee pot. On the 2nd shelf select the Peet’s brand coffee bag marked “French Roast.” 

 

 -- Take the bag to the kitchen island cabinet. The coffee has already been ground.
 

 -- On the island there is a French Press Coffee pot. The French Press is the steel pot that is about 8 inches tall. It has a circular lid with a slid-up press that sits on top the 8 inch pot.

-- On the island there is also a boiler. The boiler is also made of steel and it has a lid that you can lift open. The boiler has an electrical cord that should be plugged into the wall outlet that is located on the right side of the island. If it is not plugged in, please do so.  

 

 -- Take the boiler to the kitchen sink and fill it up with water—about ¾ to the top of the boiler.  

-- Return the pot to the boiler base station and press the start button at the center bottom. It will take about 5 minutes to boil. Once boiling, you’ll hear the rapidly boiling water.  The boiler will turn itself off once water reaches boiling temperature.
 

 -- In the meantime, while the water is boiling, take a tablespoon from the top draw on the left.
 

 -- Take two level tablespoons for each 8 ounces of water. Each coffee cup will hold 8 ounces of water. As such, since you are making two 8 ounce cups of coffee you will need four level tablespoons of coffee. Place the level tablespoons of coffee into the French Press.
 

 -- Once the water has boiled, pour water to the 16 ounce marking inside the French Press.
 

 -- Using the tablespoon, stir the coffee in the French Press for 10 to 15 seconds. Then let the coffee steep for 4 to 5 minutes. 

 

 -- The coffee cups are located in the cabinet above the dishwasher. Take two cups. 
 

 -- Pour the coffee into each coffee cup. Allow about ½ inch if you are adding milk or half-and-half.  Both are located in the top right shelf in the refrigerator. Add sugar, if desired.
 

 -- Enjoy.
   

7. Do you have a blog or any other websites that you own or run that we can take a look at? Feel free to include your GitHub or social media profile(s).

www.LouBetancourt.com 

8. How many days per week could you dedicate to Conversion Rate Experts? 

I can devote five days
 

9. Are you involved with any companies, projects or activities that could be considered to be in competition with Conversion Rate Experts?      No

 

10. Anything else you’d like to say?

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I am excited about the prospects of joining Conversion Rate Experts. I have been in the direct response marketing business for more than 35 years. Some of those years were spent working within advertising agencies working as an Account Supervisor.  I have worked on large blue-chip agencies on Madison Avenue and I have worked at smaller shops as well. 

I also have more than 20 years of digital-marketing experience. In late 2001 I started my own digital publishing business. I sold the business in 2020.  I am very much interested in returning to a marketing environment where I can further learn and keep abreast of new technologies and marketing strategies.  I am hopeful that I too can contribute to CRE’s staff.  I have developed Lifetime Value and Allowable Order Cost models. 

Anyway, I look forward to hearing from CRE.

  

Next steps
 

1. Share your completed Google Doc (edit access) with careers@conversion-rate-experts.com. (Important: don’t share the document publicly.)

2. Complete this form to submit Stage 1 of your application.

 

We’ll review your application, and get back to you shortly. If you have any questions, check out our careers page or send an email to careers@conversion-rate-experts.com.