If “Always Be Closing” is the mantra for sales professionals, then “Always Be Testing” should be the mantra for marketers. Best practice guidance is a great place to get started; but, there is no substitute for understanding your own audience, your own brand, and the right tactics to most effectively engage your customers.
Regular, disciplined testing strategies are critical to transitioning to a results-driven marketing culture. Unfortunately, starting out with testing can seem about as daunting as starting a new exercise routine. Its too hard. I need a Personal Mathematician to really figure it out. We don’t have enough time – we just need to get campaigns out the door.
Well, I am here to tell you that it is time to get in shape – no more excuses. When budgets are tight and resources stretched – now is the time to get serious about optimization testing. Anne Holland (Founder and Former President of Marketing Sherpa and now behind Which Test Won?) shows us that the conversion rate of a typical campaign landing page can be increased up to 40% (on average) with a few well-designed tests.
Get started with a simple split test. Testing should always answer specific questions. For example: Are we asking for too much information on this form? Which email layout drives the highest conversion? Would I get a higher webinar attendance rate if I shortened my promotional timeframe?
Which image drove a landing page conversion of 48%?
4 Elements Worth Testing
- Email From Lines: One client that I was working with saw a 36% increase in open rates by simply adding the company brand name to the from line of their communications.
- Layouts: Layouts should effectively guide our eyes whether it is an online or offline asset. Simple layout changes or location of images help us take the right actions. And, do not let your layouts get stale – variation keeps people engaged.
- Imagery: Images are the visual cues that tell us to pay attention to the content. The important thing to consider is – are the images emotionally supporting the value proposition or just there for the sake of design? Check out this free resource Fivesecondtest.com.
- Timing: Many clients are experimenting with time as elements in their campaign. Try decreasing the frequency between touches on a nurturing program. Add urgency to a promotion with an “offer ends” or “limited availability”. One software vendor decreased their Free Trial from 30 Days to 5 and saw product purchases increase by 28%.
Make It Count
Testing shouldn’t be for the sake of testing – it should be about improving results. Determine the metrics that will clearly indicate the success or failure of elements being tested. Be sure to look at both short-term conversion metrics as well as the bottom line to gain deeper insights into performance.
And, testing shouldn’t be seen as a “one-time” event – adopt it into your every-day campaign methodology. People change, online behavior is evolving, and new ideas will continue to emerge across your team. With a testing strategy in place – no idea is a bad idea if its effectiveness can be proven!
What has your team learned from optimization testing? What will you focus on learning in the second half of 2009?
This post is clear and concise. The part that, “Testing should always answer specific questions” is particularly useful. Thanks!
You are welcome! Never worth the effort if you aren’t working towards a clear objective.
Jen, excellent post!
[...] also recommend testing your campaigns by using multivariate testing for emails and landing pages. What you may find is that you’re [...]