Landing Page Optimization

For Higher Conversions

Tim Ash
President

SiteTuners.com
Miva Merchant Conference
San Diego, CA
February 29, 2008
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About SiteTuners

Charter Authorized Consultants for Google Website Optimizer

Landing Page Optimization & Conversion Audit Consulting

A-B Split, Multivariate Testing, & proprietary TuningEngineSM

Specialize in very large-scale tests

Performance-based & fixed-price testing payment options

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Overview
Background
The Matrix
Picking a tuning method
Case studies

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Background

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What is Conversion Tuning?

Online Marketing Activities
Acquisition Get people to your site

Conversion Persuade them to take desired action

Retention Increase lifetime value of relationship

Conversion Rate
Percentage of visitors who take desired action

Conversion Tuning
Improving conversion rate by testing website changes
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Why should you care about tuning?

You have neglected your landing pages

Your conversion rate is too low
This is costing you a lot of money
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The economics of conversion:

Fix your site to lower costs

CPC

CPA = -------

CR

CPC - Cost per click

CR - Conversion rate
CPA - Cost per acquisition

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Question: What is a Camel

Answer: A Horse Designed by Committee

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Who should design your site?

Ad
Agency

Your
Boss

Webmaster

I.T.
Marketing

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None of the above

Ad
Agency

I.T.

Your
Boss

YOUR
YOUR
WEBSITE
WEBSITE
Webmaster
VISITORS
VISITORS
Marketing

Your website serves too many masters.

It should be focused only on conversion.

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The Matrix

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The Matrix

The Matrix = Roles x Tasks x AIDA

Getting the right
through the right
in the right

people,
activities,

order.

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AIDA

Awareness (Attention)
Interest
Desire
Action
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The Rules of Web Awareness

If you cant find something easily, it does not
exist
If you emphasize too many items, all of them
lose importance
Any delay increases frustration

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Common Awareness Problems

Banner ads
Entry pop-ups
Cluttered homepages

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Example - Awareness Squandered

146 clickable links!

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Example - Focus on Categories

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Keys to Creating Awareness

Stop screaming at your visitors
Eliminate choices
Unclutter what remains

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The Rules of Web Interest

Understand who I am
Self-selection into roles

Understand what I am trying to do

Need-recognition into tasks

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Roles
Visitor classes who interact with the
mission critical parts of your site.

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Example Roles

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Tasks
Specific activities that a visitor in a
particular role wants to complete.

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Example Tasks
Prospective travelers
Book a flight

Booked travelers
Check in online
Check your flight status
View or change your flight

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The Rules of Web Desire

Make me feel appreciated
Make me feel safe
Understand that I am in control

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Typical Desire Activities

Do you have what I want?
Research
Compare
Get details
Customize

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Example - Helpful Research

Context sensitive search wizard
Text
Category
Brand
Size
Color
On Sale & New

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Example - Unhelpful Research

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The Rules of Web Action

Get out of my way
Make it easy
Dont surprise me

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Action Stage Considerations

Why should I get it from you?
Brand strength
Previous resource investment - satisfycing
The total solution
Risk reducers & credibility

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Example - Unhelpful Risk Reducers

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Example - Helpful Risk Reducers

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Example - Credibility & Validation

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Example - Credibility & Validation

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Example - Poor Transaction Design (1 of 2)

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Example - Poor Transaction Design (2 of 2)

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Alternative Transaction Design

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Example - Transaction Interruption

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Picking A Tuning Method

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How do you tune?

A-B Split testing

Multivariate testing

Non-parametric tuning

Key Considerations:

Size of Test (total number of unique recipes)

Need to consider variable interactions

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Example Size of Test Calculation

Page Header
Navigation Bar
Headline
Call to Action
Photo
Sales Copy
Endorsements
Question Labels
Question Delimiter
Question Explanations
Button Text
Button Format

x3
x2
x5
x4
x4
x4
x2
x2
x3
x2
x3
x4

12 Variables , 38 different values

552,960 unique recipes

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Interaction Example
Ferraris are Really Fast

Positive interaction between headline and picture

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Interaction Example
Ferraris are Really Fast

Negative interaction between headline and picture

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Interaction Example
Volvos Are Really Safe

Positive interaction between headline and picture

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Interactions are Very Important

Best setting for variable depends on its context

Interactions are very common and strong in online

marketing

Ignoring interactions leads to sub-optimal results

A/B Split and Multivariate Testing assume that

interactions dont exist.

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A-B Split Testing

Test one variable at a time (with 2 or more values)

Send equal traffic to all versions
Very simple to implement & track
Typical Test Size:

1-10 recipes
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Multivariate Testing

A.K.A. Design of Experiments & Taguchi Method

Tests several variables at the same time

Ignores variable interactions
Tries to predict best setting for each variable
Typical Test Size:

10-100 recipes
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Non-parametric Tuning

Proprietary math for Internet marketing

Designed for large-scale tests
Takes variable interactions into account
Typical Test Size:

1,000,000+ recipes
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Case Studies

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Case Study - RealAge.com

Conversion action: Completion of free

RealAge Test registration

Tuning Method: SiteTuners TuningEngine

Test Size: 552,960 unique recipes

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Before

After
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Case Study - Results

40% lift in conversion rate

$3,285,000 annual profit improvement

This engagement dramatically improved

the economics of our business overnight."
- Charles Silver - CEO, RealAge.com
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Case Study - PowerOptions

Conversion action: Free 2-week trial sign-up

Tuning Method: A-B Split Testing

Test Size: 3 unique recipes

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Before

After

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PowerOptions - Results

75% increase in post-trial sales

$200,000 annual profit improvement

We never thought that our sales would

increase by 75% simply by changing our website ."
- Ernest Zerenner - President, Power Financial Group Inc.
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Case Study EngineReady

Industry: SEM Agencys Debt Negotiation client

Conversion Action: Online form or phone lead

Large-scale PPC campaign

Tuning Method: Sitetuners TuningEngineSM

Test Size: 192 unique recipes

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Before

After
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Results - EngineReady

51% increase in revenue per visitor

$48,000,000 annual revenue increase

Wow - by changing a single landing page our client was able to increase
revenue per visitor by 51%! SiteTuners has added millions of dollars to
their bottom line and allowed us to increase our PPC campaign size
significantly while maintaining the same cost per acquisition."

- Jamie Smith CEO, EngineReady

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Summary
Background
The Matrix
Picking a tuning method
Case studies

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Additional Resources

Conversion Tuning Overview Free Whitepaper

Free Landing Page Resources Directory LandingPageDirectory.com

LandingPageOptimizationBook.com

Landing Page Optimization

The Definitive Guide To
Testing and Tuning for Conversions

By Tim Ash

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Free Landing Page

Conversion Review*
*(must have 50+ conversions per day on your landing page / website)

Tim Ash
[email protected]
(619) 223-8020

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