Website Optimization Without a Committee: Using Testing to Make Decisions

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WEBSITE OPTIMIZATION WITHOUT A COMMITTEE

Using Testing to Make Decisions

Monday, September 1311:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.


SPEAKERS

Blaine BehringerCo-founder / Managing PartnerEarthbound Media Group

Tammy VeachExecutive Director, Marketing & Public RelationsLoma Linda University Medical Center


AGENDA

• Common website enhancement challenges• Latest trends for online conversion optimization• Fundamentals of multivariate testing• Impact of testing at Loma Linda University Medical Center• Multivariate testing and you• Q + A


LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Understand the fundamentals of multivariate testing• Increase online conversions through informed website

enhancements• Empower your marketing team to test new offers and content

ideas


CHALLENGES FACING HEALTHCARE MARKETERS FOR WEBSITE ENHANCEMENT


CHALLENGES FACING HEALTHCARE MARKETERS

Decision By Committee or Opinion



Decision By Committee or Opinion• Multiple Web “Owners” = Frustration

– Delays to update due to approvals and opinions



Decision By Committee or Opinion• The Homepage Dilemma

– Built according to :• Organizational structure• Politics• Ego



Decision By Committee or Opinion• Competition Online – Rising Costs

– Cost increases and conversion decreases!



Decision By Committee or Opinion• Shifting Audiences

– Rising Gen Y audience (18-29) = highly internet savvy (19 hrs/wk)– Gen X audience (30-43) = very closely behind (17 hrs/wk)

Forrester - July 27, 2009 - Consumer Behavior Online: A 2009 Deep Dive - by Jacqueline Anderson



Question of the Day:How do I optimize my website for the USER

to achieve my business goals?

ALL USERS ARE DIFFERENT!!



Answer:Test…test…test…test…test!!

(and test again!)



Decision Using User Behavior (testing)

NOT EASY!!



Decision Using User Behavior• Demonstrating ROI• Prioritizing testing initiatives• Acting upon testing results• Modifying web pages for

testing• Understanding test results• Ownership of testing –

marketing or IT?


LATEST TRENDS FOR ONLINE CONVERSION OPTIMIZATION



• Why Do We Test?– ↑ Conversion– ↑ Customer satisfaction

• Where Do We Test?– High impact areas

• Lead generation pages• Homepages• Landing pages• MUST have traffic to test!!

• When Do We Test?– Often!! (6+ simple tests per month when possible)

• Who Tests?– Greater testing returns if tests are managed by testing professionals

Forrester - October 20, 2009: The Online Testing Vendor Landscape - A Mature Discipline Offers The Next Frontier In Site Optimization - by John Lovett



• What Do We Test?



• In House or Agency?



• What Technology is Needed?

– Testing Platform• Google Website Optimizer

– Free– Requires implementation

• Autonomy Optimost– Annual Fee– Managed implementation

• Others– Omniture Test and Target– Amadesa– Maxymiser


FUNDAMENTALS OF MULTIVARIATE TESTING



• A/B Testing

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• Multivariate Testing (MVT)


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Control Hypothesis: (256 permutations)• Copy: test various (1) value propositions• Copy Placement: test placement (1) of value proposition above and below image• Button: test button message (1) and color (1)

Goal:• Determine winning ad• Determine audience preference for value proposition, copy placement, and button message and color

Metric• Click through rate on button





Buy Now

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Control





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Control





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Control





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Order Now!!

Control



• What is Required for Testing?– Testing strategy

• Hypothesis• Goal of test• Success metric Calculate ROI!

– Tackle the basics before going algorithmic• Use A/B first to understand before MVT (↑ complexity = ↑ traffic)

– Choose test areas WISELY!!• Don’t rock the boat with homepage testing at first

– Test dramatically for best results• Big differences in test concepts reveal more about the consumer

– Make testing part of your culture• Requires humility and adhering to the results!


IMPACT OF TESTINGCASE STUDY


A B

ControlWinner

IMPACT OF TESTING – Case Study:


Calculating ROI– Winner = 2.5% increase in

conversion

– If the site averages 500 leads per month this equates to 12.5 additional leads per month!!

– If clinic makes $1M/YR from internet lead patients this equates to ~$167/lead

– Therefore this test winner yields an additional about $24K/year in patient revenue

A B

Control Conversion Rate – 2%

Winner Conversion Rate – 4.5%



IMPACT OF TESTING – Case Study: Control

Winner



Mailing List Form Test• Goal:

– Increase the conversion rate for the mailing list form

• Variables Tested:– Subscriptions: Add “Free” header – Personal Information: Add yellow

background, first preselected, reword “personal info” to “contact Info”

– Submit Button: Try different call-to-action “Sign Me Up Now!” and “Join Mailing List”

– Remove Footer: Remove the footer from form

• Winning Creative:– Lift: +21.14% – Confidence: 98%

Winner


Request Consultation Test• Overview:

– Timeframe: 12/29/08-04/19/10– Wave 4 – 811 visits / mo.

• Goal:– Increase the conversion rate for the Request

Consultation form

• Variables Tested:– Including intro text “Get Your Free Information in 2

Minutes” (B1) continued to increase Consultation Confirmation performance (99% confidence)

– Using new button design showed an improvement in conversion rate (78% confidence)

• Winning Creative:– Lift: +33.86% – Confidence: 98%– +756 Request Consultation conversions more / year

Leader – Creative 415




WINNER

Control

Winner

Physician Directory Test• Overview:

– Timeframe: 05/01/09-01/05/10– Winner Creative!

• Goal:– Increase engagement with the Physician

Directory

• Variables Tested:– Increasing the size of the text (B1) had a

positive impact on “Let us help..”– Providing an orange background color to

the main module also drove conversions

• Winning Creative:– Lift: +18.71% – Confidence: 71%


Control

Leading Creative to date


Let Us Help You Find a Dr. Test• Overview:

– Timeframe: 03/30/10-04/19/10– Status: Wave 3

• Goal:– Increase Let Us Help You Find a Dr. conversions

• Variables Tested:– Replacing the intro text with clearer directions

(B1) improved conversions– Adding dropdowns for date of birth delivered

20% lift– Insurance Type: Instead of check boxes, hide

options under a click showed a 31.46% lift

• Winning Creative:– Lift: +104.64% to date – Confidence: not significant



Applying the Findings• Testing refines and clarifies understanding of

target audience psyche and online behaviors, informing your:

– Online marketing copy and design decisions and strategic plans (keyword lists, etc.)

– Website optimization tactics and design decisions– List purchases and publishing channel decisions– Public relations and advancement outreach efforts


MVT & YOU!


MULTIVARIATE TESTING & YOU!

How Do You Introduce It?• As a piece of the online marketing optimization solution:

– Define testing goals and success metrics, toward developing and overall testing strategy– Employ stakeholder input and feedback throughout testing waves– Begin at the beginning with A / B testing before MVT– Select less visible areas of the site for testing first, ensuring they present a strong

opportunity to impact your bottom line– Seek to uncover big preferences first rather than testing granular details



What Can You Expect?

Challenges• Strain on your left brain• Prioritizing test initiatives and taking action on results• Lack of clarity about departmental ownership• Lack of clarity about accountability







Payoffs• More Conversions & ROI• Increased Customer Satisfaction• Enhanced Patient Experiences








How Can an Agency Support You?• Education and information



How Can an Agency Support You?• Maximize efforts



How Can an Agency Support You?• Test vendor selection support

– 9-10 leading vendors– Methodology:

• Full factorial• Partial factorial• Proprietary

– Service Offerings:• Self service• Managed service• Full service

– From $ to $$$$



How Can an Agency Support You?• Full integration with online marketing initiatives

– Search Engine Marketing (PPC, Display, etc.)– Email Marketing– Website Marketing– Direct Mail / Print– Broadcast– Out of Home– Etc. . .


Q & A

SLIDES AVAILABLE AT:

Blaine BehringerManaging [email protected]

PPT available at:http://www.slideshare.net/EarthboundMediaGroup

Live Webinar Recast: Wednesday September 29th, 2010 @ 10AMRegister at www.earthboundmediagroup.com

Tammy VeachExecutive Director, Marketing & Public [email protected]

http://www.slideshare.net/EarthboundMediaGroup

http://www.earthboundmediagroup.com/

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Website Optimization Without a Committee: Using Testing to Make Decisions