Competitive Intelligence - landing page teardowns and site optimization

@ChristiJOlson #SMX #13B

Christi Olson

Director of SEM


Move one step beyond the SERP…TEST TO IMPROVE CONVERSION RATE

Track competitive shifts in Ad Copy and Landing Pages


Testing is the new norm


Time for a story…


Things can get complicated quickly


Focus on the CONSUMER

and build a landing page or user experience to target their needs

Understand your competitive set (and their strategy)


4 Tips for landing page Teardowns and competitive intelligence

1. Select a few relevant competitors

2. Understand YOUR & their value proposition

3. Decide What elements and at stage of the funnel TO TEST

4. Develop user focused Scenarios

Go forth and document / test!


Small gains in cvr COMPOUND AND ADD UP OVER TEST CYCLES

+55% (140bps) increase in CVR

+22%

+5%

# of Tests or Test Cycles

Co

nve

rsio

n R

ate

(CV

R)


What this looks like in #’s

Clicks CTR CPC Ad Spend CVR TXNS Revenue Rev/TXN ROAS

1,000 2.5% $0.50 500$ 2.50% 25 500$ 20.00$ 100%

1,000 2.5% $0.50 500$ 2.63% 26 520$ 20.00$ 104%

1,000 2.5% $0.50 500$ 2.76% 28 560$ 20.00$ 112%

1,000 2.5% $0.50 500$ 2.89% 29 580$ 20.00$ 116%

1,000 2.5% $0.50 500$ 3.04% 30 600$ 20.00$ 120%

1,000 2.5% $0.50 500$ 3.19% 32 640$ 20.00$ 128%

1,000 2.5% $0.50 500$ 3.35% 34 680$ 20.00$ 136%

1,000 2.5% $0.50 500$ 3.52% 35 700$ 20.00$ 140%

1,000 2.5% $0.50 500$ 3.69% 37 740$ 20.00$ 148%

1,000 2.5% $0.50 500$ 3.88% 39 780$ 20.00$ 156%

Clicks CTR CPC Ad Spend CVR TXNS Revenue Rev/TXN ROAS

1,000 2.5% $0.50 500$ 2.50% 25 500$ 20.00$ 100%

1,000 2.5% $0.50 500$ 2.56% 26 520$ 20.00$ 104%

1,000 2.5% $0.50 500$ 2.63% 26 520$ 20.00$ 104%

1,000 2.5% $0.50 500$ 2.69% 27 540$ 20.00$ 108%

1,000 2.5% $0.50 500$ 2.76% 28 560$ 20.00$ 112%

1,000 2.5% $0.50 500$ 2.83% 28 560$ 20.00$ 112%

1,000 2.5% $0.50 500$ 2.90% 29 580$ 20.00$ 116%

1,000 2.5% $0.50 500$ 2.97% 30 600$ 20.00$ 120%

1,000 2.5% $0.50 500$ 3.05% 30 600$ 20.00$ 120%

1,000 2.5% $0.50 500$ 3.12% 31 620$ 20.00$ 124%

2.5

% G

row

th5

% G

row

th

Iter

ativ

e Te

stin

g G

row

th


If you don’t know where you are going any road will get you there


Templates for Landing Page Tear Down

Competitor:

Observation:

Status:

(Date Observed)

(Active/inactive)

(Winner/Loser)

THEME

Screen shots

Control:

Test:

Screen shots


Templates for Landing Page Tear Down

observation:

hypothesis:

THEMETest:

Screen shots

Hand drawn picture

Wire FRAME


Theme: Streamlined quote process

Competitor:

Observation:

Status:

PODs

PODs are testing a streamlined single page “Get A Quote” form.

Observed on 9/25, Active

Variant:

Control:

CHECK AVAILABILITY


Theme: Streamlined quote process

Observation:

Hypothesis:

As a consumer I want to be able to get an accurate quote quickly. I do not want to go through multiple screens of data entry to get a quote.

Current Process:

By moving from a multiple step quote process to a single step process we should decrease funnel drop off by x%. This would net Y incremental leads per month.

Test Example:


4 Tips for landing page Teardowns and competitive intelligence

1. Select a few relevant competitors

2. Understand YOUR & their value proposition

3. Decide What elements and at stage of the funnel TO TEST

4. Develop user focused Scenarios

Go forth and document / test!


tIP 1: Size your “Universe”

Start with researching a few core competitors

and expand as bandwidth allows


Use Auction insights

Compare who you think your competitors are to

who you are competing with in the auction

Account Level = All

Selected = Campaigns highlighted


Tip 2: Know your Value Proposition

A B C D

Value Prop Trusted40K Users Daily

Global1B Global Users

Easiest/Fastest Most Secure

Trial Period 14 Day 14 Day 5 docs free 30 Day

Price $10/month $14.95/month $14/month $15/month

Landing Page Sign-Up Form Sign-Up Form Sign-Up Form Home Page

La

nd

ing

Pag

e


Test variations of design


tip 3: Decide where to Optimize

Location within the Purchase funnel or elements on page?

awareness

consideration

evaluation

Purchase

Repeat!

Homepage

Category Page

Search Results Page

Product Page

Check out


Conversion Rate optimization (CRO)

Caveat: This varies by industry

+5% cv

r

Home Page

Cat page

Search Results

Product page

Check out

For one client, we saw a 5% lift in cvr BY DIRECTING TRAFFIC TO A SEARCH RESULTS PAGE WITH THE SEARCHED PRODUCT CALLED OUT AT THE TOP OF THE serp


Which on-page elements to focus on

Header & navigation

ROTATING CAROSOL

Content

OFFERS & TARGETED ADS

Footer & navigation

Product placement


Start simple - Work your way to complex tests

Sole society

ZAPPOS

Observation:

Hypothesis:

As a price sensitive consumer I want to be able to see the discount clearly called out on the website.

By calling out the before and after sale price with the discount percentage we should see a x% increase in conversion.


Don’t get lost in the level of sophistication of tests

Basic Sophisticated


Multi-channel & device optimization

One or Many Marketing Channels

On

e o

r M

any

Dev

ices

Start by monitoring one channel and one device


Don’t become a INSIGHTS island

Encourage others to tear down competitive sites


Teardown competition

• Engage members outside of your org• Engineering

• Product

• Marketing

• Finance

• Bring 3-4 examples of competitor lps

• Develop themes

• Have A team competition


Observe

Test

Learn

Make ‘Test & learn’ part of your dna


THANK YOU!

Questions?

CONTACT ME: [email protected]

@CHRISTIJOLSON