Summary: This is part one of our four part guide to using Google’s website optimisation tool for better traffic and higher conversions.
In the first article of a series on the Google Website Optimizer Tool, the design and scope of the very necessary experiment and testing phase of using this tool is outlined with a straightforward strategy.
The test results are intended to conceptualise the most optimised page for a website that will yield the highest traffic and conversion rate by taking one page and testing multiple versions of that same page with slight variations.
The testing phase consists of a number of crucial decisions that will impact the final outcome of this experiment. Follow this recipe and you can’t go wrong with determining the most appropriate optimisation strategy:
Step 1: Select the Test Page
Think about a web page that you would like to use as an experiment for making changes with Website Optimizer.
- It has to be a web page that has some call to action associated with it, such as buying something, downloading information, or signing up for a newsletter.
- This page would then have an internal link where a site visitor can continue that action by being moved to another page on the same site where it is hoped that they complete the action.
- Even better is to have this type of call to action on a high traffic page so that the test can deliver fast and helpful results.
- Another alternative is to test a page that you drive traffic toward through strategies like AdWords.
- Also considering testing a page that currently has a low converting rate so that you can work on improving results.
Step 2: Pick the Conversion Page
The conversion page is, in essence, the representation of all your optimisation results because it’s where the purchase happens or where the visitor receives information from you.
- If you selected a test page that already includes an internal link, then picking the conversion page is a no-brainer as it is the page where the visitors goes to once they select the link.
- If you selected a test page that has more than one internal link, then narrow the experiment down to the one that tends to be more traffic-friendly.
Step 3: Determine the Most Appropriate Test
Google Website Optimiser has two types of tests to consider:
- A/B: The advantages of A/B tests are that you can compare page performance on two different pages to better understand the impact of layouts and design. Other benefits are that this test is easy and takes less time to reach results.
- Multivariate: The advantages of multivariate tests is their robustness and flexibility in terms of being able to conduct simultaneous tests on the content variations, such as headlines, images, or product descriptions, of different sections of site pages.
Step 4: Choose Content for Testing
The content you select is based on the type of test that you decide to use for this experiment:
- A/B test: Simply pick a specific page rather than content. The image below shows this test.
- Multivariate test: Be sure to select several types of content to compare, such as headlines, images, etc. The image below also illustrates this type of test:
Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielwaisberg/3979873841/ – Daniel Waisberg, 2009
Step 5: Develop Content or Page Variations to Test
Once again, this step involves two pathways, depending on the type of experiment that you are doing:
- Multivariate testing and content variations: After selecting the content to be tested, it is then time to develop at least one significantly different variation for each type of content in which visitors will see the original content or the variation of this original content, which should be more unique or interesting than anything used previously that had been somewhat bland. This will help you hone in on what type of content creates various reactions and then delivers the most attractive type of action, which would involve convincing the visitor to take the next step and visit the conversion page.
- A/B testing and page variations: After choosing your test page and this testing method, it’s then time to develop the alternative versions of that test page by changing the graphics, layout design, and text. Like the other variation testing on content, visitors will either see the original test page or one of the variation test pages (and it is recommended that you do at least two or three different ones to better gauge the response). From there, Google’s Website Optimizer can gauge the results of each of these page variations to see what influences visitors to click through to the conversion page.
Step 6: Assess Traffic Numbers for Experiment
It’s important to know what level of traffic you want to participate in the experiment in terms of the number that see the original content or pages and the quantity that view the variations of either the content or the pages.
A good measuring stick is the amount of time you are willing to put into the experiment. The more traffic you allow to participate in the test, the longer it’s going to take to get the results. However, if the test page you opted for tends to get small amounts of traffic, then it is worth opening up the test to all our visitors in order to get some meaningful results from all the effort you put into the development of the variations for testing.
Step 7: Begin the Testing Process with Google’s Website Optimiser
Now that you have picked your test page and developed the variables as well as picked the traffic level for testing, it’s time to begin the testing process. The next article will tell you how to start your experiment with Google’s Website Optimiser.
Other sections:
- Intro: Using Web Optimiser to increase traffic and optimise content
- Part 3: Undertaking a Multivariate Experiment with Google’s Website Optimiser
- Part 4: Completing a Google Website Optimiser Experiment and Understand the Results
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