Together we will explore 5 new rules of landing page testing from the ever-popular Unbounce. Guess The Test stumped me this month when they asked what filter order won. You will enjoy the article from The Marketing Sherpa; three case studies are examined, including one from Coors Light and how they got 8 million impressions by partnering with a popular podcast. And last but not least, VWO talks about SEO testing.

You’re Doing Landing Page Testing Wrong: These Are The 5 Rules To Do It Right

https://unbounce.com/landing-pages/landing-page-testing/

Unbounce has prepared a great article all about landing pages and the power they can hold. This article talks about what happens when landing page testing goes wrong. Also, some of the agency powers to focus on, such as prioritizing a small group of low-effort tests.

However, the main focus of this article is the 5 new rules of landing page testing. We particularly liked rule 2- focus aggressively on how the offer is presented. This rule shares that more often, you won’t need to change your offer or goals; however, you need to find a way to create more motivation by creating compelling copy.

Unbounce

Below is a list of the 5 rules for you to explore:

1. Traffic conversion intent must follow call-to-action (CTA) intent.
2. Focus aggressively on the offer itself.
3. Use the Breadcrumb Technique on your forms.
4. Don’t stop at the “Thank You” page.
5. Go all-in on Smart Traffic.

Which Filter Order Won? “Best Result” Placed First or Last?

https://guessthetest.com/test/which-filter-order-won-best-result-placed-first-or-last/

We got this one wrong- how did you do? From the poll, many more of us got it wrong than right. This experiment from Guess the Test tested whether placing the “Best Results” option in the filter menu was best placed first or last.

It turns out that when it came to Dell, the popular computer company’s “deals” webpage, customers were more inclined to engage when viewing Price: Low to High first.

For this test, the filter menu categories were ordered as follows:

Guess The Test

With version B being the clear winner, it is safe to say- the results may not always be as they seem. Keep in mind that small changes can make a huge difference. Something as simple as testing the side filter could net you large returns.

This is a great article to remind us always to be testing, and nothing is too minor to test.

Customer Engagement: Marketing case studies from Coors Light, a professional soccer team & a private jet charter

https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/case-study/customer-engagement

As always, we can count on The Marketing Sherpa to present us with case studies that make us stop and take notice. This month is no different.

The first case study shares how a private jet charter company got 17% more interest after adding a catchy opening paragraph to its homepage. Case study #2 is about Valencia’s football club and how they gained 5808 new newsletter subscribers by gathering zero and first-party data collection. Moving forward, we will see a lot more companies move from third-party data (i.e., tracking cookies) to zero and first-party information. This information is intentionally provided by the customer, allowing for more genuine and honest relationships.

And the final case study is brought to you by Coors Light. We learned by partnering with a popular podcast and being a presenting sponsor of the Pardon My Take’s 5th annual Grit Week, Coors Light had some massive results.

“Authentic endorsement is the key to all podcast partnerships,” said Lisa Jacobs, VP of Media.

Below is an example of a CRO (conversion rate optimization) loop used in all tests Linear uses.

Marketing Sherpa

Here are the results of this campaign.

• 23 million minutes of Grit Week content were watched
• The brand received 8 million new impressions
• Over 166,000 engagements

As always The Marketing Sherpa has delivered some great stuff!

Why You Should Test Your SEO Ideas Before You Ship Them

https://vwo.com/blog/why-you-should-test-your-seo-ideas-before-you-ship-them/

According to VWO, your conversion rate optimization (CRO) strategy needs two areas to run well. Search engine optimization (SEO) and A/B testing.

SEO has evolved into its own world, and Google keeps changing its algorithm, making SEO something to be constantly tested. By routinely optimizing your landing pages to improve the user experience (UX), Google is signaled. Resulting in Google incentivizing you with a higher ranking.

VWO

One of the top factors for ranking is user intent. Although hard to predict your visitors’ behaviors, there is good news. It is possible to run A/B testing without impacting your SEO negatively. And on top of it, Google encourages you to A/B test your SEO changes.

Googlebot then crawls these changes to help Google learn the new information and better rank you.

Be sure to read through this entire article for information not to be missed.

In Summary

Did you know that 61% of companies test their landing pages up to five times per month! Where do you stand when it comes to testing?

We hope this month’s round-up offered you some insight into what steps you should take to move forward.

Let us close with a quote we love:

“I don’t care much for Best Practice — I care about conversions. That’s why I test”

 – Michael Aagaard

Are you interested in a free conversion optimization audit?

Submit your site and let us send you a list of custom optimizations just for you!

Claim your Free Audit Here.

The Website:

This website is an Amazon affiliate site in the home heating and cooling niche. 

What We Tested And Why:

For this test we added a product rating above the call-to-action buttons on the comparison tables of the review pages. By giving visitors that bit of extra information, we thought it would help people to make an informed decision on which product to purchase and encourage them to buy. 

We also added a sticky anchor button which appeared at the bottom of the page once you scrolled down further than the comparison table section. This button would return users back up to the section. By adding this, we thought it would allow users to quickly return and click through to buy the product, once they had read the full reviews further down the page and made a decision.

The Test Details:

The desktop version of the product rating is shown below:

The Test Results:

We saw an overall increase in clicks per visitor of 6.5%, a 67.7% increase in orders per visitor and a 43.1% increase in revenue per visitor. 

For all the data of the pages we tested combined, we reached a 99% confidence level. 

The heatmaps also confirm that the product rating helped in increasing engagement in the comparison table section. 

Why not claim our free CRO audit that can increase your conversions anywhere from 20-100+%? 

Answer a few questions and we’ll send over the personalized audit by email!

This month we are talking about customer perception, how to optimize your landing and checkout page, and what your potential customers are really looking for.

Did you know that most companies spend about $1 on conversion rate optimization for every $92 spent on customer acquisition! Yes, I’m shaking my head also- that’s crazy. However, the top converting companies spend over 5% of their budget on conversion rate optimization. Ask yourself where do you stand?

Today let’s look at a few great articles from those sites we have come to trust, beginning with Guess the Test asking us what’s more important, time or Money? The Marketing Sherpa shares 3 great case studies, one asking if a contact form on the homepage is beneficial or not. We look at 11 usability tools for landing page performance from Linear Design. And finally, we learn about optimizing your landing page checkout with 5 useful tips from Unbounce.

Time or Money? Which offer converts better?

https://guessthetest.com/test/time-or-money-which-offer-converts-better/

Guess the Test shares a great test with us. This one has a few flaws. We find the flawed studies just as good to evaluate as the well-done tests. When we review these, we can learn what not to do.

This test is brought to you by a phone company connecting families and friends to those in India. The test aimed around the call to action button with one reading the number of bonus minutes (241) over free credit ($3). Which one do you think faired best?

Guess The Test

Regardless of the outcome, this test was flawed. During the total time of this test, 19,000 PhoneIndia subscribers received emails. 50% of those emails were sent with 25% describing an extra 241 minutes, and the other 25% reading a free $3 credit. The remaining 50% were then sent to the winning call to action button. In turn, this left us without clear results. Traffic needs to be equally allocated and no changes should be made throughout the entire study.

This article also goes on to discuss the “Rule of 100”. In Johan Berger’s book Contagious, he goes into depth saying products should be priced to influence perception, so buyers feel they’re getting the best deal possible. Learn more about this rule and how to ensure you are running precise tests.

Pull The Customer Forward: 3 quick marketing case studies

https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/case-study/pull-customer

Ever wish you could tell a customer what to do and they’d actually listen? Yea, we make that same wish all the time. However, that’s not the case. We have to spark ideas and help guide them to where we want them. With a little practice, this process can be achieved.

Take the study done by Century Law Group an injury lawyer firm, they tested two landing page options, one with a number and form to fill out and one with just a number. This result surprised us. The landing page using the form as a clear call to action was the ultimate winner with conversions 53.2% better.

Marketing Sherpa

The reason behind this is those needing the services of a personal injury lawyer have enough on their minds. They need clear direction on where to go to get the help needed. If you’re in a similar industry where emotions run high, be sure to test your landing page using the form method.

Read this complete article for two other interesting case studies from the Marketing Sherpa.

11 Usability Testing Tools to Improve Landing Page Performance

https://lineardesign.com/blog/usability-testing-tools/

We love this quote from Dana Chisnell “Want your users to fall in love with your designs? Fall in love with your users.” This couldn’t be truer. The more you know about your customers and potential customers the more you can generate a page they will use. And in turn a product or service they will buy.

They say the most common user action on a website is to flee it. Liner Design looks at 11 usability testing tools to help improve your landing page. 

Before you dive into this article to find what usability testing tool will work best for you, there are a few things you need to know. Beginning with asking yourself what you want out of it?

The platform you use is dependent on the test you design. Here are a few things to determine.

1. Narrowing your research questions and your hypothesis
2. What type of data do you need to collect?

These answers will help you decide what usability testing method you should use.

Below is an example of a CRO (conversion rate optimization) loop used in all tests Linear uses.

Linear Design

Optimize Your Landing Page Checkout Process with These 5 Tips

https://unbounce.com/conversion-rate-optimization/checkout-process/

This article is all about A/B testing (aka: controlled experimentation). Andrew Hon from Medium shares with you a talk he gave to product managers from around the world. He explains the vital reasons why A/B testing is necessary for the growth of your company.

Three main points:

1. A/B testing is a simple idea that can be simple to apply
2. Useful for more than incremental optimization — A/B tests can yield deep insight
3. Fail Fast and Just Test It — A/B tests have the highest ROI of any data activity

Andrew worked for both Disney and Tinder building the A/B test to improve usability and overall growth of the companies. This article takes examples from both. Including, this test from tinder determining what iconography to use.

Unbounce

Make sure to include options to register using an existing Facebook or Google account. This easy sign-up option will add to the number of potential customers willing to sign-up.

This article is loaded with some great stuff you need to know today.

In Summary

We want to close with this great quote from Bryan Eisenberg.

“Trying to increase sales simply by driving more traffic to a website with a poor customer conversion rate is like trying to keep a leaky bucket full by adding more water instead of plugging the holes.”

You need to understand what your customers need, and you must deliver. Traffic doesn’t mean conversions. 

See you next month!

Are you interested in a free conversion optimization audit?

Submit your site and let us send you a list of custom optimizations just for you!

Claim your Free Audit Here.

Today we’re bringing you part 2 of our Affiliate Case Study. 

The Website:

This website is in the adult niche and reviews products that are sold on various eCommerce stores. 

Test Details & Background:

For this test we added an in-house designed exit popup and sticky footer which contained a call-to-action button to compel users to click through to see the top product. 

By clicking the button they would be redirected to view the product on the store product page. 

Below is the mockup of the exit popup on desktop:

Below is a mockup of the exit popup on mobile:

Below is a mockup of the sticky footer on desktop:

Below is a mockup of the sticky footer on mobile:

The Results:

The tests ran for 3 weeks, to reach a 99% confidence level.

7 out of the 10 pages we tested had an increase in clicks, with the overall increase for the 10 pages being 29.6%.

6 out of the 10 pages had an increase in orders, and increase in revenue. 

The overall increase in sales per visitor was over 10x the original and the increase in revenue per visitor was over 50x.

On mobile specifically, having long sales copy with infrequent call to actions can drastically hinder conversion, as in this example. By always having a call to action floating at the bottom of the mobile device screen, just above the user’s thumb, the user can quickly click it without having to navigate around your site to look for a call to action. 

Think about it like this, once they are reading through your sales copy and subconsciously say “Yes, this is for me”, you want to have that call to action right there for them to click when they are ready to buy.

Although very simple, conversion tactics like these are some of the best performing for many of our clients.

Are you ready to increase your conversion rate on your own website?

Why not claim our free CRO audit that can increase your conversions anywhere from 20-100+%? 

Answer a few questions and we’ll send over the personalized audit by email!

In this month’s Round-up we bring you valuable information regarding A/B testing and how, when, and where to use it.

Today you will learn from Guess the Test about using the top display banner or not. VWO looks at the widely successful Bear Mattress, and how they are improving revenue. Marketing Sherpa shares three-speed to value marketing case studies featuring A/B testing. And finally, Medium offers us a wealth of knowledge all about- you guessed it, A/B testing.

The articles we have set forth today will explain why A/B testing is so vital for the success of your business. As Chris Grosser says, “Opportunities don’t happen. You create them.”  So, sit back and get inspired.

With or Without the Top Product Display Banner

https://guessthetest.com/test/with-or-without-the-top-product-display-banner/

A/B testing is what Guess the Test is all about, and this month is no different. The company used for this month’s test was a guitar company named SweetWater. The KPI (Key Performance Indicator) was engagement measured by unique views of guitar product detail pages, Average Order Value (AOV), and purchases of guitars.

Version A used a top-placed display banner above the featured item, and version B did not. Which one do you think came out above? Yup, you are right – version A was the clear winner. The study ran for one month and saw over 2.2 million sessions. The traffic from these visits was split evenly 50/50.

Guess The Test

Compared to the version without the top banner, including it led to:

• 118% conversion lift in unique views of guitar product detail pages 
• 5.72% increase in Average Order Value (AOV)
• 6.64% rise in purchases containing a guitar

Time To Value: 3 Speed-To-Value Marketing Case Studies

https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/case-study/time-to-value

We love sharing the case studies from the Marketing Sherpa. Today is all about rapidly getting the attention of your potential customers and providing them the value they require before they help send your bounce rate soaring.

The first case study brings you to Talkspace, an online couple’s therapy that used an A/B test to determine if shortening an end-of-quiz animation would increase conversions. Well, it did, by a staggering 60%. By getting out of the customer’s way, Talkspace brought the information the customers needed faster, in turn generating more returns.

Marketing Sherpa

Version A tested an animation for signup at 8 seconds, version B shortened this process to 4 seconds. Results showed version B outscored version A by 60%. In addition to testing different video lengths, you should test different video locations and run testing on the checkout flow.

How Bear Mattress Leveraged Cross-Sell Opportunities with VWO and Increased Revenue By 16% – Success Story

https://vwo.com/success-stories/bear-mattress/

We love to share success stories with you, especially when we see huge numbers like these. Founded in 2014, this mattress company with a vision to change the way we sleep, aspired to some massive goals. And with continued testing and adjusting, they are getting there.

The goal of their latest test was to aim at increasing revenue by focusing on optimizing the cross-sell flow on the mattress product detail pages of the website.

They determined using VWO Insights that:

1. There wasn’t much visitor interaction within the frequently bought with mattress section. Which consists of the cross-sell product listings.
2. Overall clicks on cross-sell products were fewer compared to the other elements of the page.
3. Images weren’t showing with items present in the ‘frequently bought with mattress’ section of the page, which was impacting the engagement.
4. The copy was not customer-centric but product-centric. It did not pique interest or give enough reasons to customers to consider buying the product.

VWO

Overall, the variation outperformed the control with a 24.18% uplift in successful purchases and a 16.21% increase in revenue. Take a look and see how you can implement a test like this for your website.

A/B Testing for Product Managers

https://medium.com/@andrewhon_95925/a-b-testing-for-product-managers-267ef1853483

This article is all about A/B testing (aka: controlled experimentation). Andrew Hon from Medium shares with you a talk he gave to product managers from around the world. He explains the vital reasons why A/B testing is necessary for the growth of your company.

Three main points:

1. A/B testing is a simple idea that can be simple to apply
2. Useful for more than incremental optimization — A/B tests can yield deep insight
3. Fail Fast and Just Test It — A/B tests have the highest ROI of any data activity

Andrew worked for both Disney and Tinder building the A/B test to improve usability and overall growth of the companies. This article takes examples from both. Including, this test from tinder determining what iconography to use.

Medium

This article also discusses some critical testing from the widely successful SpaceX. Don’t miss this great article from Medium.

In Summary

As a takeaway- a collection of quotes from the ones who have gotten it right!

Jeff Bezos, Amazon: “Our success at Amazon is a function of how many experiments we do per year, per month, per week, per day.”

Google: “… Experimentation is practically a mantra; we evaluate almost every change that potentially affects what our users experience.”

Netflix: “… Every product change Netflix considers goes through a rigorous A/B testing process before becoming the default user experience.”

We hope this sparked some ideas for you. Remember, if we are not testing and improving, we are not growing. What areas of your site could use a re-vamp?

See you next month!

Are you interested in a free conversion optimization audit?

Submit your site and let us send you a list of custom optimizations just for you!

Claim your Free Audit Here.

Did you know that since the start of the pandemic, e-commerce businesses rose by a whopping 17.9%? 

How did you fare last year? 

As the new year falls upon us, it is time to take a serious look at our goals for the coming year. No, we are not saying to make a resolution list- we all know these don’t work. We are talking about asking yourself honestly, where do I want to be at the end of the year? What do I want my business to look like? And how do I get there?

By the time you get to the end of this article, we are confident you will have more concrete answers to these questions.

1. Understanding Your Audience

Understanding your audience can be the difference between someone who visits your site and a customer who helps yield results. That’s why you are here, right? 

As we move into 2022, more and more people want to be heard – gone are the days of a generic site geared to everyone. You need to stand out.

Let me explain. 

I know it may sound creepy but track your customer’s interests. Learn their behaviors, find out what social media platforms they use, what blogs they read, what grabs their attention? With this knowledge, you can run specifically targeted ads. Not only does this help minimize the amount you spend on ads but will almost guarantee you are maximizing the revenue from those ads. 

Another keyway to understand your clientele is to send out surveys. I know what you are thinking, who does those things anyway? Your current customers are likely willing to help. If they know it’s all to better serve them, they might jump at the chance to help. This, coupled with any online feedback you already get from existing customers is a great place to start. 

Pixabay

Remember, if you don’t ask, the answer will always be no. 

Let’s look at a few more tips to help you better understand your audience and gain more conversions.

Tips to help understand your audience

• Communicate with them – ask them what they want and listen.
• Use social media networks to learn what interests them.
• Show them who is working behind the screen – let them get to know you and your team.
• Be approachable.
• Use online tools such as Audience Analytics and chatbots.
• Learn your demographic.

2. Minimizing Website Load Times

You know it, I know it, we all know it – waiting for a website to load is a sure-fire way to get someone to exit your site and move on. We live in a world of instant gratification. Nobody wants to wait for a slow webpage. 

Crazy Egg

It doesn’t take much to get a user to abandon your site. If you have a delay of even 100 milliseconds, that could send your potential user to your competitor. On average this small delay could result in a 7% decrease in conversions. 

Did you know if a smartphone user must wait close to 3 seconds for a webpage to load, you have a 53% chance they leave your site? Those are huge numbers!  

Let’s break down what a 1-second delay in upload time can mean.

• 11% fewer page views
• 7% decrease in conversions
• 16% decrease in customer satisfaction
• 47% of potential customers believe a page should load in less than 2 seconds.
• 79% of customers said they would not return to a slow site – ever! 

If the potential customer won’t stay to see what you have to offer, everything else you have done or will do means nothing. 

Ways to improve website loading time.

• Reduce the file size of your images and videos. 
• Use JPG when possible. 
• Optimize your design for mobile users
• Reduce your redirects
• Cache your webpages

3. Optimize Your Design for Mobile Users

We mentioned this above as a way to improve the speed of your site, but this deserves a deeper dive. Historically, desktop users convert to more sales because desktop users are more often in the buying state of mind than mobile users. This, however, is starting to balance out a bit more.

Today, everyone has a smartphone. Anyone can access your website from anywhere in the world. Experts predict that as we move forward, mobile users will be just as important as desktop users if not more so. Similar to the home phone – desktops are now seen in fewer and fewer homes. Don’t miss out on the top trend of 2022.

Another key area to look at is Adobe Flash. Back in the day, it was all the rave. However, today it doesn’t serve much purpose but slows you down. Ditch the animation, ditch the overly busy. Try to stick to a simple, clean design your users will appreciate. Help them stay on track and not get distracted from the real reason they are on your page – to solve a problem. 

Top ways to optimize for mobile users:

• Test, test, and re-test
• Pick a responsive web design
• Speed is vital to your success
• Use AMP in your webpages
• Compress images

4. Building Trust Through Transparency

Conversions are largely influenced by trust. The best way to build trust is to be transparent. Consumers are demanding that we use transparency in design. Ask yourself – do I have a website I would trust?

Let’s dive into what that means and how to implement this in your website and overall business.

One of the key factors to build trust through transparency is to be as upfront as possible. Don’t try to fool people- now is the time for honesty. 

• Always invest in secure systems
• Informed data usage is vital
• Always be upfront about pricing – try to avoid any hidden costs

Your users should know what your app will have access to. (What information are you obtaining from them – be clear) If they understand that the collection of data is for a better user experience, they will be more inclined to offer it to you.

Once you build trust, it will help with conversions and retention. We need those customers to come back, and they will if they trust you. 

5. Using True Social Proofs

Using true social proofs is what will set you apart this year. More and more companies are moving towards this way of gaining trust with customers. True social proofs may be the most important trend of 2022.

We must move past the generic photo claiming this product is great. Everyone thinks their product is great. Your customers are smarter than you think. We as humans tend to trust what our peers say more than the head of a business. I bet you have some loyal customers who would be thrilled to be a part of your success. It doesn’t hurt to ask- right?

Did you know a study done by WordPress states 82% of potential customers are more likely to trust a company that uses real people in their marketing campaigns and ads? 

How to use social proofs in your business:

• Use real-life customers, their pictures, and their words.
• Ask them directly to share your company or product on their social media sites. (You can offer those who help a discount- however, most people want to help without the payback)
• Contact an internet influencer who knows or works with your target audience and ask for help – you may be surprised how easy this one is.

Here is a popular example.

Swedish watch company Daniel Wellington is known for using influencers on Instagram to promote their watches. Year after year they see their conversions grow.

Coredna

6. User Experience (UX)

This should go without saying, but, if a user isn’t having a good experience, they are quick to exit your site and move on. If that potential customer doesn’t stick around, it’s hard to convert them into a sale. That is why in 2022 it’s imperative to put the user experience first and foremost. Even Google says having a great UX score will lead to a better ranking, and in turn, lead to more conversions. 

You need your customers to find your content useful, your product valuable, and your site credible. Your website should be easy to navigate and the information easily accessible. If you can tick all these boxes, you will be one step closer to a conversion

iservice

Keeping with the customer’s experience and needs being at the forefront of everything you do, ask yourself what is it that gets you to vacate a site? One of the top reasons people leave a site is too many pop-ups, and videos that play on repeat. Ditch these as soon as you can.

Keyways to improve the User Experience (UX)

• Make your content interesting. Find a link between the company and the customer. Using a brand story will help achieve this.
• Don’t be annoying. Skip the extra fluff – you don’t need it. 
• Be direct and keep it clean and transparent – don’t try to hide anything. Be as honest as you can. It will yield results.
• Speed is huge – nobody has time for your webpage to load.
• Make it easy to ask for assistance – use the chatbot. This is another trend most sites are now using in 2022

7. Simplify Your Checkout Page

Congratulations, you got your customer to the checkout page, you have almost hit the goal line. However, 60%-80% of potential customers leave your site at this point, never to return. It’s a sad fact, but true. 

Do you know what your abandonment rate is?  

One of the leading causes of high abandonment rates is a busy and difficult checkout page. On average, a potential customer stays on your page for 15 seconds. That is not a lot of time. In those 15 seconds, you must make sure your point gets across, that trust is built, and you are providing the product or service you promised. 

The online user is impatient and nervous to give out too much information. That is why we suggest ditching the mandatory account setup and instead opt for a guest option as well.

Pixabay

Keys ways to simplify your landing page:

• Make it easy. Easy to get to payment, easy to add or remove items from the cart, easy to ask questions. 
• Keep it simple – your checkout page should only contain four items – 1. Checkout 2. Delivery Details 3. Payment Details 4. Confirmation
• Include a visual indicator of the checkout process. When the customer knows what to expect, they are more inclined to continue the process until the end of the indicator. As a new company, we suggest keeping your checkout process to a maximum of 4 steps – more than that, and you could lose so close to the finish line. 

Above all else test, test, and test again. Make sure to perform an A/B test for the different layouts and designs. Knowing your audience will help with this checkout process.

In Summary

We are all here for conversions, right? Using these 7 top trends of 2022 is sure to put you ahead of your competition. The main takeaway from this article is how our customers feel about using our site – everything goes back to the User Experience. 

As you implement some of these trends into your website, we encourage you to keep testing, trying new things, and continuously be learning. 

By optimizing for customer success, you’re more than likely optimizing for growth.

– Alex Turnbull

Are you interested in a free conversion optimization audit?

Submit your site and let us send you a list of custom optimizations just for you!

Claim your Free Audit Here.

https://convertica.org/statistical-significance-calculator/Gone are the days of the generic site- you need to stand out. Before we begin, ask yourself, what makes my website stand out from my competitors? If you don’t have a clear answer to this question, maybe, it’s time to take action.

Our goal is to help you generate more revenue, gain more conversions, and stand out from the pack. We do this using tried and tested conversion techniques. 

This month is no different. Today, you will learn from Crazy Egg about 15 high-converting lead magnet examples and design ideas. The ever-popular Guess the Test asks us what homepage design decreases bounce rates. Unbounce helps us learn from our mistakes from 2021 and use them to improve in 2022, and finally, Marketing Examined shares with us 9 copywriting tips to improve your conversions.

Let’s dive in.

15 High-Converting Lead Magnet Examples and Design Ideas

https://www.crazyegg.com/blog/lead-magnet/

Before we continue, let’s answer what a lead magnet is and why you need to use them. A lead magnet is a marketing term for a free item or service that you give away to gather your contacts information.

When you produce a high-converting lead magnet, it’s extremely hard for your target audience to say no. The more you test and hone in on what works, the more you will generate highly qualified leads. That’s the goal, right?

Here are a few of the top converting lead magnets for you to try.

• The E-book. This lead magnet is one of the more successful lead magnets you can use.
• Mini-Courses. This online education industry is a $275 billion industry- not to be missed. Even weekly emails with a video link will get you the conversions you need.
• Checklists. These simple lists are a tried and tested way to produce a high converting lead magnet.
• In 2022 Podcasts are HUGE! Podcast listeners have grown by 29.5% in 3 years.
• Calculators. Calculators require a bit of coding, but the benefits are massive. VWO created a simple calculator that allows visitors to determine whether their A/B tests have achieved statistical significance.

Here’s an example:

Crazy Egg

These are just a few of the fantastic ideas coming from Crazy Egg this month – don’t miss out on this great article.

The Biggest Marketing Lessons of 2021 (And How to Use Em’ in 2022)

https://unbounce.com/marketing-ai/biggest-marketing-lessons-2021-to-use-in-2022/

Unbounce has done it again, offering us gold in an article. This not-to-be-missed article offers you insight into where you might have gone wrong in 2021 and help you use that to push ahead in 2022.

According to Twilio, COVID-19 accelerated companies’ digital communications strategies by six years. This means heaps of new competition and in turn, means the need to stand out is at an all-time high. 

So, what is one of the biggest mistakes of 2021 that you might be guilty of? Not using AI. According to researchers, the use of AI soared between 2018 and 2020, jumping from 29% to a staggering 84%. If you’re not using it, your competitors are. 

Pixabay

Netflix’s use of AI is a great example to mention. In 2017 Netflix saved $1 billion in revenue to their competitors by using AI to personalize recommendations for its users. Helping them remain leaders in this industry year after year. 

This article list 6 other lessons for us to learn from. Always a great read from Unbounce.

What Homepage Re-Design Decreases Bounce Rate?

https://guessthetest.com/test/which-homepage-redesign-decreased-bounce-rates/

Bounce Rate is defined as the percentage of visitors who view your site and then leave rather than continuing to other pages within the same site.

Guess the Test asks us what re-design decreases bounce rates? 

• Version A – Homepage design with a series of product categories
• Version B – Homepage design with a dropdown menu selector 

What option do you think decreases the bounce rate by 7%? Yup, you are right- version B has users more inclined to use the dropdown menu selector and continue onto the next page. 

Guess The Test

In an attempt to create a clear and prominent Call To Action (CTA), the re-designed version stripped away all potentially distracting elements and displayed only the dropdown menu selector.

Just another example of why it’s imperative to always be testing. 

9 Copywriting Tips to Improve Your Conversion Rate

https://www.marketingexamined.com/blog/copywriting-tips-to-improve-conversion-rate

The Marketing Examined explores 9 great tips to improve your conversions. Taken from the head honcho Amazon, these tips will help you stand out, and remember that is what 2022 is all about- standing out above the rest. 

Here are a few of the great tips brought to you by Marketing Examined.

• Eliminate weasel words -such as half, most, a small percentage. Instead, use statistics. 
• Avoid adverbs in your writing – they are for lazy writers. You are showcasing your product- be BOLD, be CONFIDENT.
• Be objective. Subjective writing lacks in facts and data. Want to stand out? Write knowledgeable sentences.

Marking Examined

Overall keep it simple and precise. In today’s busy world, we don’t have time for fluff. 

In Summary

Standing out from your competitors is what 2022 is all about. What steps are you going to take this month to improve conversions? Let us know- we would love to hear from you.

Those who are not growing will get left in the dust- don’t let that be you.

Until next month.

Are you interested in a free conversion optimization audit?

Submit your site and let us send you a list of custom optimizations just for you!

Claim your Free Audit Here.

We are sharing an article from the Marketing Sherpa, who offer us a look into three great case studies making positive change in your customer’s lives. Widerfunnel discusses the debate of the ROI of experimentation and conversion rate optimization (CRO). Then we will look at some of the best practices for your homepage. Next, let’s dive into what the heck “gamification” really is. And finally, want to get a better pay-per-click rate (PPC)? unBounce shares how to optimize your landing page.

Let’s not waste any time, let us break it down for you.

Make a Positive Change in Your Customers Lives – Best Marketing Practices

https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/case-study/positive-change-marketing-case-studies

The Marketing Sherpa takes us along for three in-depth case studies from businesses that are making waves. From a cupcake maker who increased triggered email revenue by a whopping 70%! Too many businesses take your money and then forget about you. This case study highlights how a few steps in the customer’s direction can heed a lot more repeat sales for your future. This article also showcases a bridal shop with 30% more sales after getting a better view of their target customers. And the final case study shares how an online photo ID service got over a thousand people to try their service, almost overnight.

Over the years, we have come to trust The Marketing Sherpa and their ability to put together some great case studies that make us open our eyes and want to do better.

MarketingSherpa (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/)

The ROI of Experimentation and Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

https://www.widerfunnel.com/blog/the-roi-of-experimentation-and-conversion-rate-optimization-cro/

This may very well be the debate of our time. Is testing effective? Widerfunnel dives deep into this age-old debate. Companies like Microsoft and Spotify, to name a few, strongly believe that testing is an effective way to innovate and develop a product your customers want. Some say if you are not innovating and growing, you are already a fish dead in the water. This article will discuss common objections with real-world applications and provide you with some great formulas to see just where you stand.

They teach you how to calculate the ROI of your CRO program. Learn about Velocity, Quality, Impact, and Cost. Widerfunnel takes you along for a very informative ride. Hop on.

Widerfunnel (https://www.widerfunnel.com/)

eCommerce Homepage Best Practices- 7 Tips to Boost User Experience

https://vwo.com/blog/7-ecommerce-homepage-best-practices/

You don’t want to get left behind, do you? Your user experience (UX) determines how people feel when they visit your website, engage with your brand and customer support.  UX is one of the most critical aspects of your eCommerce business. As the owner, it’s your job to make sure this experience is the best it can be. This article from VWO teaches us some of the best homepage practices to set you above the rest.  Let’s highlight a couple of these top tips, starting with one of the best.

It’s no surprise having a great mobile application is key. Although not always possible, it’s highly recommended to design your website for mobile-first. This article goes into depth why this is so vital. VWO says there are 7.1 billion mobile users worldwide, users who shop, pay bills, and do pretty much everything on their mobile devices. It’s projected this number will rise significantly in the future. So, where do you stand when it comes to your mobile platform?

VWO (https://www.vwo.com)

Some of the other tips to look forward to include optimizing load speed, maximizing space above the fold and streamlining your checkout process, to name a few. You are not going to want to miss this insightful article from VWO.

Using Gamification for MORE Customer Engagement

https://optinmonster.com/gamification-customer-engagement/

If Optinmonster told you there was a strategy that would immediately hook your site visitors and increase the odds they’d subscribe to your site, would you want to know how? That’s what we thought you would say.

Take a deep dive into what gamification is and just how vital it is to the success of your business. Want to improve your user experience (UX)? Gamification is not only a way to make more conversions and gain more sales, but it also makes your eCommerce business fun, a place people want to spend some time.

This article will also dive deep into three expert tips on how to use gamification such as:

1. Add a Spin-to-Win Wheel
2. Run an Online Contest
3. Build a Customer Loyalty App

Optinmonster (https://optinmonster.com/)

How to Optimize Your Landing Page for Better PPC

https://unbounce.com/ppc/optimize-your-landing-page-for-ppc/

One of the most competitive games out there right now is the Pay-Per-Click (PPC) game. As most of us know, PPC is a digital advertising method where you pay for visits to your site through ads, as opposed to earning them organically.

This article from Unbounce has a goldmine of useful information to help maximize your (ROAS) Return on Ad Spend and help create a strategy that will work best for you and your eCommerce business. Breaking down 4 of the top questions asked by their readers, such as: How do paid ads work, anyway? And why your PPC Ad needs a dedicated landing page. They also share with us a step-by-step guide to optimizing your post-click strategy. This is one of those great articles not to miss.

Summary

As you see, this month’s lineup is not to be missed. From learning about gamification, to getting a lesson in best practices for your homepage, this month’s round-up has it all. What steps can you take this month to improve your business?

Success is often a result of many small steps in the right direction.

Until next month.

And as always, we are here to look at your website, to see where you could optimize for increased conversions.

Claim our Free Audit Here.

We will share some tips for writing a good product description to get consumers to notice you. What mistakes are you still making on your landing page? We have that list for you. Next, we want you to check out the ultimate handbook on writing the perfect call-to-action from VWO; let’s start maximizing your website conversions. Furthermore, Guess the Test shares with us their experiment if you should use a padlock or not. And finally, Widerfunnel gives you six factors to increase your conversion rate. Yes, we agree this is quite the lineup. Let’s get those conversion rates up! That’s the goal, right?

Tips for Writing a Good Product Description for eCommerce Websites

https://www.invespcro.com/blog/good-product-description-for-ecommerce-websites/

Invesp has compiled tips for writing a good product description for your eCommerce websites. Knowing the amount of effort and time you put into your business, it must be frustrating when you do not see that effort translated into the conversions you want. There could be many reasons, but the one Invesp has noticed recently is your description to the consumers. Does the description you currently have entice them?

This article will also ask you some good questions to consider. Does your description include these essential details such as:

• Price,
• Shipping costs,
• Product availability,
• Product specifications (e.g., color, size)
• Product features etc.

This article will also help you determine the right keywords to use by asking about keyword difficulty, search volume, and related terms. Knowing your audience is key to determining how to describe your eCommerce website in a description that grabs hold of your consumers.

According to Julia McCoy:

“The whole point of search is to help users find exactly what they’re looking for. If your product descriptions align with this goal, you’re going to please Google and rank well. “

This article is filled with useful tips such as enticing with storytelling, using both features and benefits and writing a scannable copy. These are just some of the tips to start implementing today. This article is not to miss.

Invespcro (https://www.invespcro.com/)

The Top Landing Page Mistakes You’re Still Making in 2021 (and How to Fix ‘Em)

https://unbounce.com/landing-pages/top-landing-page-mistakes-2021/

Do you feel you’re listening to all the advice, making necessary changes, and following what the pros are doing, yet still don’t have the conversions you want?  It could be possible you are making some critical mistakes. The latest article from Unbounce is here to lay out some of the top mistakes eCommerce websites are making and how to find the right balance for you and your company.

We won’t dive into them all here, but some of these critical mistakes include driving all your traffic to one generic landing page. Does this sound like you? Ever heard the saying, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket?” This is what you are doing when you only have one generic landing page. Not everyone is the same; you need to tailor different landing pages to appeal to different users. According to HubSpot research, companies with 31-40 landing pages get seven times as many leads as companies with only 1-5 different pages. We know that seems like a lot but remember, small steps in the right direction will eventually get you there.

Another huge mistake eCommerce businesses make is to try to close on cold audiences. You need to pre-heat the oven before you can stick the turkey in. One huge mistake Unbounce found was too many landing pages are designed as tools for closing the deal. The goal of your landing page when reaching out to new consumers should be to familiarize them with your brand. Don’t be the company that scares them away before they even get a chance to know you.

Here is an example from Industrial Strength Marketing. They offer you a chance to get to know them by offering you free knowledge in the form of an ebook. This is a great way to get your foot in the door and not have your new visitor run for the hills.

Unbounce (https://unbounce.com/)

The Ultimate Handbook on Writing the Perfect Call-To-Action

https://vwo.com/blog/the-ultimate-handbook-on-writing-the-perfect-call-to-action/

Too many marketing teams neglect the CTA’s (call-to-action) across their platforms. VWO shares that more than 70% of small business websites lack a CTA on their homepage, and of those companies that do, many don’t know how to formulate them properly. That’s what this handbook is all about—teaching you how to utilize CTAs to promote more conversions. That’s what it’s all about, right?

This article explains the different types of CTA’s and where to use them, as well as teaches you six ways to write a persuasive CTA. (For an in-depth explanation, see VWO’s article in full)

1. Using action words in the copy is a must
2. Stir up those emotions
3. Creativity is key
4. Take your audience to the land of promises
5. Play with colours and choose the best size
6. Appeal to their FOMO

Did you know colour is one of the biggest overlooked factors when designing your CTA’s? According to a study by Emma, 85% of people purchase a specific product or service based on colour.

VWO (https://www.vwo.com/)

Is it not time to stand out from the crowd and get more conversions?

Guess the Test – With or without the padlock icon?

https://guessthetest.com/test/with-or-without-the-padlock-icon/?referrer=A

Once again, Guess the Test is providing us with the results from their in-depth testing. This time, should you include the padlock icon or not?  Now, we don’t want to give away the results, but let’s just say your guess on the experiment’s outcome is probably right.

The padlock icon is an easily understood, relatable image we have come to trust. It’s confidence-boosting; it gives us a sense of security knowing we are in good hands. Giving your consumers reassurance is one of the easiest ways to make conversions.

GuessTheTest (https://guessthetest.com)

Take a look and see the results from another in-depth test from Guess the Test to see just why this icon is so important.

Use These Six Factors to Increase Your Conversion Rate – The LIFT™ Model

https://www.widerfunnel.com/blog/the-six-landing-page-conversion-rate-factors/

Using LIFT™, a Landing Page Influence Function for Tests is an optimization framework developed for WiderFunnel to analyze conversion pages and develop test hypotheses; you will be able to increase your conversion rate by simply following this article.

Widerfunnel (https://www.widerfunnel.com/)

These are the six factors to use to increase your conversions rates.

1. Value Proposition
2. Relevance
3. Clarity
4. Anxiety
5. Distraction
6. Urgency

Widerfunnel recently began working with Rudder.com, a free personal financial management service, and used the LIFT™ method to evaluate their homepage. This article goes into detail about the 18 factors identified as priorities for testing. Does your landing page have some of these same errors? If so, they explain how to fix them easily so you can start having a better conversion rate today.

This new LIFT™ model is proven to deliver results to everyone, don’t miss out.

This month we sure have given you lots to look over and consider. What small or large steps are you taking this month to get more conversions?

This Round-Up will explore how to calculate conversion rates and their application across different channels and customer journeys. You’ll also learn how to attract customers and keep them coming back. Next, we will explore what critical mistakes to avoid when doing your A/B testing. Then we bring you along for an experiment on what works better, the link or the button? And finally, we dive into conversion intelligence and let you in on some important insights.

Conversion Rate Formulas to Accurately Calculate Growth

https://cxl.com/blog/conversion-rate-formula/

Take a deep dive into how to calculate your growth. What’s working for you, and what needs to be revamped and revisited. 

Conversion rate formula is key to understanding your marketing insights. It’s the best method to find out what your next steps should be.

The method for calculating conversion rates varies depending on a lot of criteria. CXL details a few of the best formulas to use to see where you stand. However, using the basics, you can calculate the conversion rate with the following formula:

Number of Conversions / Number of Visitors * 100 = Conversion Rate

In addition, you need to keep in mind the item you are selling. A 5% conversion rate on large ticket items is comparable to a %15 conversion rate on smaller ticketed items. Remember, context matters here.

You are also going to learn how to calculate and collect accurate data:

• How many clicks are we generating?
• What’s the click-through rate?
• What’s our CPC?
• What’s our CPA?

If you are looking at how to leverage and calculate your conversion rates to drive your optimization efforts, this is the article you need to read.

CXL (https://cxl.com/blog/conversion-rate-formula/)

Attracting the Customer’s Attention

 https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/case-study/brand-refresh-AB-tests-PPC-landing-pages-XR-immersive-experience

When the Marketing Sherpa puts together case studies, you pay attention. They know what they are talking about. If you cannot grab the customers’ attention, how amazing your product is doesn’t matter.

Find out what it takes to attract the ever-fleeting attention of your new and old customers. Remember, as we move forward, the most important element of an effective advertisement is its ability to capture attention.

Here three case studies are offered that will certainly help you generate more attention, which in turn generates more money in your pocket.

•   Bumble Bee Seafoods attains its first profitable year in five years by rebranding.
•   Roommate finder app increases conversion by 10% in the A/B test by adding value proposition information.
•   Tennessee Titans reach 2.2 million people on Twitter using an XR immersive experience.

In addition, the Marketing Sherpa explains this fundamental ability in a fun, attention-grabbing way.

MarketingSherpa (https://www.marketingsherpa.com)

The Pitfalls of DIY A/B Testing

https://www.widerfunnel.com/blog/the-pitfalls-of-diy-a-b-testing/

WiderFunnel takes you in on an in-depth ride into the best practices when doing A/B testing. A/B testing results have helped inform many crucial business decisions. However, A/B tests are only as helpful as the accurate information and skill of the tester. Due to this, A/B testing can be frustrating and sometimes can even produce unreliable results.

Reading through this article will help break down what you must avoid. What you need to include and how to use this testing to improve traffic and sales. They help explain what you need to plan your optimization road map, avoid too many testing elements, and finally, how to avoid calculating using unbalanced traffic.

Furthermore, following these steps will help you filter through ideas that are not based on insights that lead to fruitless and repetitive testing, which is wasteful, risky, and less impactful.

WiderFunnel (https://www.widerfunnel.com)

Which login format converted best? Link or button?

https://guessthetest.com/test/which-login-format-converted-best-link-or-button/?referrer=Guessed

GuessTheTest (https://guessthetest.com)

We get asked all the time, what converts better on your webpage and articles: The link or the button?

With this case study from Guess the Test you can see exactly how their button contributed to a 32.37% increase in logins.

Use this as an idea for your own test. Keep in mind to generate accurate numbers and execute this like a true experiment. Keep constants, record accurate data, and be prepared to change what isn’t working.

So, following these steps will put you in the right direction. And settle once and for all what’s better for your business? Link or button?

Conversion Intelligence—The New Era of Marketing

 https://unbounce.com/marketing-ai/conversion-intelligence-the-new-era-of-marketing/

Unbounce (https://unbounce.com)

We will be the first to agree with you, change is hard. It can sometimes feel overwhelming and frustrating. Unbounce is a leader in trying new marketing methods, and they are sharing some of their key finds. They recommend capitalizing on new trends and not missing out on the new way of streamlined marketing.

When a group of marketers was asked if they could have more of one thing, what would it be? 50% said more conversions. It’s no secret conversions lead to more sales, and more sales lead to more money in your pocket. That’s why we are all here, right?

In today’s world, we need to combine the increasingly used artificial intelligence with marketing intelligence. And combined, we get conversion intelligence that works best for you in today’s market. This world is moving fast. The advances to how we market are changing at rates never seen before. Covid has changed the way businesses operate. In addition, we learn what is involved in getting those customers through the door, so to speak, and keep them coming back. 

We hope this Round-Up helps you put into perspective exactly what needs to be done to help improve conversions and build a stronger, healthier business.

First, we have an article from GuessTheTest that will surely give you a good idea for grabbing and sustaining your reader’s attention. Next, we have Google’s 2021 update and why delivering top-notch content is always crucial. 

Third, you can learn some valuable strategies from the 4 case studies we included. Then, we will give you more ways to love Google Optimize. Finally, we have a guide on Conversion Funnels, and why understanding them will help you lead consumers through the buying journey.

Result: Which AI-generated headline won?

https://guessthetest.com/test/which-ai-generated-headline-won/?referrer=A 

With thousands of things constantly grabbing people’s attention, how do you compete with human’s ever shortening attention span? This experiment by GuessTheTest is designed to capture and hook the reader’s attention. 

The goal was to ascertain which AI-created copy combination of the 5 versions would prompt users to click on the Call-To-Action (CTA) button leading to the LottieFiles tool. For your info, LottieFiles is a design and development tool that provides everything needed to create, edit, display, and share Lottie, an open-source animation file format.

The results reveal that high-converting headline copy needs to be crisp, clear, and easily scannable. In addition, a longer and more detailed copy is better at later stages in the funnel to support the user’s decision making.

Guess the Test (https://guessthetest.com/)

Google’s Page Experience Update 2021: Prioritize UX Optimization for Success

https://vwo.com/blog/googles-page-experience-update-2021-prioritize-ux-optimization-for-success/

VWO talks about Google’s update in prioritizing websites that serve an excellent page experience to their users over others. This paves the way for small brands to rank high and have higher conversions as long as they deliver relevant, helpful content and a delightful user experience. 

Another key point that VWO noted is to put a premium on listening to and understanding your customers, giving them what they are looking for. Then, of course, to constantly experiment, evolve, and explore.

Apart from that, there are other high-impact changes that you can explore, such as optimizing your content, speed, SEO, UX, and security. Remember that in determining page rankings, content will always be crucial. Make sure to top it up with alt text descriptions and SEO-optimized keywords. Don’t forget your website’s speed and reduce 4xx errors. With UX, let’s talk about well-designed and correctly positioned call-to-actions as well as ensuring your website is mobile-ready. Finally, ensure safe browsing. The user’s personal information should not be at risk.

VWO (https://vwo.com/) 

Lead Generation: 4 quick case studies about web forms, local keywords, referral campaigns, and virtual business cards

https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/case-study/lead-generation-case-studies-web-forms-local-keywords-referral-campaigns-virtual-business-cards

The first case study highlights that tweaking a single, important content section in a web form generated a 326% increase in leads. They also emphasized clarity, imminence, time to value, and value translation in influencing the results.

Marketing Sherpa (https://www.marketingsherpa.com/)

Case 2 talks about exploring numerous untapped, local-based keywords with extremely low competition. They also created hundreds of pages with relevant content using a bulk page generator. This resulted in an increase of 37% in email opt-ins and 10% on the front-end, and 28% on the back-end in affiliate commissions. 

Case 3 shows how a team devised a referral strategy called a ‘coffee campaign’ on LinkedIn to promote a product on its launch day. First, they tagged a few prominent people in the Managed Service Provider industry, telling them to tag an MSP buddy in the comments section of the launch post to get a $10 coffee voucher. Then, the team proactively DMed the coffee vouchers as soon as people got tagged. This enticed people to enjoy and participate in the online event.

Lastly, case 4 is about how a real estate company took inspiration from the ban of shaking hands and passing along a physical business card due to the pandemic. Instead, the team experimented with contactless, virtual business cards that generated 103,500 new leads. 

Google Optimize: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

https://www.invespcro.com/blog/google-optimize-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/

Invespro (https://www.invespcro.com/)

This article talks about (as the title suggests) the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of Google Optimize. Although not a perfect tool, you can start with conversion optimization without breaking the bank. If you are a small business owner, this is the tool for you. It is accessible, user-friendly, easy to set up, and offers many testing options. In addition, it will enable seamless integration with other Google tools and products. How convenient is that?

On the flip side, there’s a limitation to the number of simultaneous experiments you can initiate for the free version. If you need customer support, there is no option unless you upgrade to Optimize 360. 

Moving forward to the ugly side, it does not have an image upload feature, which requires you to use a third-party tool. Another thing is, there is also no segmentation for your A/B testing. You may also experience page flickering, which may cause trust issues for your visitors. Plus, no scroll maps and heatmaps for your in-depth analysis.

Your Step-by-Step Guide to A/B Testing with Google Optimize

https://www.crazyegg.com/blog/ab-testing-google-analytics/  

Crazy Egg https://www.crazyegg.com/

If you are new to A/B testing and want a more in-depth guide to Google Optimize, this article walks you through this free tool. It explains how A/B testing plays a crucial role in your conversions and sales generation. It also shows you more ways to love Google Optimize. It is user-friendly and an ideal tool for learning the basics and building the foundations of conducting A/B testing.

Why Your Marketing Strategy Needs a Conversion Funnel (and How It Works)

https://unbounce.com/campaign-strategy/conversion-funnel/

Unbounce (https://unbounce.com) 

Unbounce talks about Conversion Funnels and emphasizes that a “well-constructed conversion funnel attracts prospects, nurtures qualified leads, and then converts them into paying customers.”

You will be introduced to the top of the funnel (TOFU). This is where the blog post, articles, ads, and landing pages become handy. Each buyer starts at this spot, actively seeking solutions to their problem. You offer a solution to their problem by offering valuable content.

Next comes the middle of funnel (MOFU). This is the stage where both of you and your prospect get to know each other. They are gathering more information about the solutions you offer, and you also gather information to provide tailor-fit solutions. This is also where you “reinforce trust, nurture leads, and monitor purchase intent.” 

Finally, the bottom of funnel (BOFU). This is the part where you are more optimistic that your prospect may decide to purchase your product or services. Unbounce shares that this is when you need to apply “some sense of urgency” through your emails, offers, and ads.

In our latest eCommerce case study, we’ll show you how we repositioned the reviews section on two sites for increased conversions.

The Websites:

The first website is a niche bedding store based in the USA. They sell premium bedding designed in the states. 

The second website is a jewellery store, specialising in beaded bracelets. They are based in the USA but ship their products worldwide. 

Test Details & Background:

We repositioned the reviews section on the product pages so that it appeared earlier on the page and was more readily visible to customers. Beforehand, the customer reviews were at the very bottom of the page. 

We placed the reviews before the recommended/suggested products, and by doing so we hoped to increase trust with shoppers. 

We tested the changes on mobile and desktop on both sites.

We ran the tests for 2 weeks to reach a 98% confidence level. 

Traffic allocation was set to 50/50.

Test Set-up:

The version with the review section higher up the page looked like this on Desktop:

Mobile:

We placed the reviews just under the product, just below the fold and above the product comparison and detailed description/features.

The Results:

The repositioned reviews section won on both sites, but only on mobile on one, and only on desktop on the other. 

The bedding store saw increases in conversions (order per visitor) on mobile only, with an overall 42.38% increase in orders.

We saw conversion increases in all the different steps of the funnel (users proceed to the cart page, users proceed to the checkout page, and users complete their purchase).

The revenue results (revenue per visitor) were consistent with our funnel results where we saw increases in all steps of the funnel on mobile.

For the jewellery store, interestingly they only saw increases in conversions (order per visitor) on desktop, with a 20.34% increase in completed orders. 

We also saw increased conversions in all steps of the funnel on desktop (users add to cart, users checkout, users are redirected to thank you page).

The revenue results (revenue per visitor) were consistent with our funnel results where we saw increases in all steps of the funnel on desktop.

By rolling out the winner only on desktop, the total impact would be a 2.9% increase in the rate of order completion and 2.2% increase in revenue per visitor.

Key Takeaways:

• For this test to work for your website, you will need to have good reviews first.
• A/B testing this change first is important, as we have shown, one saw increases on mobile and the other on desktop.

First off, we thought you should know about the most common conversion killers that are likely hurting your profits. Then, the importance of communicating your value proposition correctly.

Moving on to conducting experiments to achieve product evolution. You’ll also learn about powerful A/B testing solutions for your e-commerce store. Finally, implementing a bold guarantee to increase sales.

We hope you enjoy these helpful reads!

Conversion Killers: The Definitive Guide

https://conversion-rate-experts.com/conversion-killers/

This article series is brimming with great reads, resources, and examples to increase your website’s conversions. First, the series introduces you to the most common conversion killers and how to spot and overcome them.

One of the emphases in this guide is the importance of learning to write clearly. Using jargon and stuffing your content with hard-to-read sentences will only be a disservice to readers.

Conversion Rate Experts https://conversion-rate-experts.com/conversion-killers/

It’s a given that visitors won’t convert if they don’t understand and trust you or your products. Our job here is to ensure that we can deliver what our visitors desire, including the information they need.

As you read through the series, you’ll learn to organize your copy so that visitors can effortlessly see what they need. This includes fixing your headings by turning them into “teasers” or “spoilers”.

There are also helpful techniques to better deal with competition and outsmart your competitors in this ultra-competitive market.

Your 2021 Guide to Creating (and Optimizing) a Value Proposition

https://unbounce.com/copywriting/value-proposition/

Unbounce talks about value propositions and why they should clearly impart what your brand can offer and its overall value to your audiences. 

If you’re wondering how you can create your own value propositions, you can start by understanding the three main parts:

1. Your solution to your customers’ problem
2. The specific benefits you offer
3. The strengths that set you apart from your competition

Unbounce https://unbounce.com/copywriting/value-proposition/

In addition, they further explain why and how these three elements can help your landing pages stand out. They provide samples of landing pages from specific industries like software as a service (SaaS), e-commerce, and professional services. Finally, Unbounce emphasizes that value propositions should “offer clear-cut benefits convincing the audience to choose you.”

How Experiments Guide Growth at Thumbtack

https://medium.com/thumbtack-engineering/how-experiments-guide-growth-at-thumbtack-31ef32b564f1

Alpesh Gaglani, Director of Engineering at Thumbtack, shared how they conduct experiments to guide product development and the complexity innate in running these experiments. Thumbtack is a local services marketplace where customers find and hire skilled professionals.

He mentioned how engagement can be increased by enabling customers to refine their search or filter keywords based on specific criteria. For example, a customer wants to hire a birthday party caterer specializing in preparing food with dietary restrictions or an appliance installer specializing in repairs or installation of a particular brand.

Through this, customers yield quick results and help customers find the right professionals who can do the job for them.

Medium https://medium.com/thumbtack-engineering/how-experiments-guide-growth-at-thumbtack-31ef32b564f1

Having a good experimentation structure paves the way to data-driven decisions and creating products or services appropriate to the market demand.

Finally, he also emphasized the importance of cultivating an amazing culture that rewards success and seeing failures as an avenue of learning. This allows them to super-charge their growth.

Powerful A/B Testing Solutions for Your eCommerce Store

https://vwo.com/blog/top-4-methods-for-finding-test-ideas-for-your-ecommerce-store/

VWO https://vwo.com/blog

VWO walks you through a better approach in A/B testing that will increase your chances of getting meaningful, positive results. In addition, this article points out Google Analytics’ role in telling you where to focus your efforts, thanks to its Funnel Visualization Report. 

Although it tells you which part of the funnel is the weakest link, it does not reveal why it is not working.

Hence, the need to employ tools like:

1. Surveys and polls
2. User testing
3. Competitors and other big eCommerce stores
4. Customer service logs

These methods can generate significant insights and valuable results that help improve metrics and develop solutions to the problem.

How to do Guarantees Right. And How we Grew a Business by 49% by Adding a Guarantee.

https://conversion-rate-experts.com/guarantees/

This article from the Conversion Rate Experts talks about when and why guarantees work.

A guarantee helps customers feel at ease as it reduces the risk for them if the company does not deliver what it claims.

Conversion Rate Experts https://conversion-rate-experts.com/guarantees/

This is evident when they implemented a bold guarantee for Geeks2U— to augment the already-great service offered. Just by adding a guarantee on the page, the initial test generated 11% more orders, which increased to 21% when a more specific and prominent version was used. 

Then another experiment with a new variation using a single, powerful sentence, supported with a simple visual, resulted in 24% more conversions. These tests garnered them an overall improvement of 49% over the original “guarantee-less” page. 

In addition, they also pointed out the use of positive terms to deliver a positive promise like “We guarantee that you’ll love our service.” Instead of “If you dislike our service….” 

If you are curious about crafting a guarantee, a 9-step checklist for implementing a bold yet safe guarantee is also discussed in the article.