The end of the year is fast approaching..are you on track with your end of year goals? If you need some ideas to increase your conversions then you’ve come to the right place. 

In this month’s round-up we’ve got some brand new articles which cover not only website optimization, but Facebook ads A/B testing and email marketing conversions.

We also bring you a guide for mobile conversion rate optimization and server-side testing.

Read on to find out more.

Facebook A/B Testing – Complete Guide for New Campaign Improvements [2022]

https://lineardesign.com/blog/facebook-ad-testing/

Let’s start with the basics. What is Facebook ads testing?

In a nutshell it’s testing to find the best ad campaign structure and best ad creatives that appeal to your audience.

Testing frequently should significantly lower your ad spend. 

So what can you test on Facebook ads? At the campaign level you can select what your campaign objective is, such as traffic, sales, leads and so on. Then at the ad set level you can test your target audience and ad delivery optimization.

Image source: LinearDesign

At the ad level, testing different ad creatives is what really counts. It prevents ad fatigue, where people get tired of seeing the same ads all the time which results in a plateau or decline of ad performance.

For example, you can test the ad format  (image, video, carousel, collection), the ad text, call-to-action, landing page, to name a few. 

Read the rest of the in-depth guide to see step by step how to set up a Facebook ad test.

Which personalized email subject line won on mobile?

https://guessthetest.com/test/which-personalized-email-subject-line-won/

In this test, the team wanted to determine which email subject line compelled the pet owners to complete a pet insurance quote. 

If you guessed option A, then you guessed right. 

They hypothesized that owners scanning their inbox would be more inclined to open an email containing their pets name. 

The results speak for themselves:

• 5.26% lift in unique open rates
• 1.12% increase in unique clickthrough rates
• 1.53% more click-to-sale conversions

Read the full article for a thorough discussion of the results. 

CRO for mobile: 12 tried-and-tested strategies to boost your mobile conversion rates

https://conversion.com/blog/cro-for-mobile/

With more than half the time spent online now being on mobile, rather than desktop, it’s never been more important to test on mobile to increase conversion rates. 

Despite this, the latest studies show that mobile conversion rates are significantly lower than desktop. 

Conversion.com shows us how it’s done, with 12 strategies to share. Below is one example:

Payment and checkout must be a smooth and easy process for people on mobile that’s able to be completed in just a few clicks. So it’s worth integrating various digital wallets. Following this, it’s recommended to have a single sign-up option as shown below. 

This will reduce the number of steps required for customers to checkout and increase trust.

Conversion.com

Check out their other suggestions in the full article. 

How To Go From Zero to One in Your Server-Side Experimentation Journey

https://vwo.com/blog/how-to-go-from-zero-to-one-in-your-server-side-experimentation-journey/

So what is server side testing?

It’s where test variations are processed on the web server and not on the front end or the browser. In client side testing, the web page loads first in the browser, and the testing platform shows the test variations using Javascript. 

So what can be tested using server side testing?

Different product recommendations, shipping fees, search algorithms, form lengths, deals and discounts are just a few of the cases.

VWO

Server side testing allows you to run complex tests to solve real issues faced by your customers and improve their overall experience. 

Sounds like a no brainer to us!

In Summary

There are many options for A/B testing, not limited to websites or desktop. 

We hope these articles give you some new ideas for what can be tested. While the learning curve may be steep, the results will be well worth it!

Until next time.

If you are interested in a free conversion optimization audit, submit your site, and we will send you a list of customized optimizations just for you!

Claim your Free Audit Here.

This month we have an incredible lineup for you all concerning the customer experience and what you can do to learn more about them.

The Marketing Sherpa shares three great case studies about understanding the customer experience. VWO teaches us how personalization helps deliver the right customer experience. We share a very informative article from Optinmonster about creating an online challenge for your customers. And finally, Invesp gives you the best examples of customer survey questions you should use.

Understanding Customer Experience

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

Prepare yourself for another stellar article from The Marketing Sherpa. It’s for this reason, we continue to seek out information from this great resource.

Three informative case studies are presented, but case study one had us shaking our heads with excitement. The CRO team at the wildly successful GoStudent tutoring company wanted to understand why so many American consumers were not converting when other countries were. It was time to test.

They used a four-arm bandit test to determine what call to action (CTA) would give the desired results. Below is what variations were tested.

• REQUEST A CALLBACK [Control]
• BOOK A FREE TRIAL SESSION [Variation #1]
• SIGN UP FOR A FREE TRIAL [Variation #2]
• GET YOUR FREE TRIAL [Variation #3]

Image source: MarketingSherpa

Can you guess what variation had a change of 13% in CVR?

How Personalization Helps Deliver the Right Experience

https://vwo.com/blog/how-personalization-helps-deliver-the-right-experiences-to-visitors/

Did you know consumers expect personalization? And no, I do not mean a mug with your name printed on it. The fastest moving companies are tapping into the wealth of data they already have. We must understand our users.

Below you will find the different data types you could use to add more personalization for your users.

VWO

This article from VWO continues going deep into the minds of our users and teaches us how to tap into them.

How to Create an Online Challenge Funnel to Explode Your List

https://optinmonster.com/how-to-create-an-online-challenge-funnel/

Optinmonster

Optinmonster is one of those blogs that goes into major detail. That’s why we love them!

This article teaches us how to create an online challenge funnel. We have heard from a few of you this is new lingo. So, what is a challenge funnel? A challenge funnel is a fantastic way to introduce new customers and users to your products and service.

The challenges serve as a freebie to encourage new users to join your email list. Typically, a contest moves your new user through the funnel, with the end result being a new sale or user.

This article goes step by step through the whole process from:

• How to create an online challenge that brings in leads
• How to promote your challenge funnel
• Why do online challenges work so well?

Don’t miss this informative article from Optinmonster.

The Best Examples of Customer Satisfaction Survey Questions

You may think you have created a top-notch product or service, but the real judge is your customers. If they don’t think you have it, then you don’t. It’s that simple. So how do we get inside the heads of our consumers? We ask them to complete a customer satisfaction survey.

Below are four popular customer satisfaction surveys Invesp shares for you to try today.

1. Customer Satisfaction Score
2. Customer Effort Score
3. Net Promoter Score
4. Milestone Survey

Read on to learn more about each survey.

1. Thank the respondent
2. Address negative feedback
3. Go through every feedback
4. Address any concerns and make a plan for corrective action.

Thanks for another great article Invesp.

In Summary

Our customers and users hold power over how successful we are, and if we don’t listen to them, we will get left behind. Let us close with a quote I love from Jeff Fuhriman, he says:

 “If you don’t listen closely to your most valuable or ideal users and customers, you’re going to have a hard time creating relevant, valuable content.” 

Until next time.

If you are interested in a free conversion optimization audit, submit your site, and we will send you a list of customized optimizations just for you!

Claim your Free Audit Here.

As the summer hits the halfway mark, let us take a minute and ask ourselves, have we been playing a little harder than working?

Did you know that conversion rate optimization is being Googled more than ever, and companies spend around $2000 per month on CRO tools? VentureBeat did a study that revealed that, on average, when using conversion rate optimization tools, there was an average Return on Investment (ROI) of 223%! Even more reason to continue exploring what CRO tools work best for you.

This month’s lineup will help get you on your way to success. We share an article from VWO and answer what Hicks Law is and why it’s so important. The Marketing Sherpa shares three case studies, all geared to help your customers believe your marketing message. Guess the Test answers what phone number page layout provided the best results for a major bank in the UK, the accordion drop-down or the standard number list? And finally, we visit VWO again to discuss winning testing results using CRO research. 

As you continue reading, think about what could work for your business and how you would implement it.

What is Hicks Law?

https://vwo.com/blog/what-is-hicks-law-and-how-it-can-simplify-choices/

Ever find yourself at the ice cream shop with 30 different flavors to choose from, and it takes forever to decide what one you want? It’s quick to understand why the line was so long. When we add new options or variations, it becomes difficult to see what’s in front of us. We can become disinterested very fast- the same goes for your customers.

Hicks law is a basic user design principle, that helps alleviate some of the pains of decision-making. This law states- the more choices, the longer it will take to decide. Below is the formula for Hick’s Law.

Image source: Hubspot

This article from VWO also talks about high-velocity testing and why it is critical to simplify the user experience.

Below is a list of variations you could test for.

• Multi-step form vs. email-only accounts
• Two third-party platforms vs. 3 with no email-option
• Collapsible form fields vs. static fields

It’s easy to see why we enjoyed this article from VWO.

How Customers Believe Your Marketing Message

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

Ever try to get your point across to someone, and they just aren’t getting it? We agree this is frustrating, even more so when your business is on the line. This article from The Marketing Sherpa brings you three case studies, all geared to help make believers out of your customers.

The first case study is from Pizza Hut. This popular pizza chain has an in-house startup focused on the experience of its digital users.

The digital ventures team noticed that customers were not clicking on the popular deals page. It was time for testing. Learn how this team turned a simple A/B test into a projected increase in sales of $7.8 million by helping direct their customer exactly where they wanted them to go.

MarketingSherpa

Case study #3 was very neat; it explained how one owner set out to use YouTube and its influencers to improve sales. They list the process from start to finish in this article from The Marketing Sherpa.

Which Page Layout Reduced Call Volumes?

https://guessthetest.com/test/which-page-layout-reduced-call-volumes-standard-or-accordion/

In my opinion, this A/B test from Guess the Test was pretty obvious. Which page layout would reduce call volumes the most? The standard phone list or a categorized drop-down accordion list?

A major UK bank’s call volume was incredibly high. While using the standard phone list, 50% of callers were phoning the wrong number looking for specific banking issues. This was a problem that needed fixing.

Although this study was flawed due to the traffic split of 75/25, it’s safe to say the accordion style is more user-friendly, resulting in a 12% reduction in calls.

guessthetest.com

This article also goes on to talk about the scan-ability of your webpage. Did you know only 16% of users will read every word? Learn how to make your website more skimmable and scannable to improve your user’s experience.

Learn How to Get Winning Ideas with Conversion Research

https://vwo.com/blog/how-to-get-winning-testing-ideas-with-conversion-research/

Conversion research is vital. Before you test, you must know what and why you are testing. Going in blind will never yield the same results as a carefully considered A/B test.

Below is a list of possible achieved goals when proper conversion research is performed.

• Write copy that aligns with your customer’s needs and reduces their fears.
• Catch existing user experience errors.
• Help understand the user behaviors
• Provide user-friendly designs that help your customers.

VWO also provides you with a seven-item checklist to help you evaluate the useability pains of your website. Items such as; are your website elements consistent across all webpages? Is the text on your webpage readable? Find out the entire list in the article.

Remember, A/B testing was ranked the highest method for improving conversions by almost 50%. However, you must know what to test and why.

This article goes on to break down the four pillars for analysis.

• Heuristic analysis
• Technical analysis
• Behavior analysis
• Qualitative & Voice of Customer (VoC) research

Once again, another great article from VWO not to be missed.

In Summary

Let’s end with a saying from my grandmother; take what you need and leave the rest. Take a look and see what tips and tricks you can use to get better conversions and make more profits!

Remember, if you are not testing, constantly trying to improve, your competitors most likely are. What steps are you taking today?

“Measurement is the first step that leads to control and eventually to improvement. If you can’t measure something, you can’t understand it. If you can’t understand it, you can’t control it. If you can’t control it, you can’t improve it.” ~ H James Harrington

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.

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.

Closing out the year, we have an informative line-up of articles for you. First, a stand-out experiment from Guess the Test, asking what landing page design radically increased conversions by over 300%!

Next, we bring you an article from the Marketing Sherpa about Conversion Rate Optimization tools, with five real-life case studies to help get you on the right track.

VWO shares a user guide into A/B testing. What is it? How to do it, and why? And finally, this month, a fascinating article from Invesp diving into 5 difficult questions you should know the answers to but might not.

Let’s break these down a little further.

Guess the Test- Which Design Increased Conversions By Over 300%?

https://guessthetest.com/test/which-design-radically-increased-conversions-337/

This month Guess the Test compares Version A – Landing page featuring icons with skimmable text with Version B – Radically redesigned landing page focused on a benefit-based copy. Can you believe one over the other had an increase of 336%!?

We don’t want to give away the answer, but let’s say we got this one right. Did you?

Guess The Test

Marketing Case Studies with Brands That Used 5 Types of CRO Tools

https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/case-study/conversion-rate-optimization-tools

The Marketing Sherpa starts their article with a simple question, what is a conversion rate optimization tool? It seems like a simple question however, far too many don’t have a more in-depth answer. It is so much more than just A/B testing.

The Marketing Sherpa shares case studies from companies using 5 types of CRO tools. One case study shares how a circuit board manufacturer increased conversion rates by 17% by simply optimizing for specific device types. 

We found the case study about an e-commerce business that moved away from discounts to increase profits by $17,500 eye-opening. Like always, the Marketing Sherpa knows how to put a case study together.

Marketing Sherpa

A Guide to User Testing

https://vwo.com/blog/a-guide-to-user-testing/

This latest article from VWO breaks A/B testing down for us.

We get answers about what A/B user testing really is? 3 steps to conducting impactful user testing, and how a well-run user test can drive conversions. This one comes with some great examples not to be missed.

One of the steps described is about using the right audience for your testing. Are these people my core audience? What is my demographic? This article is well written, easy to follow, and is sure to help you get on the right track.

VWO

5 Difficult CRO Questions you Should Know

https://www.invespcro.com/blog/5-difficult-cro-questions-you-should-know/

In this article from Invesp, they break down 5 difficult conversion rate optimization questions you should have the answers for.

Questions such as does more traffic mean more conversions? And what’s the hardest thing about experimentation?

They also discuss what a reasonable uplift is after running a successful CRO program. What can you expect? You put in all the hard work, now you need to know if it’s working. They will lay it all out for you in this great article.

Invespro

In Summary

Between VWO offering us a guide to user testing, the Marketing Sherpa with case studies all about companies using CRO to maximize returns, and Invesp asking some tough questions, this month allows you opportunities for some real growth. 

As we close out the year, we hope 2021 brought your business growth and insight. We thrive on offering you the best of the best and will continue to do so in the coming year.

So what changes are you going to be implementing this month?

Until next year.

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.

Month after month, we strive to deliver you with the best of the best. Our goal is to help you do everything you can to succeed! What do the best companies all have in common? A desire to always be improving. What have you done this month to improve your business? What steps have you taken to reach a higher conversion? Let us give you a few examples to set you on the right path.

We have a stellar line-up for you this month, with CXL presenting you with 7 landing page examples that will make you stop and question where you could be doing better. 

Widerfunnel offers us a case study about The Motley Fool and how they increased paid subscriptions by over 11%! They also discuss how experimentation is the key to growth. 

You will get a lot out of the article from Unbounce who discusses 5 ways to use scarcity on your landing page. They also look into the psychology of scarcity – we found this super interesting!

Then, Guess the Test provides us with another great experiment, this time about using emoji’s in your emails or not. Do they motivate? And finally, the Marketing Sherpa gives you 3 great case studies all about optimization.

Let us begin with CXL and landing page examples.

7 Landing Page Examples & User Journey Breakdowns to Swipe for Inspiration

https://cxl.com/blog/landing-page-examples/

Did you know most landing pages are ineffective, with an average conversion rate of only 4.6% across all industries? CXL shares with you 7 landing page examples from those who are standing out from the pack.

One of the companies used as an example is Headspace. They are a powerful example of how to design a landing page for bottom-of-funnel visitors. This landing page does 3 things incredibly well, including effective use of social proof. Be sure to read on to find out what other 2 tactics Headspace uses.

Another company standing out above the rest is Lyft ridesharing service. Lyft shows why it pays to know your audience. With a landing page directed to play on your emotions, they directly target their audience in ways others often avoid. Read on to find out what other ways Lyft stands out from the rest.

CXL (https://cxl.com/)

In this article, you will find a breakdown of 5 other companies and what they are doing to stand out and stand above their competition. There is something for everyone in this in-depth article.

How The Motley Fool increased paid subscriptions by over 11%

https://www.widerfunnel.com/case-studies/the-motley-fool/

We love it when Widerfunnel does a case study. In this article, they look deep into the highly successful business from The Motley Fool.  When those around you are making waves, you want to know why.

That’s what this article is all about, finding out exactly how The Motley Fool started generating key customer insights to uncover millions in uncovered revenue. Follow this experiment outline in your business and see where you could be doing better.

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

5 Ways to Use Scarcity on Your Landing Page to Boost Your Sales

https://unbounce.com/landing-pages/5-ways-to-use-scarcity-on-your-landing-page-with-examples/

We found this article from Unbounce very interesting – discussing human nature and your landing page. This article will dive into the psychology behind scarcity in our everyday lives and how to translate that same psychology into your landing page. 

One of the ways discussed is the sense of urgency conveyed on your landing page. Unbounce provides some key terms commonly used as well as what not to do. Remember there is a fine line between being too pushy and inspiring urgency. If your copy sounds too aggressive, it may raise some flags. Don’t forget to find out what the #1 scarcity tactic you need to implement today is!

Unbounce (https://unbounce.com/)

Can You Guess Which Test Won? With or without the clock emojis in the email subject line?

https://guessthetest.com/test/email-subject-line-with-or-without-the-emojis/

We don’t want to give away the answer on this latest test from Guess the Test, but let’s just say we didn’t get the answer right. What do you think is best? Adding emojis to the email subject line or leaving them out? 

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

As always, Guess the Test puts together a thorough experiment, one you can take results from with great confidence. So, did you guess right?

Landing Page Optimization, Search Engine Optimization, and Paid Search Optimization: 3 quick marketing case studies

https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/case-study/landing-page-optimization

Once again, the Marketing Sherpa shares with us some quick case studies focusing on our favorite subject, optimization. We look into the newly popular LIVESTORM to see how a company with almost no brand awareness set out to gain a higher rating than Zoom. Learn how using a competitor comparison landing page attracted 6% of the organic traffic this web conferencing software obtained.

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

Another case study provided by the Marketing Sherpa shows how a Health system shifts paid search strategy from regional-based to location-specific, increasing conversion by 111%! Yes, you read that right, 111%. This case study lays it all out for you.

And finally, we were intrigued to learn how an event management company increased landing page optimization conversions by 40%! This idea is just genius, one I know we want to do further testing on to see how well it can work for us. If you implement this one, you have to let us know how it goes.

Summary

Regardless of the size of your business, there is always room for improvement. Remember, if you are not moving forward and finding new ways to grow, you will get left behind. We hope you find these articles from some of the most trusted names in the game beneficial. What changes are you going to implement this month to get you closer to your goals? 

If you have any questions about anything you read today, don’t hesitate to reach out.

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.

This month we share an article from the ever-popular Linear where they share 11 reasons why your landing page isn’t converting and how to fix them. Guess the Test asks the question Guest Checkout or Not. Next, the Marketing Sherpa teaches us how to solve three types of customer needs through marketing. Widerfunnel will help you grow revenue with a bit of CRO and UX research. And finally, we look at VWO for a guide to user testing.

11 Reasons Why Your Landing Page Isn’t Converting (and ways to fix it)

https://lineardesign.com/blog/landing-page-not-converting/

Be sure to read this article to determine why your conversion rate is not where you want it to be. From a buried purpose and mixed signals to a lack of incentive, these could be a few of the problems you are facing.

Linear Design (https://lineardesign.com/)

Another problem Linear talks about – are your landing page and your homepage the same? You might be surprised to learn this is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. Learn what the three common differences between a homepage and landing page are and how to make yours stand out from the competition.

This article is well written and offers real-life solutions to the problems most attributed to conversion issues. Don’t forget to download Linear’s essential landing page checklist.

With or Without the Guest Checkout Button?

https://guessthetest.com/test/without-or-with-the-guest-checkout-button/

Yes, it’s true, we want as much information from our customers as possible, but at what cost. Is a one-time sale better than nothing? Or is it best to insist on your customer’s information through a sign-up form? 

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

The testing team this month used four formats to determine what’s best. Is it best with or without the guest checkout button? Two tests with the guest checkout and two without. Which one do you think won?

Three Types of Customer Needs and How to Solve Them

https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/case-study/cusotmer-needs

In this great article, the Marketing Sherpa will share some case studies from companies who are solving their customer’s needs with marketing.

The first case study comes from a skin care company that launched a refill program that became 15% of the business. Not only that but saved their customers up to 30%. This outcome is one of those win-win-win scenarios.

Another case study they share is a software company that gets a 4% conversion rate by aggregating its data to help customers make better decisions. Once again, the Marketing Sherpa helps guide our way.

Growing Revenue with CRO and UX Research

https://www.widerfunnel.com/blog/growing-revenue-with-cro-and-ux-research/

As an eCommerce business owner, you are always looking at acquiring new customers and growing your market share. Widerfunnel teaches us how to combine CRO and UX research to help your company make a more impactful change in your customer’s digital experience.

This article explores how combining Rate Optimization (CRO) and User Experience (UX) can work together to unlock new opportunities. Opportunities such as avoiding stagnation through constant innovation.

They also answer the question, what do people really want? People are complex, but allowing CRO and UX to work together, enables us to validate insights and gain a higher conversion rate. It’s why we are here, right?

“One of the most humbling things about experimentation is that it’s impossible to predict the outcome of changes made to the user experience. After all, if this were possible, there would be no need to test.”

Michael St. Laurent, Director of Experimentation Strategy & Product Development, Widerfunnel

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

A Guide to User Testing (What is it? How To Do It and Why You Need To)

https://vwo.com/blog/a-guide-to-user-testing/

You are going to want to keep this guide for reference. VWO will cover what User Testing is and offer you a breakdown of three steps to conducting impactful user testing. Step two talks about asking the right question to surface meaningful feedback.

VWO (vwo.com)

Customer feedback is one of the best ways to solve problems that we may have turned a blind eye to addressing. We understand gathering user data doesn’t sound like fun. But the whole point is to improve your site, conversions, and ultimately your revenue.

This guide will break it all down for you and help you gain the conversions you want.

Summary

At the end of the day, the fundamentals of conversion rate optimization are to always be optimizing your website. You want to keep your customers happy, keep them purchasing your goods and services, and ultimately coming back again and again.

Until next month.

Interested in a free conversion optimization audit, where we prepare a list of custom optimizations 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.