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Member You - Simple Guidelines For Better A-B Split Website Testing
Almost every day, I hear the same question, over and over, from motivated, well-meaning financial planners who want to use publicity in their marketing mix. It goes something like this:“Who do you know in the media? (Or, sometimes they frame it as, “Who do I need to know in the media?”) Can you get me publicity?”My answer is always the same. Who you know in the media is only half the game. And it’s the easier half.I'm a former newspaper reporter, and am on a first name basis with plenty of newspaper reporters. And here’s what you get from knowing someone in the media:It gets them to take your phone call, or your e-mail. Period. That’s it.But it’s what you
There is also a point of "diminishing returns" where more significant results are likely to come out of testing something new rather than continuing to "tweak" the same thing. Later on, it is always possible to backtrack or retest something earlier on the page.
***The Key***
The key that underlies these two guidelines is to test in the order that will do the most to increase the number of visitors reaching the "hot spot" where they choose to do/not do the action measured by the tests.
To decide the best order to do A/B split
The entire nation and a global-viewing audience focused on the U.S. Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina dealt an unimaginable blow to New Orleans and cities in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. More than a thousand people lost their lives, entire neighborhoods disappeared and many businesses are gone forever, after one of the worst storms in history decimated the region.Three weeks later, predictions of massive destruction again filled the airways as Rita, a potentially catastrophic Category 5 hurricane, took dead aim on Galveston/Houston. And so it was that at 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 22nd, my wife, three kids, one Golden Retriever and I joined two million others on the roa
Two simple guidelines can improve the effectiveness of A/B split testing for websites. First, test first things first. Second, use common sense to plan test sequences.
Guideline #1: Test First Things First
More than other types of testing, the order that A/B split website tests are done can have a powerful impact on the value of the results.
For most benefit, test variables in the sequence that visitors encounter them, unless there is a strong reason to depart from that order.
Test elements above the "first fold" first. (This area appears first in a visitor's browser window.) It makes no sense, for instance, to test a subhead on the second screen if most visitors do not get past the headline. Testing a variable farther down the page will take many times longer if an element above the first fold repels visitors -- a poor headline, an offensive background, tiny fonts, or any other thing -- or if it simply loses them.
In A/B split website testing, it is not the number of page visitors that determines how long a test takes to run, it is the proportion of those visitors that take the action measured by the test. Therefore, the fewer visitors that reach the action "hot spot" the longer the test will take.
Suppose two different "calls to action" -- positioned two screens down the page -- are pit against each other. If only 5 out of 100 visitors scroll down far enough to see that call to action, and to order (the action measured), it would take 2,000 visitors before 100 even see the call to action.
Out of those 100, how many would then order? One? Two? Five? Less? If 50 orders per version were required for a reliable result, it could take anywhere from 40,000 to 200,000 or more visitors to that page to run that one test. For some small internet businesses, that could equal a year for a single test.
On the other hand, if by A/B testing "first things first" the percentage of visitors that reach the order button doubled, the number of visitors required to test that same call to action would be cut in half.
Guideline #2: Use Common Sense
Do not adhere rigidly to guideline #1. Use common sense to evaluate where to start, and when to move on to a different test.
If a major problem is suspected farther down the page, it may make sense to jump ahead to test it.
There is also a point of "diminishing returns" where more significant results are likely to come out of testing something new rather than continuing to "tweak" the same thing. Later on, it is always possible to backtrack or retest something earlier on the page.
***The Key***
The key that underlies these two guidelines is to test in the order that will do the most to increase the number of visitors reaching the "hot spot" where they choose to do/not do the action measured by the tests.
To decide the best order to do A/B split
Although it is said that 95% of companies suffer from employee theft, it is probably closer to 100%. Serious theft, however, is a different thing entirely. There is a world of difference between the theft of a few pens and the steady depletion of stock through organized crime within a large organization. This sort of employee theft is estimated as causing over 30% of all company bankruptcies, and many companies are in desperate need of a means of controlling it.The first action a company must take is to clarify to employees the penalty for employee theft. At the very least, immediate suspension pending investigation must be stated as the initial step. The matter should then put
Test elements above the "first fold" first. (This area appears first in a visitor's browser window.) It makes no sense, for instance, to test a subhead on the second screen if most visitors do not get past the headline. Testing a variable farther down the page will take many times longer if an element above the first fold repels visitors -- a poor headline, an offensive background, tiny fonts, or any other thing -- or if it simply loses them.
In A/B split website testing, it is not the number of page visitors that determines how long a test takes to run, it is the proportion of those visitors that take the action measured by the test. Therefore, the fewer visitors that reach the action "hot spot" the longer the test will take.
Suppose two different "calls to action" -- positioned two screens down the page -- are pit against each other. If only 5 out of 100 visitors scroll down far enough to see that call to action, and to order (the action measured), it would take 2,000 visitors before 100 even see the call to action.
Out of those 100, how many would then order? One? Two? Five? Less? If 50 orders per version were required for a reliable result, it could take anywhere from 40,000 to 200,000 or more visitors to that page to run that one test. For some small internet businesses, that could equal a year for a single test.
On the other hand, if by A/B testing "first things first" the percentage of visitors that reach the order button doubled, the number of visitors required to test that same call to action would be cut in half.
Guideline #2: Use Common Sense
Do not adhere rigidly to guideline #1. Use common sense to evaluate where to start, and when to move on to a different test.
If a major problem is suspected farther down the page, it may make sense to jump ahead to test it.
There is also a point of "diminishing returns" where more significant results are likely to come out of testing something new rather than continuing to "tweak" the same thing. Later on, it is always possible to backtrack or retest something earlier on the page.
***The Key***
The key that underlies these two guidelines is to test in the order that will do the most to increase the number of visitors reaching the "hot spot" where they choose to do/not do the action measured by the tests.
To decide the best order to do A/B split
In a work sense, being a procrastinator means you delay or postpone work and put off things you could do today until a later time.Often we procrastinate because we feel lazy or because we just don’t feel like doing something. Certainly these feelings can arise from time to time especially if it involves a task we don’t want to do.If you tend to put things off as long as possible before finally doing it and if you like to look for excuses to avoid completing certain tasks, you might very well be a procrastinator.Procrastination can really stunt your career growth and can even derail it in extreme cases. People generally don’t like working with procrastinators especially
Suppose two different "calls to action" -- positioned two screens down the page -- are pit against each other. If only 5 out of 100 visitors scroll down far enough to see that call to action, and to order (the action measured), it would take 2,000 visitors before 100 even see the call to action.
Out of those 100, how many would then order? One? Two? Five? Less? If 50 orders per version were required for a reliable result, it could take anywhere from 40,000 to 200,000 or more visitors to that page to run that one test. For some small internet businesses, that could equal a year for a single test.
On the other hand, if by A/B testing "first things first" the percentage of visitors that reach the order button doubled, the number of visitors required to test that same call to action would be cut in half.
Guideline #2: Use Common Sense
Do not adhere rigidly to guideline #1. Use common sense to evaluate where to start, and when to move on to a different test.
If a major problem is suspected farther down the page, it may make sense to jump ahead to test it.
There is also a point of "diminishing returns" where more significant results are likely to come out of testing something new rather than continuing to "tweak" the same thing. Later on, it is always possible to backtrack or retest something earlier on the page.
***The Key***
The key that underlies these two guidelines is to test in the order that will do the most to increase the number of visitors reaching the "hot spot" where they choose to do/not do the action measured by the tests.
To decide the best order to do A/B split
Credibility: I admit it is a term I use quite often. In fact you'll see it all my company's marketing materials. Credibility is often ignored by my businesses, but if you have it, your business has a tremendous chance of continued growth, if you don't have it - buckle up, it might be a bit of a bumpy ride. You need to establish three things before people will even consider doing business with you: Interest Credibility Trust To get into your customer's heads, think about whom you buy from: do you buy from anyone you really aren't interested in? Do you buy from anyone who doesn't
On the other hand, if by A/B testing "first things first" the percentage of visitors that reach the order button doubled, the number of visitors required to test that same call to action would be cut in half.
Guideline #2: Use Common Sense
Do not adhere rigidly to guideline #1. Use common sense to evaluate where to start, and when to move on to a different test.
If a major problem is suspected farther down the page, it may make sense to jump ahead to test it.
There is also a point of "diminishing returns" where more significant results are likely to come out of testing something new rather than continuing to "tweak" the same thing. Later on, it is always possible to backtrack or retest something earlier on the page.
***The Key***
The key that underlies these two guidelines is to test in the order that will do the most to increase the number of visitors reaching the "hot spot" where they choose to do/not do the action measured by the tests.
To decide the best order to do A/B split
Investors typically are only willing to spend about five minutes to determine whether or not they should look more deeply at a project and spend time and resources on it. Consequently, over the years they have developed a reliance on a series of clues to help them make that determination. These clues are based upon how the business plan is presented, formatted, and prepared … visual clues that they can see before they actually read the document.Initial ImpressionsLet's suppose that you send your business plan along with a cover letter that asks the potential investor to return the business plan in the prepaid envelope should he or she not be interested in the project.
There is also a point of "diminishing returns" where more significant results are likely to come out of testing something new rather than continuing to "tweak" the same thing. Later on, it is always possible to backtrack or retest something earlier on the page.
***The Key***
The key that underlies these two guidelines is to test in the order that will do the most to increase the number of visitors reaching the "hot spot" where they choose to do/not do the action measured by the tests.
To decide the best order to do A/B split website testing, experience the page as a visitor might. If necessary, observe someone else visiting the page for the first time.
A Simple Strategy to Identify Best Sequence for A/B Split Website Testing
1. Print the web page. (Set the browser screen view to medium text size to create an 'average' view.) Lay out the printed pages into one long sequence. Refer back to the screen version during the next steps.
2. Draw a line across the location of the bottom of the first screen to mark the first fold. Repeat for the second screen and down the page until the page is broken down into screens.
3. Circle or highlight the "hot spot" on the page where the action the test will measure occurs. This action could be an order button, subscription form, link, etc.
4. Scanning the page, as if for the first time, notice what catches your eye, without getting too involved reading. Circle the one or two things the visitor would notice first above the first fold.
5. Continuing to scan, circle specific elements that lead the eye down the page from the first fold toward the action "hot spot." Try to limit it to the most important ones.
6. Looking at those circled items, decide which are most likely to influence whether or not the visitor reaches that action "hot spot." Pay particular attention to potential "decision points." Note these on the page.
7. Use the print out as a guide to identify, evaluate, and prioritize potential test variables.
=> Look for things that could send visitors to the back button.
=> Look for obstacles, distractions, or confusions on the visitor's path from the first thing seen to the action "hot spot," especially above the first fold.
=> Look for individual elements that could be strong candidates to test changes on. Common "first fold" test variables include headlines, subheads, first paragraph, overall messaging and appeals, emphasis devices, navigation, and graphics.
Tip: Once repelling items are eliminated, the headline is often the variable that determines how many visitors remain on a page long enough to consider taking an action.
8. Choose the first, second, and third variable to test. Reevaluate this order as results come in.
Starting A/B split website testing with a well thought out plan produces the kind of results that create believers in the value of testing websites using A/B splits.
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