Conversion Rate Optimization

When you set up your first Content Experiment, you might face a cookie domain name consistency error. This error is caused by using different domain name settings for Google Analytics and Content Experiments code. 

To fix the error, change the content experiment code to reflect the domain name settings used in Google Analytics Code.

Google Analytics Code

var _gaq = _gaq || [];

_gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA- Account Id']);

Before you decide and pick the testing tool, consensus should be reached on the goal(s) that you are trying to achieve. Preferably, have one major goal.

How do you set a goal?

1) Duration

Define the duration of the test before setting the goal. If the test is run for 2 weeks, the numbers associated with the goal should be based on that.

2) Specific

The first thing after optimizing a page for design is to think about persuasion. It might sound easy to change the call to action and test out the variation but to convert those visits to valuable leads or sale; you have to think about the visitor.

The number one rule in persuasion optimization is Empathy.

Merriam Webster defines empathy as the following:

We have often heard Conversion Rate Optimization experts professing about the need for statistical significance. Most Businesses look at this advice with marked skepticism. There are valid reasons for this.

1) Low Page Views

On August 9th 2012, Google released the guidelines for conducting A/B and multivariate tests. The guidelines were released in response to the commonly asked question – “How will testing impact search ranking?” Google has warned marketers from running the experiments for too long.

Below are some guidelines for running an effective test with minimal impact on your site’s search performance.

1) Don’t Cloak

After you have developed a testable hypothesis, it is to time to create the variations of your control page. Follow these recommendations before creating the variations:

1) Brainstorm

Your test is as good as your ideas. Testing tools like VWO, Optimizely and GA Content Experiments can only implement your ideas. It is your team’s responsibility to come up with variation ideas. 

a) Ask your team to list variation ideas

Before you jump into creating variations of your control page, formulate a hypothesis. Hypothesis is an assumption about the occurrence of an event. For example, if you believe that changing your checkout button color from blue to green will improve conversion, then your hypothesis would be something like:

“Green Checkout buttons attract more clicks than blue checkout buttons. According to 2012 Studies on Eye Tracking; Green color has been proven to attract shopper’s attention”

On 1st June 2012, Google announced that it would retire Google website optimizer (GWO) on Aug 1st 2012. GWO was a free website optimization tool that allowed webmasters to improve conversion rate and user experience. 

Google Analytics Content Experiments has replaced Google website optimizer. Here are some difference between Google Website Optimizer and GA Content Experiments

We have been running a few tests to find out what makes the visitors click links, inside and below an article. When you have tools to measure user engagement at page level, make use of them. You will be surprised to learn that lot of your assumptions are wrong. It hurts but this is going to be one of the best learning experiences. 

For example, we were under the impression that use of Brand Names in anchor text is going to boost click through rate. Let us take two examples for our test (although this was not the tests, we used similar branding vs. non-branding links).