| If you can measure it, you can improve it. | | | | |
| That is the maxim of online testing. Those | | | | Although split testing is simple and |
| who test their advertising campaigns can see | | | | effective, it also has drawbacks. Number one |
| ROI double, or even triple. Testing will | | | | is that you need thousands of impressions and |
| increase conversion rates. There is no such | | | | hundreds of conversions or click-through |
| thing as "good enough." You should always be | | | | actions in order to achieve statistical |
| testing and improving your campaigns. | | | | confidence. The other setback is the ability |
| | | | to test only one element at a time. Testing |
| Every element of an online marketing campaign | | | | more than one element can take a lot of time |
| is measurable. Test your PPC ads, landing | | | | and traffic. |
| pages, and email campaigns. Testing results | | | | |
| in actionable data that will show up in your | | | | |
| bottom line. Split testing and multivariate | | | | |
| testing are the two main forms online testing | | | | Multivariate Testing |
| will take. | | | | |
| | | | Multivariate testing is the testing of more |
| | | | than one element or variable at a time. This |
| | | | form of testing allows you to test several |
| Split Testing | | | | elements at once and find the individual |
| | | | elements that bring the best results, as well |
| Split Testing, also known as A/B testing, is | | | | as the combination of elements that will give |
| the simplest form of testing. Google | | | | you the best possible outcome. It allows you |
| AdWords, Yahoo Search Marketing, and most | | | | to find which elements matter and which |
| providers of email marketing services have | | | | combinations are strongest in a relatively |
| split testing capabilities built right into | | | | short amount of time. |
| their campaign interfaces. | | | | |
| | | | Multivariate testing can give you the best |
| Split Testing is randomly dividing visitors | | | | bang for your buck, and the testing algorithm |
| into two groups and showing each a different | | | | automatically determines the best page design |
| version of your PPC ad, landing page, or | | | | for all possible combinations of elements. |
| email. The objective is to see which version | | | | |
| performs better in terms of conversion, CTR | | | | Testing at this level requires sophisticated |
| (click-through-rate), lead generation, or | | | | statistical analysis. Unless you are a coder |
| some other target. | | | | with and advanced math degree from MIT, you |
| | | | are better off using an off the shelf |
| Email campaigns are easily tested. Send one | | | | application or provider. Most providers of |
| version of email to half the leads on your | | | | multivariate testing are proud of their work |
| list, and another version to the other half. | | | | and cater to enterprises with deep marketing |
| Use a subset of your list for testing, and | | | | pockets. The exception is the Google Website |
| then apply the results to the rest of the | | | | Optimizer. It provides all the power of |
| list. You can use split testing in this way | | | | these other applications but beats them on |
| to find the best layout, ad copy, and | | | | price. It's free. |
| headlines for you email. | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | Conclusion and Resources |
| Split Testing an AdWords Campaign | | | | |
| | | | Testing takes the guesswork out of marketing |
| Google AdWords makes split testing of ad copy | | | | campaigns and allows you to make continual |
| easy. Simply create two different ads to | | | | refinements that will increase your ROI. |
| driving traffic to the same page and see | | | | Implement a thoughtful testing program and |
| which one gets a higher CTR. It is important | | | | you'll be amazed at what works and how little |
| to turn off the optimize feature in the | | | | things can make a huge difference. But most |
| AdWords campaign settings so that both ads | | | | of all you'll be amazed at the difference it |
| get an equal number of impressions. | | | | can make in your bottom line. |
| | | | |
| Another way of to AB test with AdWords is to | | | | See my article on increasing conversion rates |
| have the same PPC ad go to two different | | | | with Google Website Optimizer for more |
| landing pages. This allows you to split test | | | | testing tips. GrokDotCom has a wealth of |
| elements in the landing page for conversion | | | | information and resources on the topic of |
| or some other performance indicator. Make | | | | online testing. Be sure to see their 7 free |
| sure the two pages are significantly | | | | Google Website Optimizer resources. Another |
| different if you use this method. Search | | | | good testing resource is Marketing |
| engines frown on duplicate data and may | | | | Experiments. There you will find online |
| penalize you for it. | | | | testing case studies and research. |