| I've got a confession to make. This may | | | | price tests in which we tested $17 vs. |
| come as a surprise to you (after all, | | | | $97 and $97 converted better! (Not just |
| I'm a testing fanatic)... But, testing | | | | higher visitor value, but actually |
| doesn't improve website conversion every | | | | higher conversion!) |
| time. | | | | So it really is impossible to know in |
| Nearly all "online marketing gurus" | | | | advance what version or variable is |
| promote the benefits of conducting split | | | | going to win. Experience and prior |
| tests and multi-variable tests on your | | | | testing data can help you make an |
| website. But, few (if any) tell you the | | | | educated guess, but you still have to |
| WHOLE truth about how to test, what to | | | | test it and see. |
| test and what results to realistically | | | | I view selecting test variables, kind of |
| expect from your testing. | | | | like picking stocks. You can do all of |
| The consequences? Many online markers | | | | your homework, use a variable that has |
| become confused by and disappointed with | | | | boosted response on every other site you |
| their first fledgling attempts at | | | | tested and still not have a winner. |
| conducting testing campaigns on their | | | | And the opposite can happen. You can |
| websites. | | | | test a variable that you are almost |
| Because their results often don't live | | | | positive will be a dog, (or even make an |
| up to the "hype", they become discourage | | | | error when setting up your variables) |
| and simply assume that "testing doesn't | | | | and it can boost response. I've often |
| work" or "it's not worth the effort". | | | | seen headlines that I hated or graphic |
| I hear this from my clients all the | | | | images that were down right UGLY convert |
| time. They will tell me, "oh... I tried | | | | better than the more appealing versions. |
| testing on my site and it didn't help." | | | | So just like picking a stock, past |
| Well... in an effort to clear up a few | | | | performance doesn't guarantee future |
| of the misconceptions about testing and | | | | results! Every single variable you test |
| help folks overcome some of the | | | | will not be a winner. In fact when it |
| unrealistic expectations that simply set | | | | comes to the stock market, if you can |
| them up for disappointment, I'm about to | | | | pick a winning trade just 51% of the |
| tell you the "dirty little secret" that | | | | time, you'll become rich. |
| the gurus usually fail to mention. | | | | The same principle applies to test |
| Every variable you test will NOT | | | | variable selection. If you're able to |
| automatically improve sales. In fact | | | | consistently pick winning variables 50% |
| MOST of the variables you test will | | | | or the time or more, you're doing an |
| either reduce response or make no | | | | outstanding job! (Or you're simply not |
| measurable difference! | | | | running enough tests...) |
| In fact, after conducting over 6,000 | | | | Now, am I telling you all of this to |
| split and multivariable tests over the | | | | discourage you from testing? ABSOLUTELY |
| past six years I've generated some | | | | NOT! |
| pretty good data on what you can expect | | | | Like I said at the beginning of the |
| to achieve in a typical testing | | | | article, I'm a testing fanatic. |
| campaign. | | | | I've seen small businesses transformed |
| In most multivariable tests only 1/4 to | | | | into "big" businesses almost overnight |
| 1/3 of your variables will boost | | | | via proper testing. |
| response. Another 1/4 to 1/3 of your | | | | I've seen a laid off, single father go |
| test variables will actually reduce | | | | from struggling to pay the bills selling |
| response. And 1/3 to 1/2 of your | | | | an ebook to making a solid six figure |
| variables won't make a measurable | | | | income by only tweaking and testing 4 |
| difference. | | | | items on his sales letter. |
| (Well... that's not entirely true. If | | | | Done right (and with proper |
| you run any test long enough a winner | | | | expectations) testing can indeed change |
| will usually emerge, but it is not worth | | | | your life and transform your business. |
| the trouble to let a campaign run for | | | | I just want to make sure that you go |
| months on end just for a 1/10th of a | | | | into the process with the right, long |
| percent improvement in conversion.) | | | | term mindset and that you don't become |
| Of course, the more experience you gain | | | | discouraged and quit if your first |
| in testing, the better your odds of | | | | attempts at testing fail to yield earth |
| finding a variable that will be a | | | | shattering improvements in response. |
| winner... but you still have no | | | | The good news for testing is, because |
| guarantees. | | | | you can flush the variables that don't |
| Often variables that you are sure will | | | | boost response and only keep the |
| boost sales, wind up having no effect or | | | | "winners", even if you only pick a |
| worse, decrease response. | | | | winner 10% of the time you'll still make |
| I've seen tests where a 1 year guarantee | | | | huge gains in conversion and response |
| was tested against NO guarantee and the | | | | over the long haul. |
| no guarantee version won. I've conducted | | | | Happy testing! |