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Optimize It!
A Blog about Conversion Improvement

Live Taguchi Optimization Blogged!

We are ready to begin blogging our first live taguchi optimization. This is a “Full Service” Optimization whereby we provide the test design, creative, and test analysis service, bringing back a fully optimized ad. We guarantee a 50% increase in response rate on full service optimizations, so we’ll see if we get it this time.

Over the coming days we will share some of our thoughts and strategy as we optimize this landing page using the Taguchi Method, and post live results to our blog. Our goal is to increase the lead conversion rate of the landing page at http://www.bookkeepingbiz.com/knowaccounting/ Currently it performs at a relatively anemic 15.5% on traffic from Google Adwords. (This is the conversion rate to date since 6/1/2005).

Using the Taguchi Method, we have identified 7 variables or “Factors” on this page design which we will test:

1. Headline
2. Image
3. Header
4. Form Position
5. Lead In/Greeting
6. Body Copy
7. Urgency Appeal

Check back to this blog regularly, as we reveal some of the secrets of increasing conversion rates, and what we learn on this optimization. In the next post, we’ll find out about level selection for the test!

Filed under: Case Studies,Multivariate Testing,Taguchi Testing —

The Worst Thing About Best Practices

MarketingProfs published a scathing attack on best practices written by Michael McLaughlin in todays issue. His article describes the use of best practices in sales presentations. I thoroughly enjoyed it and think most of what he has written definetly applies to Landing Pages and online optimization.

Here are Michaels top 4 reasons for why best practices suck:

1. They rarely work
2. It’s a followers strategy
3. Change comes from within
4. They don’t come with a manual

One of the fascinating things we learn through testing sites is how wrong the “best practices” are in many cases. Every site, sale, or offer is unique, and the only way to know what really works is to test it and find out!

Filed under: A/B Testing,Internet Marketing,Landing Page Optimization,Multivariate Testing,Taguchi Testing —

What is Taguchi Multivariate Testing

So you’ve heard the buzz. But if you are like a lot of people, you are probably wondering what Taguchi is all about. Today is your lucky day- because I have a (relatively) complete explanation for you…

Before you will understand multivariate testing, lets review some facts about statistics and testing. In science class we learned something called the scientific method. This specified that to scientifically test a system, we should only change one thing at a time. By only varying one element in the system, and measuring results before and after the change, we could learn the relative impact of that change.When attempting to optimize a web page this way, we would make just one change to the page at a time. After repeating the experiment enough times, we could prove our results with some certainty.

Multivariate testing refutes the above notions. Using mathematical formulas and specialized arrays, it is possible to test many aspects of a system at the same time. Not only are you able to learn what worked and what didn’t, but also what the optimal combination of page elements is to maximize the response rate. This creates the net effect of doing many simple experiments at the same time.

In fact, it becomes possible to run the equivalent of thousands of tests simultaneously.

How will it help me sell more on my site?

Through the magic of Multivariate experiments, the possibilities are virtually limitless. You can rapidly learn the best combination of page elements- things like your headlines, product images, and price points, to maximize sales or lead flow.Stop guessing what the ideal design for your page is, because you don’t have to. Through Multivariate experiments, you can learn if the picture of the girl with the white background, or the man with the blue background works better. Find out if the long form with detailed instructions works better than the short form with short instructions.

Not only will you learn which works better, but also, which combination of elements works better. In the above example, you might find out that a long form with short instructions actually works best. You never even included this in the original test. Or you might find the best combination in the first example is a man with a white background, another combination that you never considered.

Filed under: Taguchi Testing —

Taguchi in the Press: Article featuring Dr. James Kowalick’s work in Forbes

The latest issue of Forbes Magazine features an article titled “Reengineer that Ad” about Dr. James Kowalick and his pioneering work using the Taguchi method for ad optimization. Although the article does not deal with website optimization, it does give some pretty compelling results from direct mail and email.

Filed under: Taguchi Testing —
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