Optimizing your Web landing pages to convert more donors,

activists, and subscribers

Nick Allen, DonordigitalDawn Stoner, Donordigital

Milo Sybrant, Amnesty International USA

NTEN ConferenceSan FranciscoApril 27, 2009

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Agenda

• Why test?

• What to test on your landing pages

• Test types

• Case study: Amnesty International USA

• Getting started with testing

• Q & A

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� Why test?

� What to test?

� Practical steps to getting started

What you’ll learn (if we do a good job)

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� Arrgh-OI

Bonus slide – Donordigital contest clue

� What did the pirate hope to improve through optimization?

guesswho.donordigital.com

Why Test?

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� Most organizations have landing page conversion rates below 20% -- some less than 10%

� Poorly designed donation pages drive away potential donors

A huge untapped opportunity …

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Why Should You Care?

� Improved LP conversion means more dollars raised …

� with no increase in outbound marketing

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More reasons to test?

� Testing is cost effective

� Doubling LP conversion is the same as doubling traffic – but much cheaper

� Testing isn’t rocket science

� Small changes can provide an immediate lift

� Test tools do most of the analysis for you

� The important thing is getting the process right

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A word about web users…

� Their attention span is 8 seconds!

� People read 25% slower on the web*

� You must grab their attention fast

*Source: Marketing Sherpa

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Things to Test!

� Headline

� Header Image

� Gift strings

� Copy under headline

� Form layout

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Things to Test!

� Form fields

� Buttons

� Security logo placement

� Testimonials

� Copy formatting

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Multivariate Testing (MVT)

� Testing multiple variables (page elements) on a landing page at the same time

A/B or Split Tests

� A single variable is tested

� Page traffic is split (usually 50:50)

Types of Tests

Case Study:Amnesty International USA

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• Donordigital and Amnesty International began MVT in November 2007

• Goals: raise more money, acquire new donors

• Used the Optimost testing platform

• DD/AI tests focused on:

� High volume email, Search donation pages

� Amnesty ran other tests on main web pages

Testing Background

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• Primary test metric: Conversion rate*

• We also tracked fundraising metrics to understand full impact of creative combinations

• The calendar influence: testing to get landing pages in the best position for year-end (when real money is made or lost)

* Conversion rate = # transactions / page visits

Testing Background

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• 2 test variables:� Header

� Button (color, size, copy)

• Each variable had 3 possible variations (values):

Test 1: Email appeal landing page

Table 1.1: Email Landing Page Variables Test 1: Email Landing Page

Variable A: Header* Variable B: Donate Button Color/Text

Value 1 “Polite” + Appeal Copy, Black Grey “Submit” Value 2 Forceful Call-to-Action, Red Red “Submit” Value 3 Forceful Call-to-Action, Black Red “Donate Now!”

*Header creative: • Polite header: “Please make a tax-deductible gift today to stop the abhorrent practice of extraordinary rendition.”

• Forceful call to action header: “Donate Now! Help us end extraordinary rendition!”

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Test 1: Email appeal landing page

A

B

Header variable

Donate button variable

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Results:• The best performing creative lifted the conversion rate by 22%

and raised $3,000 more than the baseline!

Test 1: Email appeal landing page

Table 1.3: Email Landing Page Results

Baseline Challenger Conversion Rate

% Change Significantly Different?

+29% Yes

+25% Yes

“Polite” Header* + Appeal Copy (Black)

Call-to-action Header** (Black)

-22% Yes

“Polite” Header* + Appeal Copy (Black)

Call-to-action Header** (Red)

-12% Directionally

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Test 2: Google Search donation page

• 4 test variables:

� Introductory text

� Mission Copy

� Gift string layout

� 1 column vs. 2 column form field layout

• Each variable had 2 possible values

Test 2: Google

Landing Page

Variable A: Introductory

copy

Variable B: Mission Copy Variable C: Gift

String Layout

Variable D: 1-column

vs. 2-column field

layout

Value 1 Control copy Appears in right column Vertical 1-column

Value 2

More emphasis on tax-

deductibility No mission copy Horizontal 2-column

Test 2: Google Landing Page Variables

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Test 2: Google Search donation page

A

B

Header copy

variable

Mission Copy

Gift string layout

Field layout variable

A B

C

D

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Test 2: Google Search donation page

Baseline Creative* Challenger Conversion Rate %

Change

Significantly Different?

Introductory copy

More emphasis on tax-

benefits in copy +2.3% NO

Mission copy in right

column

No mission copy in

right column -22.7% YES – Negative

Vertical Gift String

Layout

Horizontal Gift String

Layout +21.4% YES – Positive

1-column form field

layout

2-column form field

layout -6.5% NO

Table 2.1: Google Landing Page Test Results

• Winning creative improved Amnesty’s Search conversion rate by 40% last December, netting $72,000 in incremental revenue for that month alone.

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• Test variable: gift string values

• Test segment: non-donors on the AIUSA email file

• Hypothesis: folks who had never given online might respond better to a more conservative gift string

Test 3: Email donation page A/B

A/B Test Values Variable: Gift String Values

Value 1 $35-$75-$150-$500-$1,000

Value 2 $35-$75-$100-$150-$250

Test 3: Email Landing Page

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Results:

• The conservative gift string had a 15% better conversion rate, at an 81% confidence level.

• The conservative gift string raised only 1% more money, since lower suggested amounts reduced average gift size by 13%. [

Test 3: Email donation page A/B

Baseline Creative Challenger Conversion Rate %

Change

Significantly Different?

Broader gift string

Conservative gift

string +15.0% Directionally

Test 3: Email Landing Page Test Results

Key Testing Takeaways

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Key Testing Takeaways

• Button size & color matter: Bigger and more colorful buttons convert better

• Copy matters: but audience needs differ

• A horizontal gift string layout converts more donors than vertical (less scrolling)

• Conservative gift string values convert more non-donors than broader gift strings

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Getting Started with Testing

• What works for Amnesty may not work for you.

• Gut feel is no substitute for actual tests!

• Test, test, test

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Multivariate Testing - what you’ll need

• A testing software platform

• Enough traffic and conversions to yield significant data*

• Staff time or a consultant to set up and analyze the tests

• Time and patience

If you don’t have all of these things, you can still do A/B testing on your big ideas!

*Roughly 100 conversions per page variation, e.g. a test with 2 variables and 2 values each (4 page variations) would need ~ 400 conversions.

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Multivariate Testing Tips

• Start with just a few variables to get results more quickly

• Track fundraising metrics (if tools allow) to see full impact of creative changes

• Don’t sweat it if you make mistakes!

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• For more practical advice and resources, check out Donordigital’s new white paper, Landing on Gold: Optimizing your donation pages to increase giving – a bright spot in a tough economy

• Download it at www.donordigital.com

• Additional resources we recommend:

Getting Started with Testing

Q & A

Thank You!

For more information contact:Nick Allen, Dawn Stoner

Donordigital510.225.0400

nick@donordigital.com, dawn@donordigital.com