Top 5 Ecommerce Optimization Tests with Chris Goward & Ryan Lillis

transcript

The Top 5 Ecommerce Tests You Should Run Right Now

To Get Ready for a Huge Christmas 2013!

Chris Goward Founder & CEO @chrisgoward

Ryan Lillis Strategic Optimization Consultant @optimizely

Meet Ryan •  Strategic Optimization Consultant at Optimizely •  Previously at Test & Target •  He has advised all types of business from Fortune

100 to small start ups ryan.lillis@optimizely.com

We make sophisticated website optimization easy. •  Over 5,500 customers in all verticals •  Dedicated technical support and strategic consulting

E-commerce resources this month: www.optimizely.com/ecommerce-ab-testing

•  Developed WiderFunnel’s processes, including the LIFT Model™ & Kaizen

•  Conversion rate lift of 10% to 750% for every multi-test client

•  In demand as a speaker globally

•  New book by Wiley: “You Should Test That!”

Get a free chapter at: YouShouldTestThat.com

Chris Goward Founder & CEO WiderFunnel @chrisgoward

Meet Chris Goward

We partner with our clients to dramatically lift their profit with marketing optimization

•  Strategy, design, copywriting & testing

•  Every client has seen 10% to 700%+ lift

More free tips at www.WiderFunnel.com/Blog

5 Areas to Test Right Now But first, some context...

Persuasional Landing Pages

Informational Interior Pages

Transactional Conversion Pages

Test #1 – Your Landing Pages The best value proposition test point.

Situation Competitive search keywords “Human Growth Hormone” Competitors focused on product purity Shoppers worried about product efficacy & FUD

The Goal More e-commerce revenue

Which Landing Page Won?

49% Sales Lift

Controlled Test Result

Prospect’s Desires

Your Features

Competitor’s Features

Your Points of Parity (POPs)

Your Points of Difference (PODs)

Your Point of Irrelevance (POIs)

The POPs, PODs and POIs Value Proposition Framework

Test #2 – Your Home Page The most over-scrutinized, under-optimized page.

Rotating messages are a Distraction

Test #3 – Your Category Pages The most over-looked pages.

Situation Industry-leading website Stagnant conversion rate We identified the category pages as a priority

Which Category Page Won?

16.1% Sales Lift

Test #4 – Your Product Detail Pages The decision-point.

Background Solid brand awareness Disappointing conversion rate Google told them to work with WiderFunnel

Knowing what to test: Using the LIFT Model™

(Note: For more, search “WiderFunnel Lift”)

Relevance Clarity

Anxiety Distraction

Urgency

Clarity: Blue text is confused with links

Value Proposition: “Free Shipping” may be more compelling?

Distraction: Show All Categories opens a new page

Relevance: Scrolling products take most prominent position

Clarity: Design does not imply sale price

Distraction: Reviews are more prominent than features.

Clarity: Features included in Description tab at bottom.

Clarity: Shipping tab does not include shipping price.

Distraction: Shipping link opens new page in new tab.

Distraction: Cross-selling more prominent than features.

WEAKNESS STRENGTH Relevance: Scrolling products take most prominent position

Distraction: Reviews are more prominent than features.

Clarity: Design does not imply sale price

Hypothesis: Moving product reco box below the fold

Hypothesis: Redesigning CTAs to emphasize sale price

Hypothesis: Increasing prominence of product features

Develop Test Hypotheses

Which Product Page Template Won?

– Why?

16% Sales Lift!

Test #5 – Your PCTAs The site-wide checkout entry-point

Over-emphasis on security creates anxiety

Does this create trust?

How do you prioritize? It’s as easy as PIE

The PIE™ Prioritization Framework

1.   Potential

2.   Importance

3.   Ease

The PIE™ Prioritization Framework

1.   Potential

2.   Importance

3.   Ease

Web Analytics

Voice of Customer

Traffic Volume

Technical

“Political”

PIE Prioritization Test # Test Type Potential Importance Ease Rating

1.1 Landing Page Template 10 10 10 10

2.1 Home A/B Cluster 10 10 9 9.3

2.2 Home Isolation 1 8 10 9 9.0

3.1 Category Template A/B Cluster 10 9 7 8.7

3.2 Category Isolation 1 8 9 8 8.3

3.3 Category Isolation 2 8 9 8 8.3

4.1 PCTA Isolation 1 6 10 8 8.0

5 Product Detail Template A/B Cluster 10 10 4 8.0

6.1-3 Shopping Cart Isolation 1-3 8 9 6 7.7

7.1 Product Detail Isolation 8 10 5 7.7

8 Site-wide elements 6 7 9 7.3

8.1 Shopping Cart A/B Cluster 9 9 3 7.0

9 Blog Template PCTA 8 2 7 5.7

Ask the Right Questions. Don’t Worry About the Right Answers.

5 more A/B tests to run today

The Right Questions

•  DON’T ASK: “What are the variations we are testing?”

•  ASK: “What question are we trying to answer?”

•  Conceptual Validation – define the broad question trying to be answered, and determine the simplest and easiest way to validate that concept.

Test #1 – Thematic vs. Specific What type of images perform better?

Test #1 – Specific

Hypothesis: The second image will outperform the first.

Variation 1: Image One

buy one, get one 50% off kids’ shoes, plus deals on clothing and more

Girls’ shoes | boys’ shoes | clothing | uniforms | backpacks

Variation 2: Image Two

Test #1 –Themes

Image Theme Test

Hypothesis: Product images will outperform lifestyle images.

Variation 1: Models & Products Variation 2: Products Only

Value of Themes

Image themes allow you to stretch your insights and test intelligently.

DON’T ASK Will image A outperform image B?

DO ASK How does this type of imagery compare to that type of imagery?

Test #2 – No Design vs. Design Is simple better?

Test # 2– Designer Test

Hypothesis

The second breadcrumb with graphical images will allow users to easily navigate the site, resulting in a conversion rate increase.

Variation 1: Simple Breadcrumb

Home > Shop iPad > iPad Accessories > Headphones

Variation 2: Stylized Breadcrumb

Test # 2– No Designer Test

Hypothesis

The prominent breadcrumb will be more easily noticed and allow users to more easily navigate the site, resulting in a conversion rate increase.

Variation 1: Simple Breadcrumb

Variation 2: Prominent Breadcrumb

Value of No Design Test

No Design Tests… • Utilize fewer resources • Take minutes to set up

Depending on the results, design resources can be most effectively utilized in a follow-up test.

DON’T ASK Will style outperform simplicity?

DO ASK How much does prominence affect performance?

Test #3 – No IT vs. IT How much technical involvement is necessary?

Test # 3 – No IT vs. IT

Hypothesis: A multi-page checkout with fewer fields per page will drive a higher conversion rate.

Variation 1: Single, Long-page Checkout

Variation 2: Multi-page, Checkout

Test # 3 – No IT vs. IT

Hypothesis: Users are overwhelmed and a checkout funnel that exposes fewer fields initially will drive a higher conversion rate.

Variation 1: Single, Long-page Checkout

Variation 2: Collapsed sections, on Single page

2 Shipping

3 Options

4 Payment

Value of No IT Test

No IT Tests… • Can be set up in minutes or days vs.

months or years, yes, years.

Remember: You don’t always have to modify your backend content systems to “fake it” for the purposes of a test.

DON’T ASK How can I change the backend to support this test?

DO ASK Can I test this concept without changing the backend?

Is conceptual validation perfect? No. But...

Value of Conceptual Validation

Conceptual validation allows you to.. • Prioritize your team’s resources • Test quickly • Run intelligent tests

Over the long run, this approach is sure to generate a better website tomorrow than you have today.

August – September •  2 months of simple,

conceptual testing.

•  Test setup should be quick, overlapping.

•  Most tests should run for only two weeks.

September – October •  1 -2 months of detailed

development/design work.

•  Prep for launching more complex tests of previously validated concepts.

October – November •  Final testing push to the

holidays.

•  Test to confirm what you discovered– potentially prior to a code freeze.

Testing Timeline: Countdown to the Holidays

Questions? Tweet this webinar: @chrisgoward @optimizely #ecommerce

Upcoming E-Commerce Events

•  11 am August 14 – Where You’re Falling Short on Your E-Commerce Site and How to Improve –  Presented by Tim Ash of SiteTuners and Luke Diaz of

Optimizely

•  11 am August 29 – Optimizely for Online Retail: Essential Features & E-Commerce Case Studies –  Presented by Jodie Ellis and Junan Panag of Optimizely

Get a free 20-page whitepaper: The 5-Step E-commerce Conversion Optimization Strategy

Just email:

iwant@widerfunnel.com

Free Whitepaper

Thank you!

Top 5 Ecommerce Optimization Tests with Chris Goward & Ryan Lillis

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