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