Testing with Google Website Optimizer Now Live

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Google has launched a tool that will allow even non-techie types to do the kind of testing that pays immediate dividends. Google Website Optimizer, part of the AdWords offering, is a free multi variant testing application that allows you to test your landing pages and sales pages.

The tool allows you to insert a bit of code in your web pages and then create several versions of a page, testing price, headlines, copy or anything really and then track which variant is getting you the best results. There are other tools that will do this, but one works well and is free. Obviously Google suggests that you use it to test your Google AdWords ads, but it will work with other analytics packages as well. (You will need a Google Analytics account to make it work.)

Bryan Eisenberg, with Future Now, an authorized consultant for the product, has created some tools to help small businesses get started with this application. The tools include a webinar, WordPress plugin, interviews and couple ebooks related to the topic. The resources are available at Grokdotcom.

A Bribe: I have 7 coupons good for a copy of a related ebook from Grokdotcom – Which Sells Best. I will give a copy to the first sevan readers who use the comment feature on this post to outline how they test their marketing, online or off. Please include results of your testing and any tools you use. Post your comment and I’ll send you a coupon.

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Posted by: John Jantsch on Apr 07, 07 | 8:08 pm
Category: Google | Tags:

Comments

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Drew

Just beginning to crank up several online enterprises, but the sites are not yet live. Still considering best options for driving traffic to the soon-to-be released destinations.

In the past, I've used offline means to drive traffic online within local markets- print, radio PR spots, and handouts at targeted live events. Each with varying success as tracked by opensource & internally developed web and log analytics.

Roy McCallop

Hello:

I have been using postcards to market my Notary Public service. I have been targeting, attorneys, title and escrow companies, financial institutions. I have also targeted small businesses in the surronding KC Metro area.

I am also using email for contact.

However, I have not achieved the response or results that I have expected.
I realize that notary service is something that is not sought out everyday but everyone evenually needs one.

Roy McCallop, Notary Public
missourinotarypublic@yahoo.com

Erin

The only way I've previosly tested landing pages is by creating two pages and running my ppc ads all pointed to one the first week, and the second page the second week. I've also divided up groups of words and pointed them towards two different URLs. Or within Google's PPC, used two landing pages there and let it self-optimize. None of these approaches from my end has been very controlled or sophisticated. I have a Google Analytics account but didn't know it had this capability. Cool!

Jeff Muchnik

I test by marketing by using google website anlaysis software. I have tried variations on different PPC ads, by using different products, general and specific to try and promote my discount hardware tools and supplies at redboxtools.com

Jen

I have done both direct mail and email marketing. To test which is performing better, I would just split up my lists and send different creative to each group using different promotion codes hoping to get a good read on which code performs the best. Unfortunately, I haven't had a huge response and therefore haven't been able to get a good read on what works.

Mike

Last summer, I learned the hard way how cumbersome multivariate testing could be without tools to do the heavy lifting for me.

In our industry, there tends to be substantially less business on Fridays. To dampen the effect of our fixed costs, we decided to test three different "Friday" promotions with our customers, all via email as a channel. I manually tracked the three different promotions with the following variations: 1. Two different subject lines, 2. Two-different bodies of the message, 3. Two different calls to action, 4. Two different times of day for sending the message, and 5. Two different groups of customers.

My company learned with statistical significance that one of the promotion succeeded more than the other two and that one email subject line was more successful, but the other variations didn't yield significant results. What I personally learned was to use a multivariate tool, when possible, from now on.

Dana

We find that heatmap testing (using crazyegg.com) works wonderfully - you can find out what people click on and shouldn't, and where they really click in search boxes, sign up boxes, etc.

John Jantsch

Mike and all,

Great stuff - no matter what we think we know as experts, nothing beats test results.

It's so important that the real key is to make it easy so that you can actually do it.

I've seen cases where a one word change in a headline tripled results???

John Jantsch

Dana,

Thanks for the tip on crazy egg - I had not seen that before. Looks great - do you know who's behind it?

Bret

Thanks for the information and we will seriously consider there wonderful tips and tools in our campaigns for small businesses.

Would like to see more of those often

Jeff Horsager

John, congratulations on being selected as an authorized consultant for GWO. As a copywriter, I love this tool. The GrokDotCom resources are excellent.

SB Marketing

I defiantly will try this program out. I can not believe I did not notice it before.

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