Testing

The Google Website Optimizer is a free and powerful tool that can measure the effects of different elements on its ability to convert. You should definitely use this tool.

Testing is vital to know what elements work. Guesswork is not an option. Measure your page and tweak elements to increase conversion.

Which Elements to Test

The beauty of multivariate testing is that you can test multiple elements to see what works. But this doesn’t give you license to take a shotgun approach. Here are a few things that can have profound impact on conversions and should always be tested and tweaked:

• Headline Copy
• Calls to Action
• Caption Copy
• Button Copy
• Form Design and Length
• Graphical Elements
• Body
  eBay Explained: Shill Bidding
  Shill Bidding is a term you may not be familiar with if your new to eBay. Mostly used by newer eBayers who think they will not be caught, Shill Bidding is the term used when you bid on your own item - against other genuine bidders to increase the end auction price.Simply by creating a second eBay identity in a different address you can easily bid on your own item with no questions asked. You can push the price higher and create the impression there's a lot more interest in your item.So, why does eBay and other auction sites frown so highly on shill bidding?Well firstly it's unfair on genuine bidders who are interested in the items. Secondly & more importantly in most states it's illeg
  Driving traffic from PPC (pay-per-click) or email campaigns to your home page is a mistake. You must deliver on the promise in your lead ad copy if you hope to convert traffic. Dumping people on a home page and forcing them to navigate their way to what they want is a strategy for failure.

  Ideally, you should be driving your traffic to a landing page that focuses on conversion. This site should be independent of your main website and its sole purpose should be converting traffic.

  A landing page is a single page focused on a single idea. The focus is the action you want the user to take. This action defines your conversion. A conversion could mean a purchase, an email address in a lead generation campaign, or some other clearly defined action.

  This article outlines a few guidelines to consider when designing a landing page, but there is no substitute for testing. If you can measure it, you can improve it. You can dramatically through testing with the Google Website Optimizer.

  Layout

  Landing pages work best when designed as a single column. You should also ditch any navigation elements. The only choices a landing page should offer a user is to move forward through the conversion process or to leave.

  You want to keep momentum moving forward, and not have the eyes wandering all over the page. Multiple columns and navigation kill forward momentum. Other momentum killers are graphics and copy unrelated to the offer.

  Keep your critical elements above the fold. The visible elements that the user sees when landing are critical. Research shows you have 8 seconds to convince users to stay on your site. What they see must convince them they are in the right place and give them a reason to stay.

  Make sure your call to action is above the fold. Your call to action should repeat for each screen full of data that the user sees while scrolling down the page. Above the fold is also the best place for your hero shot, or product image. Images work best to the left of text.

  Headlines

  The headline may be the only thing a visitor reads before they leave. This makes the headline the single most important piece of copy on the page. It should be compelling and match the ad copy from the lead, whether the lead is a PPC ad, and email campaign, or a banner ad. Visitors must know in a glance that they have landed in the right place or they will bail.

  Most visitors will scan your entire site before deciding whether to read your copy. Design your landing page with scanners in mind. Do your headline and subheads tell your story? Try going through your copy and reading only the headlines and subheads to make sure they are compelling.

  Subheads should be included for every major information point. This serves to break up copy and makes reading look like less work. The copy written under each subhead should mirror the major points.

  Bullet points are essential for any lists. Don’t just string lists of information between commas in never ending paragraphs. Turn them into bullet point lists.

  Forms and Buttons

  Never ask for more information than you absolutely need. People are hesitant to give out personal information. Make sure the information you are requesting is relevant and tell the user why it is relevant. Having a visible privacy policy next to any form copy will also help. Whatever commitments to privacy you make you should be prepared to keep.

  Test you buttons. Experiment with graphical elements and with button copy. Make sure the copy is compelling. “Submit” is not compelling. Try “Buy it Now” or “Download White Paper”. Just as with link text, button copy should tell the user exactly what happens when they click it.

  Testing

  The Google Website Optimizer is a free and powerful tool that can measure the effects of different elements on its ability to convert. You should definitely use this tool.

  Testing is vital to know what elements work. Guesswork is not an option. Measure your page and tweak elements to increase conversion.

  Which Elements to Test

  The beauty of multivariate testing is that you can test multiple elements to see what works. But this doesn’t give you license to take a shotgun approach. Here are a few things that can have profound impact on conversions and should always be tested and tweaked:

  • Headline Copy
  • Calls to Action
  • Caption Copy
  • Button Copy
  • Form Design and Length
  • Graphical Elements
  • Body C
    Web Site Conversion Optimzation
    One of the most important web business strategies is conversion optimization. It is one the most effective methods to increase online earnings that most people have never heard of.What is Web Site Conversion Optimization?Web site Conversion optimization is the science and art of turning web visitors into paying customers. The goal is to convert as may visitors as possible into customers. One way to summarize the value of conversion optimization is:There are two ways to double your revenue from a web site: 1) double the number of visitors, or 2) with the same number of visitors, convince twice as visitors to buy, or take other
    ou can dramatically through testing with the Google Website Optimizer.

    Layout

    Landing pages work best when designed as a single column. You should also ditch any navigation elements. The only choices a landing page should offer a user is to move forward through the conversion process or to leave.

    You want to keep momentum moving forward, and not have the eyes wandering all over the page. Multiple columns and navigation kill forward momentum. Other momentum killers are graphics and copy unrelated to the offer.

    Keep your critical elements above the fold. The visible elements that the user sees when landing are critical. Research shows you have 8 seconds to convince users to stay on your site. What they see must convince them they are in the right place and give them a reason to stay.

    Make sure your call to action is above the fold. Your call to action should repeat for each screen full of data that the user sees while scrolling down the page. Above the fold is also the best place for your hero shot, or product image. Images work best to the left of text.

    Headlines

    The headline may be the only thing a visitor reads before they leave. This makes the headline the single most important piece of copy on the page. It should be compelling and match the ad copy from the lead, whether the lead is a PPC ad, and email campaign, or a banner ad. Visitors must know in a glance that they have landed in the right place or they will bail.

    Most visitors will scan your entire site before deciding whether to read your copy. Design your landing page with scanners in mind. Do your headline and subheads tell your story? Try going through your copy and reading only the headlines and subheads to make sure they are compelling.

    Subheads should be included for every major information point. This serves to break up copy and makes reading look like less work. The copy written under each subhead should mirror the major points.

    Bullet points are essential for any lists. Don’t just string lists of information between commas in never ending paragraphs. Turn them into bullet point lists.

    Forms and Buttons

    Never ask for more information than you absolutely need. People are hesitant to give out personal information. Make sure the information you are requesting is relevant and tell the user why it is relevant. Having a visible privacy policy next to any form copy will also help. Whatever commitments to privacy you make you should be prepared to keep.

    Test you buttons. Experiment with graphical elements and with button copy. Make sure the copy is compelling. “Submit” is not compelling. Try “Buy it Now” or “Download White Paper”. Just as with link text, button copy should tell the user exactly what happens when they click it.

    Testing

    The Google Website Optimizer is a free and powerful tool that can measure the effects of different elements on its ability to convert. You should definitely use this tool.

    Testing is vital to know what elements work. Guesswork is not an option. Measure your page and tweak elements to increase conversion.

    Which Elements to Test

    The beauty of multivariate testing is that you can test multiple elements to see what works. But this doesn’t give you license to take a shotgun approach. Here are a few things that can have profound impact on conversions and should always be tested and tweaked:

    • Headline Copy
    • Calls to Action
    • Caption Copy
    • Button Copy
    • Form Design and Length
    • Graphical Elements
    • Body
      To Be an Employee or Shareholder or Be an Internet Marketer
      In any traditional business, you are always taught that you must have the self mentality to be successful. But there will always be people who will put you down; they will try to "set you down to where you belong". We understand that some of them have good intentions, to warn us before we start trickling down to failure but sometimes, we need to mix with more positive and successful people.In the working world, we are always given a task to do and we just do it. Regardless of the bad weather, the latest in fashion, the worst disaster in the world, we are safe in the arms of our employers. But when there is an economic downturn, we will get hit very hard!So should we wait until the econom
      f data that the user sees while scrolling down the page. Above the fold is also the best place for your hero shot, or product image. Images work best to the left of text.

      Headlines

      The headline may be the only thing a visitor reads before they leave. This makes the headline the single most important piece of copy on the page. It should be compelling and match the ad copy from the lead, whether the lead is a PPC ad, and email campaign, or a banner ad. Visitors must know in a glance that they have landed in the right place or they will bail.

      Most visitors will scan your entire site before deciding whether to read your copy. Design your landing page with scanners in mind. Do your headline and subheads tell your story? Try going through your copy and reading only the headlines and subheads to make sure they are compelling.

      Subheads should be included for every major information point. This serves to break up copy and makes reading look like less work. The copy written under each subhead should mirror the major points.

      Bullet points are essential for any lists. Don’t just string lists of information between commas in never ending paragraphs. Turn them into bullet point lists.

      Forms and Buttons

      Never ask for more information than you absolutely need. People are hesitant to give out personal information. Make sure the information you are requesting is relevant and tell the user why it is relevant. Having a visible privacy policy next to any form copy will also help. Whatever commitments to privacy you make you should be prepared to keep.

      Test you buttons. Experiment with graphical elements and with button copy. Make sure the copy is compelling. “Submit” is not compelling. Try “Buy it Now” or “Download White Paper”. Just as with link text, button copy should tell the user exactly what happens when they click it.

      Testing

      The Google Website Optimizer is a free and powerful tool that can measure the effects of different elements on its ability to convert. You should definitely use this tool.

      Testing is vital to know what elements work. Guesswork is not an option. Measure your page and tweak elements to increase conversion.

      Which Elements to Test

      The beauty of multivariate testing is that you can test multiple elements to see what works. But this doesn’t give you license to take a shotgun approach. Here are a few things that can have profound impact on conversions and should always be tested and tweaked:

      • Headline Copy
      • Calls to Action
      • Caption Copy
      • Button Copy
      • Form Design and Length
      • Graphical Elements
      • Body
        Don't Quit Before You Get to the City!
        We were more than excited. Our women’s doubles tennis team had won our division, successfully competed in three rounds of the playoffs and had emerged as finalists in the city competition. We fought hard and the results had paid off, but things didn’t always look so promising. Just last season we finished in 3rd place. Three of our members decided to throw in the towel and left to find new teams.At the beginning of the season, we barely had enough members to complete the roster. We needed 10 ladies to play each week; we had 11. At our first team meeting their were only 4 in attendance. Competitively speaking, we didn’t have a lot to offer. We had no coach; we barely had players; and it wasn’t read
        ves to break up copy and makes reading look like less work. The copy written under each subhead should mirror the major points.

        Bullet points are essential for any lists. Don’t just string lists of information between commas in never ending paragraphs. Turn them into bullet point lists.

        Forms and Buttons

        Never ask for more information than you absolutely need. People are hesitant to give out personal information. Make sure the information you are requesting is relevant and tell the user why it is relevant. Having a visible privacy policy next to any form copy will also help. Whatever commitments to privacy you make you should be prepared to keep.

        Test you buttons. Experiment with graphical elements and with button copy. Make sure the copy is compelling. “Submit” is not compelling. Try “Buy it Now” or “Download White Paper”. Just as with link text, button copy should tell the user exactly what happens when they click it.

        Testing

        The Google Website Optimizer is a free and powerful tool that can measure the effects of different elements on its ability to convert. You should definitely use this tool.

        Testing is vital to know what elements work. Guesswork is not an option. Measure your page and tweak elements to increase conversion.

        Which Elements to Test

        The beauty of multivariate testing is that you can test multiple elements to see what works. But this doesn’t give you license to take a shotgun approach. Here are a few things that can have profound impact on conversions and should always be tested and tweaked:

        • Headline Copy
        • Calls to Action
        • Caption Copy
        • Button Copy
        • Form Design and Length
        • Graphical Elements
        • Body
          How to Test Your Product Ideas
          Many new internet marketers rush past this step. They’re so sure they’ve got a winner that they just rush forward with it. The trouble is, it doesn’t matter what they think, it doesn’t matter what you think, and for that matter, it doesn’t matter what I think about your product or your topic or your copy.It only matters what your market thinks!They are the final arbiters of your success or failure. They will decide if your product has value, if your copy is persuasive, if your website is appealing. Your thoughts on the subject have little meaning.This fact presents a dilemma. In order for you to make good progress on your project you will need to develop emotional attachment to i
          tly what happens when they click it.

          Testing

          The Google Website Optimizer is a free and powerful tool that can measure the effects of different elements on its ability to convert. You should definitely use this tool.

          Testing is vital to know what elements work. Guesswork is not an option. Measure your page and tweak elements to increase conversion.

          Which Elements to Test

          The beauty of multivariate testing is that you can test multiple elements to see what works. But this doesn’t give you license to take a shotgun approach. Here are a few things that can have profound impact on conversions and should always be tested and tweaked:

          • Headline Copy
          • Calls to Action
          • Caption Copy
          • Button Copy
          • Form Design and Length
          • Graphical Elements
          • Body Copy

          If you’ve done no prior testing I guarantee you that testing and tweaking these elements will at least double your conversions.

          Conclusion and Resources

          Web landing pages are probably the most critical element in the conversion funnel. Focus on tweaking and testing key copy and page elements. Match the lead copy and the landing page copy, and make a clear and compelling call to action.

          The two best resources I can suggest for landing page design are Marketing Sherpa’s Landing Page Handbook and the Google’s Website Optimizer page. The Landing Page Handbook is a bit pricey, but full of valuable information. The Website Optimizer is priceless and costs you nothing. Be sure and see my article on increasing conversion rates with the Google Website Optimizer for tips on landing page testing.