Avatar News : March 2010

Autumnal Greetings, In this month's newsletter, we look into split testing and how it can help rev up conversion rates. Many sites are getting good traffic, but it's often very beneficial to take a look under the hood and have a tinker to make the engine run better. Also in this edition, you can view our usually unusual selection of weird and wacky tidbits and check out this month's site of interest.

In This Edition

• Split Testing
• Tidbits
• This Month's Site Of Interest

Split Testing

In simple terms, split testing is about changing aspects of your site, then measuring the performance difference.

As an example, on our Avatar home page we have changed the colour of our call to action graphic to see if a brighter colour attracts more clicks. It alternates, one viewer will see our old version, then the next viewer will see the new version, then we compare click statistics to see what works better. As usual, Google has come to the party with another incredible free tool, called the Website Optimizer, that helps to deliver the page differences and track the results.

Split Testing Options
There are two primary forms of split testing: A/B testing and multivariate testing. A/B testing or split testing, as the name suggests, compares one unique parameter with another. This testing process determines which of the tried techniques works best with your specific site traffic, therefore generating the highest conversion rate. Multivariate testing is a little more advanced in that it compares multiple parameters with one another all at the same time. There are countless parameters that can be tested including headlines, fonts, colours, image placement and so on.

A/B Testing
For the purpose of this article, we will be focusing on A/B testing. The main benefits of A/B testing are:

• It can help determine which elements on a Web site are performing well and those performing not so well
• It can be used to better understand site visitor behaviours and priorities
• It can be used as a diagnostic tool that aids in finding and solving specific problems you may have with your Web site
• It challenges assumptions made about "good" Web site design and content

Just about every element of your Web site can be split tested, but to give you more of an idea, here are a few examples:

• Newsletters – changing the heading from hard sell to soft sell, changing the send out day to record customer response, including your company name in the email subject line
• Graphics – changing an image of a product to include a person, or vice versa
• Link locations – moving the position of a link or button to another area of your page
• Font – try out a different font for your site
• Colours – change the colour of your background, subheadings, links etc

While some changes to your Web site may not prompt any change in site traffic and conversions, it is worth testing because you might find that a simple change you never considered, significantly improves site traffic and the conversion rate.

Is A/B Testing Really Worth It?
Yes. Split testing can be what separates elite Web sites from the rest because the site is made up of a combination of proven and successful elements, which ultimately help to produce greater results for your business. Optimum results are achieved through split testing because:

• Visitors to your site feel more inclined to browse for longer
• Visitors feel more able to interact with your site
• More visitors are likely to subscribe to your newsletter or request a consultation
• Visitors feel more inclined to buy from your site

If you would like any further information, or are interested in split testing certain parameters of your site, please contact us.

Tidbits

• Wacky Wallpaper. Are you renovating and need some inspiration? Then have a look through this eclectic mix of out there wallpaper designs and get creative!
• PlanetSolar. If you have an interest in boating, then this is a must-see. An ambitious project of building a boat that can travel the world using only renewable energy.
• Put Your Feet Up. A unique piece of multifunctional furniture that combines the convenience of a personal computer with a padded ottoman. Result: another excuse to stay home.
• Space Rave. Crank up your speakers, click full screen, turn off the lights, break out the glow sticks and boogie to this brilliant space rave, a fantastic concoction of space footage set to a pulsating dance groove.

This Month's Site Of Interest

Leading Mountain Resorts of the World (Web site design and development) Leading Mountain Resorts is a global partnership combining six of the world's top rated alpine holiday destinations. Be assured that when you choose a Leading Mountain Resort of the World, you will be travelling to one of the world's foremost year-round alpine holiday spots. The Leading Mountain Resorts Web site uses Joomla CMS and contains multiple flash animations.