12 reasons your site sucks

Craig Sullivan, Belron®@OptimiseOrDie

#1 – Not enough immersion

#1 – Not enough immersion

#1 – Not enough immersion

I do it with Millions of strangers every monthJoin the ‘League of Optimisers’ on Linkedin

Naked promotional slide

• Contact deflection and online self service

• Site search analytics

• Site, Page and Campaign optimisation

• Test design and execution

• A long usable site portfolio

• ROI on UX improvements

• Over 19 years of slow death in really really boring meetings

• Conversion Rate Optimisation

• A/B and Multi-variate testing

• Telephony analytics & tracking

• User centered Design

• Usability testing

• Customer Research & Insight

• Web Analytics

• Performance, browser and email optimisation

Tweet me @OptimiseOrDie

OPTIMISATIONA set of techniques, implemented in order to influence customer behaviour towards these outcomes:• Increased revenue or profit• Increasing NPS (Customer Sat) scores • Lower cost for business or contact centres• Increasing productivity or labour flexibility• Simply delighting customers

We may fail with 90% of what we try. The 10% of winners let us shift behaviour hugely and measurably.

Agenda• Using your customers• Improving conversion• Finding great ideas• Beating the competition• The growth of mobile• My toolkit for optimisation• Big budget tools at pocket sized prices• It’s all about the customer• Admin : All slides and notes on Slideshare• Admin : Resource pack included

#1 – You are not the customer

#2 – You research by asking colleagues

You are not the customer!• Walk the customer journey• Paper prototyping• Cheap usability testing• Get out of the office testing• Diary studies• Surveys• Voice of customer tools (VOC)• Talk to your call centre, support, sales staff• Listen in on calls, read emails, view social• Wear the magical slippers!

Usertesting.com : Panel recruitment

Ethnio.com : Recruit from visitorsUserzoom.com : Multi-functionUsabilla.com : Recruit from visitorsLoop11.com : DIY

There is a longer list at the end of the slides!

Usability crowdsourcing

Voice of customer tools

Several types of tools:

• Onpage feedback• Exit the site questions• Behavioural trigger• Post bail email

4q.iperceptions.com

1. Based on today’s visit, how would you rate your site experience overall?

2. Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of your visit?

3. Were you able to complete the purpose of your visit today?

4. (If yes) What do you value most about the [sitename] website?

5. (If no) Please tell us why you were not able to fully complete the purpose of your visit today?

4 basic questions

Kampyle

Kissinsights

Userzoom

VOC tools:KampyleKissinsightsUserzoomUsersnapOpinionlabCS site managerPolldaddy

Voice of Customer tools

Survey tools:SurveygizmoSurveymonkeyZoomerang

Social Management & Monitoring

• Hootsuite : Free or £5.99 / mo• Socialbro : Free• Google alerts : Free• Social Mention : Free

• More tools at : http://bit.ly/gpYq42

UX

Copy meaning

ACTION : U are not the customer!

• Get wired into customers heads• Listen to them, ask questions, get feedback• Do usability testing, even if it’s friends & family• Run surveys• Install a VOC system on your site• If you can’t afford a VOC system, use 4Q• www.4q.iperceptions.com

Read these two books:

Nice day at the

office dear?

#3 – We’re robotic and emotionless

Luke Wroblewski : www.lukew.comCaroline Jarrett : www.formsthatwork.com

Ignore this stuff at your peril!

#2 – The average lead value for this form is £30k

Example : Lovefilm postcode lookup: CRO 1XA CR0 1XA SE!£ ^DHCR0 lXA CR0-1XA SE% $RLCRO1XA CR01XA CT^&EFCR0lXA CR01XA EC!A 1DF

CRO 1XA CR0 1XA SE£ (SHCR0 lXA CR0 1XA SE3 9SH.

Strip spaces. Fix transposed characters (0/1/L/O). Transform shifted characters. Trim if front part matches post office codes. Clean it. Auto fix = 2.5% increase in conversion for one field.

Outcodes and Incodes : bit.ly/yhR9Oy

Reduce email bounce by 50%

ACTION : Stop being a robot!

• Stop thinking about data, and start watching customers try to fill in your forms

• Optimising forms is one of the highest return activities I do

• Find out why customers leave • Watch using a session replay product• Design emotion into your product• Answer customer questions – delivery charges,

returns policy, common queries.

ACTION : Forms design resources

I’ve compiled you a nice handy guide of all the stuff I’ve read and used to optimise stuff.Whether it’s a newsletter signup or an insurance quote system, you need to read this stuff:

bit.ly/GCq2w0

Comprehension Clarity Simplicity Persuasion Scanning

#4 – Your copywriting isn’t optimal

Copy meaning

• Use their voice• Front loaded copy• Use text decoration• Bullets, styling, titles ,

key information -> make them scannable

• Think of the meaning in the customer mind

• Less words always• Employ a copywriter!• Further reading…

ACTION : Read these books

#5 – Loads of people bounce, leave, exit

ACTION : Use a recording tool

• Clicktale : www.clicktale.com• Mouseflow : www.mouseflow.com• Ghostrec : www.ghostrec.com• Userfly : www.userfly.com

“These tools are a brilliant way to use customers to improve your site usage or conversion. Most of them are free, especially if you have lower traffic”

#6 – Performance looked OK at our office?

• Google Site Speed• Webpagetest.org• Mobile is vital!

#7 – You’re not testing (enough)

Control Version A Version B

A/B test

+9% +2%

Multi variate Pizza

=

ExperimentIngredients Recipes

What’s our testing mix?• A/B testing – Homepage, Landing pages, Funnels• MVT testing – High traffic landing or Home pages

– Mini (less than 8 variables)– Midi (8-32)– Maxi (>32 variables)

And 6 types of specialised testing:• Funnel testing – bedding in new funnels• Landing page optimisation• Cross channel and telephony testing • Iterative feature and product testing• Video tests• Micro testing

6 years of testing on one slide

Less is more – simplicity, comprehension, clarity in design, visibility, space, LESS WORDSCopy works – Call to action wording, title, headline, strapline, framing – contribute 50-70% of our test uplift. Pay someone to do this properly, like Sticky Content.Really big buttony button : Large, prominent, visible, button like CTAUse goal, verb or action oriented keywords (Fix my glass!, Download now, Get started)Use text decoration on key persuasive copy (don’t overdo it)CTA above fold, especially on landing pages, key stepsClick here (Haz clic aqu, cliquez ici) is one of the top 3 button wordings, always. Let me explain.Do not split attention on CTA unless necessary. Deprecate other buttons or functions (Save, Cancel, Print, Back, Help, Buy)Emotional states : Using emotion, reflecting or mirroring the customer are just as important as how the checkout form works. If you don’t know what the worries and fears are from the visitors coming through the funnel, you’re missing a trick.Show me the value proposition : The what’s in it for me test. (PPC example)Maintain a scent trail – PPC advert, Organic title and snippet, Landing page, Funnel, Reflect the user, Maintain the scent, Make use of the gifts you’re givenThink about emotional states and make use of themBadging : Use badging, testimonials, social proofing and trust symbolsBadging : Be careful about security seals and when you use them. Same with promotion or visibility of card information – always test.Images : See next slideGuidelines are good but every page and site will vary

People images that suck…

Photo Guidelines• Groups, vans, stores, head office, corporate

guff = NO• Single person – not groups or even person +

customer (ignoring you)• Open, Friendly, Natural, Smiling, Engaged,

Alert = YES• Smile best with eye crinkles• Uniform – has huge effect, even wearing

branded hat improves conversion• Look straight at viewer or slightly towards Call

to Action button• Plain backgrounds only• No folded arms, arms on hips, pointing,

scowling, cheesy smiles, hands behind back, hanging useless by the side, clasped by groin, fiddling with hand

• Pay attention to the visitor, not something else (e.g. Groups of people)

• Arms with prop instead – hold a clipboard, rag, tool – I’m working for *you*

• Female images work best in almost every country – they slay the guys

• Natural, authentic and not ‘model’ or ‘stock’ image types work best for people

• Some of our best performing images would be rejected by advertisers as ‘too ugly.

• Want to know more? Contact me or check out the @brainlady

• Oh, and we also know that genital framing doesn’t work…

SPAIN

+31% over control

99% confidence

FRANCE

+8% over control

99% confidence

GERMANY

+12% over control

99% confidence

SWEDEN

+14% over control

90% confidence

Make sure you use real, authentic, smiling, friendly, approachable people.

Don’t use stock images for testing or on your site.

Low Q video and images are also fine – they reinforce authenticity.

ACTION : Get testing!Google Optimizer : Free bit.ly/4jaImN

Optimizely : Free trial - £30 per monthwww.optimizely.com

Visual Website Optimizer : From £19 per month http://bit.ly/7hjm5A

“You have no excuse not to start testing things on your site, given that free or cheap tools are available to everyone”

#8You think it’s too hard to shift behaviour

Left turns mean more time and fuel waiting at stop lights. By changing satnav to turn right more, UPS saved 28,541,472 miles travel and 3 Million gallons of fuel.

Belron stick and carrot example.

Mobile

#9 – You don’t have a mobile site yet!

Mar-10

Apr-10

May-10

Jun-10Jul-1

0

Aug-10

Sep-10

Oct-10

Nov-10

Dec-10

Jan-11

Feb-11

Mar-11

Apr-11

May-11

Jun-11Jul-1

1

Aug-11

Sep-11

Oct-11

Nov-11

Dec-11

Jan-12

Feb-12

2.9% 3.1% 3.2% 3.2%3.7%

5.0%5.7%

6.3% 6.4%7.2% 7.0%

7.4%

8.8%

11.4%

13.7%14.3%

15.0%15.3%15.6%16.3%

15.8%

16.9%17.6%

20.1%

Growth in Worldwide Mobile traffic % of all unique visitors

Growth in Worldwide Mobile traffic % of all unique visitors

Growth in Worldwide Mobile traffic % of all unique visitors

UK Australia USA Sweden Ireland Netherlands Denmark Spain Canada France Germany Italy0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

34.2

30.1

25.324.7

22.1

20.9

19.3

18.117.6

13.613.2

12.1

29.9

25.8

23.9

16.8

13.113.8 13.5

12.8 13

11.7

9.710.4

6.2

5.1

6.5

3.6 3.42.5

2 2.32.7

3.22.3 2.3

Feb-12

Nov-11

Jul-11

May-10

Growth in Worldwide Mobile traffic

% of all unique visitors

Device Mix Computer Smartphone Tablet Old phone Media Player Console

UK 65.8% 67.3% 15.5% 1.4% 15.5% 0.1%

USA 74.5% 83.9% 11.1% 2.1% 1.8% 0.0%

NL 79.0% 64.0% 32.3% 1.6% 1.9% 0.0%

FR 86.4% 82.7% 14.0% 2.0% 0.8% 0.1%

DE 86.6% 78.2% 16.7% 2.6% 1.5% 0.1%

AUS 69.8% 85.8% 12.2% 0.9% 0.9% 0.0%

IE 77.9% 85.7% 9.6% 1.3% 3.0% 0.1%

SE 75.3% 81.6% 15.6% 2.5% 0.2% 0.0%

ACTION : Get building?• Read my article on Econsultancy• Assess if it’s worth your while• If your cost of build is < 20% revenue, YES• Measure what comes in now – ‘door knockers’• Use your analytics package or www.bango.com• You will have to build one sometime!• Prioritise this but don’t ignore• We now get over 25% of revenue from mobile• Our mobile site takes £5m per month

ACTION : Read or give these books

#10 – Some of your money is missing!

#12You’re not doing call tracking!

Killer Tip : Call tracking

How it works:• Rent a bank of numbers• Add a dynamic ‘tag’ to your page• Phone number appears automatically• Customer calls this number• Captures the keywords, landing page, converting page, traffic

source• Geo mapping captures customer location• When the call is hung up, optionally record the outcome code (sale,

loss)• Have a special number for Facebook, SEO, Adwords traffic etc.• Lets you analyse from web -> phone call -> wait time -> answer -

>outcome• Builds a link between web and call, finallly

Why use call tracking?• Claim your conversions!• You can’t work out your advertising effectiveness, if you don’t

include phone• If you don’t measure phone, your A/B tests may be wrong• You can capture all your web AND phone, in one easy

interface • Allows you a multi-channel view of all your contact sources• Lets you record offline campaigns as well with specific

numbers (print, TV etc.)• You can experiment with routing, messages, on hold music –

much more easily• If you can’t afford lots of phone numbers, this is an easy way

to get tracking• Puts this in the hands of small businesses

Who?Company Website Coverage

Mongoose Metrics* www.mongoosemetrics.com UK, USA, Canada

Ifbyphone* www.ifbyphone.com USA

TheCallR* www.thecallr.com USA, Canada, UK, IT, FR, BE, ES, NL

Call tracking metrics www.calltrackingmetrics.com USA

Hosted Numbers www.hostednumbers.com USA

Callcap www.callcap.com USA

Freespee* www.freespee.com UK, SE, FI, NO, DK, LT, PL, IE, CZ, SI, AT, NL, DE

Adinsight* www.adinsight.co.uk UK

Infinity tracking* www.infinity-tracking.com UK

Optilead* www.optilead.co.uk UK

Switchboard free www.switchboardfree.co.uk UK

Freshegg www.freshegg.co.uk UKAvanser www.avanser.com.au AUS

Jet Interactive* www.jetinteractive.com.au AUS* I read up on these or talked to them. These are my picks.

Don’t give up!

If you read these books, you’ll look much smarter at work.(+ follow @OptimiseOrDie)

Don’t give up!• Start with the customer at the heart of everything• It’s liberating• Use low budget solutions, cheap or free tools to get business

cases made• Money talks so even micro testing will illustrate ROI• Invest in people who care about customers, as well as

conversion• Invest in analytics talent or CRO expertise• If you can make a 10% shift in online revenue, just from smart

thinking, then what would a team of 5 be like?• If you’re finding it hard to hire people, mail me for advice.• We don’t do anything special – we just work on customer

problems to make the product better, and we love what we do.

#11 There is always a Kevin!

Autoglass UK – Putting it together• 12.4% from User centred Design• 12.5% increase from Multi Variate Testing• 3.5% increase in downstream conversion rate• 4% increase in online conversion from mobile optimised site• Reduced call time (1 second = > 10k per year)• Faster online booking time• 5.5% increase in NPS (Customer sat) score • Customer delight – feedback. Less questions and worries• Expected increase in conversion = 32%• Actual increase in conversion = 41%• NO additional marketing spend needed• Web Channel : ROI positive within 2 weeks• Worldwide ROI : 15% increase in conversion during 2011

Email

Twitter

LinkedIn

Slideshare

: sullivac@gmail.com

: @OptimiseOrDie

: linkd.in/pvrg14

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