Optimizing your Web landing pages to convert more donors...
Transcript of Optimizing your Web landing pages to convert more donors...
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