Natural Born Conversion Killers

Craig Sullivan, Belron®

Title : Group eBusiness Manager, BelronReal job : Chief Evil Scientist, Persuasive ArtsJoin Me : The League of Optimisers

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

• “Usability with Numbers”

• 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

"If you go to the men's washrooms at the Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, you may notice there's a fly in the urinals. It’s screen printed .

So what do you think most men do? That's right, they aim at the fly when they urinate.

They don't even think about it, and they don't need to read a user's manual; it's just an instinctive reaction that means 80% less spillage!*

The interesting feature of these urinals is that they're deliberately designed to take advantage of this inherent human male tendency.“

This is my job.

#1 – Not enough immersion

www.blogshank.com

You call the web phone and hear:

“Please visit our website at x.com”

If you find this annoying, please raise your hand!

ontext Location Goals#2 – Your office is the usability test!

ontext Location Goals

For Mac:Silverback (600Kr) www.silverbackapp.com

For PC:Mediacam (325Kr) www.netu2.comCamtasia (2500Kr) www.techsmith.com

Mobiles:Read this (50Kr) bit.ly/aBKEtC

bit.ly/by9CzG

How to approach people bit.ly/anY8vR

Guerrilla Usability Testing

Agile, Iterative, Multi Platform design

Washup

Mobile 1

Washup

App 1Washup

UX Design

Web 1

Insight

Agile Lean UX Kanban

From prototype to final product9 Jan 2012

Building new products

Get OUT of the office!• This is a key technique for Conversion Optimisation• No excuses either – go and find people, anywhere (F&F, Retail, Local

café)• If you do this properly, you learn where all the connective tissue

needs to be – the bits that glue the experience together from a customer perspective

• Hits the sweet spot of goals, optimal technology delivery and revenue growth

• Faster time to market, lower development costs• Designed for users, not by them• Focuses entire team on what customers need and where the money

is• Actionable insights which identify pivots or disruptive opportunities• Removes costly re-release cycles on multiple platforms• Increases revenue, customer satisfaction, growth• Removes EGO, OPINION, WHIM and FLUFF -> 100%• It costs nothing but listening time

Nice day at the

office dear?

#3 – We’re robotic and emotionless

Comprehension Clarity Simplicity Persuasion Scanning

#4 – You don’t value the craft of copywriting

If you read these books, you’ll get much smarter at this

work!

(+follow @thebrainlady & @optimiseordie)

Social validation…

-33% CPA

AA

BB

B = -33% CPA!

#5 – WHY do they bounce or exit?

Our top sources!• Analytics data – investment and instrumentation• Customer insight – contact, customer feedback, research• Usability testing (lab)• Guerrilla usability testing• Diary studies• Onsite feedback (4Q, Kissinsights, Kampyle)• Customer contact centre immersion (listening)• Business owners – market data & local knowledge• Surveys and Customer Satisfaction measurement• Books, Websites, Tips, Conferences• Session recording data

Session recording• Vital for optimizers & fills in a ‘missing link’ for insight• Rich source of data• Segment by attribute/source/behavior• Can be used to optimise in real time!

Session replay (client side)• Clicktale www.clicktale.com• Mouseflow www.mouseflow.com• Ghostrec www.ghostrec.com• Userfly www.userfly.com

Session replay (server side)• Tealeaf www.tealeaf.com• UserReplay www.userreplay.com

Som, feedbackRemote or crowdsourced feedbackWhat Users Do www.whatusersdo.comUserzoom www.userzoom.comUsabilla www.usabilla.comUsertesting www.usertesting.comLoop11 www.loop11.comEthnio www.ethnio.comFeedback army www.feedbackarmy.comMechanical turk www.mechanicalturk.comOpen Hallway www.openhallway.comWebnographer www.webnographer.comEasy Usability www.easyusability.comUser feel www.userfeel.comUserlytics www.userlytics.comKupima www.kupima.comPrototype and wireframe testing/feedback:Pidoco www.pidoco.comFive second test www.fivesecondtest.comConceptshate www.conceptshare.com

Remote & Crowdsourced tools

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

The best way to get 10, 20, 30% more conversion from forms

#6 – Your Forms are made by evil data hungry IT TROLLS!

#1 – Phone Number Example

+44(0)2088589999 88589999 8858 99998858-9999 02088589999 0208858 9999

0208858-9999 020 8858 9999 (020) 8858 99990208 858 9999 (0)208 858 9999 0208-858-9999

(020)8 858 9999 (02)08 8589999 (02)088589999+4402088589999 +44(0208)858 9999 +44(0)208 858 9999

Strip non numerics!

So which one is correct?

#2 - Postcode ExampleCRO 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 the data, fix it invisibly and generate NO error message.

Auto fix = 2.5% increase in conversion for one field.

Bodø

#7 – Using your product is like watching slugs fight!

• Google Site Speed• Webpagetest.org• Mobitest.akamai.org

Slides : slidesha.re/PDpTPD

Every second counts!

Repeat visitors huge impact!

Site Size Round trip requests

Coop.se 1200K 63

m.ikea.com/se/sv/ 683K 23

Newspaper 195k 35

Supermarket 125k 14

Auto Sales 151k 47

m.carglass.se 25k 10

Mobile Performance Examples

Would you wait 10 or 15 seconds?Ideally you should be at 2 or less!

mobitest.akamai.comwww.webpagetest.orgGoogle site speed tags

Performance Tips• Performance optimisation MAKES MONEY• Read anything by Joshua Bixby, Amy Africa ( bit.ly/OlROqc )• Monitor performance from the handset, not your office wifi

connection• Google Site Speed tags are FREE and real world• International? - Use a CDN (e.g. Akamai)• Keep down the round trip requests (delay) and sizes

(download)• Don’t do page level redirects for mobile.• Use smart linking whenever possible• Make sure your apps are offline aware (i.e. no data

connection)• Design frippery can impact on your bottom line!

#8 – You don’t do (enough) Split Testing

30 MILLION TESTS AND OVER 90% OF

THEM FAIL!

Low entry cost – FREE!• Google Content Experiments

bit.ly/Ljg7Ds

• Optimizelywww.optimizely.com

• Visual Website Optimizerwww.visualwebsiteoptimizer.com

Next step up : Autonomy Optimost or Webtrends Optimize

What do we get? Homepage examples

+8.31% +12.4%+10.78

%

+13.92% +8.53% +8.19%

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 testing • Iterative feature and product testing• Micro testing • Telephony MVT

Typical test lifecycle

Instrument Gather and review inputs

Other test results – good variables

& learnings

Brainstorm & Hypotheses

Design variables & creative elements

Test Plan Document

Signoff (Legal, Marketing,

Brand)

Instrument analytics

Wave design Results of wave Washup Next Wave (repeat)

Declare winnerDo verification wave + 90/10%

split

Business led reporting (with = £x, without = £y)

Repeat from start

Sweden – 5.95% lift

Norway – 18.78% lift

Another example

+1-2.5%

Key learnings – on page elements• Less is more – simplicity, comprehension, clarity in design• Copy is king – not content, but key persuasive copy• Large, prominent, visible, button like CTA• CTA above fold, especially on landing page• Do not split attention on CTA (Save, Cancel, Print, Back, Help)• Use goal oriented keywords (Fix my glass!)• Where is the core value proposition?• Maintain a scent – PPC advert, Landing page, Funnel, Reflect the user• CTA wording, headlines, copy, framing = 50%+ of uplift• Think about emotional states and make use of them• Use badging, testimonials, social proofing and trust symbols• We run a betting pool – even the best people get only 60-70% right• Guidelines are good but every page and site will vary

Key learnings – test approach• Stop testing rubbish subtleties (e.g. Button colour)• Cultural factors are minimal• Market, Consumers and Traffic are much larger drivers• Faster cycles of smaller tests = better (fail faster)• Not how many you start a month – it’s how many you finish!• A wide scope and mixture of tests -> the recipe – is the key!• Micro testing (small changes) x 10 = better than 1 big test• You need directional research inputs as well as wild guesses• Don’t test yourself into a corner – keep challenging design• Use A/B to test radical approaches/disruptive change• Don’t forget the words – they make a huge difference

Netherlands

8.19% lift

13.85% lift

Belgium - Flemish

AA BB

CC DD

+17.4%

+34.9%

+21.9%

ControlGet Started

Fix My Glass

Click Here

Summary – Testing approach

• Don’t overcook tests with too many variables• Don’t test things very similar (blue vs. green button?)• Don’t be timid – fail faster, be bolder• International tests show little cultural differences• Market conditions & traffic mix are more important• Biggest drivers on page = • Copy, CTA and CTA copy, Images, Badging, Nav/Layout• Biggest external factors =• Page and site performance, Browser compatibility

FRANCE

+8% over control

99% confidence

#9 Your images are an afterthought!

GERMANY

+12% over control

99% confidence

SPAIN

+22% over control

99% 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.

www.headsethotties.com www.awkwardstockphotos.com

Take the fake smile test : bbc.in/5rtnv

Images that Suck! (see photoux.co.uk)

Photo Guidelines• Groups, vans, stores, corporate guff =

NO• Single person – not groups or even

person + customer• Open, Friendly, Natural, Smiling,

Engaged = YES• Uniform – has huge effect, even

wearing branded ball cap improves conversion

• Look straight at viewer or slightly towards CTA button – don’t ignore the visitor!

• Plain backgrounds only• No folded arms, arms on hips,

pointing, hands behind back, hanging useless by the side, clasped by groin, fiddling with hands

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

Image Guidelines for Belron

• 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

• Smile MUST involve the cheeks and eyes must crinkle! Take the smile test here to see how good you are

• Photo shoots and tests can be used to drive advertising strategy

• Pre Test your TV advertising before you shoot the video!

• We get better images now, but we keep working on the guidelines!

• We still got a genital framing picture the other week

“I havesome friendsin Sweden”

@beantin @axbom @brianclifton @conversionista

“I havesome friendsin Sweden”

“We always had a plan for pulling out”

“We always had a plan for pulling out”

Multi-channel

Cross-channel

Unichannel

Omni-channel

#10 – You’re not investing in the Omni-channel future

Slides : bit.ly/Pm3fPZ slidesha.re/MY88vW

Thanks to Thomas Husson of Forrester

Cross Channel Contact TipsTest or provide the contact options customers want:• Low cost calls (vital)• Ringback / Callback• Email• Chat• Video chat or Facetime• Ability to text youVital to explain the contact cost landscape (mobiles):• Customers don’t like ‘funny’ numbers and avoid them• You need to explain clearly what the costs are:

“Calls costs may vary depending on your network provider, package and any limits you may have on your current operating tariff. If charged, you'll be billed the same amount as the equivalent of a local calling rate” – “Free if you have monthly minutes”

Contact TrackingStep 1 : Add a unique phone number on ALL channels

(you can also change numbers for traffic source)

Step 2 : For phones, add “Tap to Call” or “Click to Call”!

• Incredibly useful keyword level call tracking• Very reliable data, easy & cheap to do• What did they do before calling?• Which page did they call you from?• What PPC or SEO keyword did they type into Google?• What are you over or underbidding for?• Which online marketing really sucks?

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Phone to Booking Ratio

Phone to Booking Ratio

What about desktop?Step 1 : Add ‘Click to reveal’• Can be a link, button or a collapsed section• Add to your analytics software• This is a great budget option!

Step 2 : Invest in call analytics• Unique visitor tracking for desktop • Gives you that detailed marketing data• Easy to implement• Integrates with your web analytics• Let me explain…

What about desktop?

0800 222 1234

0800 222 1245

0800 222 1263

0800 222 1299

0800 222 1234

Telephony CloudWeb Analytics

Onbound Call analytics:

Wait timeAbandonCall lengthOperator outcomeSales valueRatings

A

B

C

Split testingPriority routingVIP teamsOn hold musicMenuMessagesCall recordingOffline promotions!Profit line!

Call centre

So what does phone tracking get you?• You can do it for free on your online channels• If you’ve got any phone sales or contact operation, this will

change the game for you• For the first time, analytics for PHONE for web to claim• Optimise your PPC spend• Track and Test stuff on phones, using web technology• The two best tests?• In the Nordics, try www.freespee.com• Other countries, see the next slide

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.

#11 - You don’t do the right testing

Browser Compatibility• My challenge to you!• What browsers have problems?• Who doorsteps you?• The ‘Mac Users’ problem• Measure entry point stats only• Create a browser matrix• Use a testing service, not simulators• Try the ‘Checkout browser’ test• Test mobile devices too

“Anyone who slaps a ‘this page is best viewed with Browser X’ label on a Web page appears to be yearning for the bad old days, before the Web, when you had very little chance of reading a document written on another computer, another word processor, or another network.”

Tim Berners-Lee

UK : 35.5%USA : 30.2%SE : 27.9%DK : 26.6%NO : 22.2%ES : 22.3%NL : 21.8%DE : 19.8%

WORLD = 21.6%

Figures for July 2012 and is for smartphones, feature phones and media players only (does not include tablets.

Testing tools• Browser testing www.browsercam.com

www.crossbrowsertesting.com

• Email testing www.litmus.comwww.returnpath.comwww.lyris.com

• Mobile devices www.perfectomobile.comwww.deviceanywhere.com

• Performance testing www.keynote.comwww.gomez.commobitest.akamai.comwww.webpagetest.orghttp://bit.ly/IdYpNystrangeloopnetworks.com

End browser and device discrimination!

• Optimisation can be used for evil!

• Either by accident (just stupid)• Or by design, to trick people*

wiki.darkpatterns.org/wiki/Home

* I trick influence people too but I call it optimisation (displacement technique)

#12 You are evil

You evil gits

Sneaky fold

Sneaky basket

Hidden opt-out

Honeypot

Read Black Hat Politics

Online Dirty Tricks bit.ly/IngLd2

Evil genius award?

#13 – You give up easily!

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 or gain insight• Money talks so even micro testing will illustrate ROI• Invest in people who care about customers, as well as conversion• Invest in analytics talent and instrumentation • If you can make a 10% shift in online revenue, just from smart

thinking, then what would a team of 5 get you?• If you’re finding it hard to hire people, mail me for advice.

Show me the money!

• Analytics, Customer Insights and Testing provided the answers• We grew our conversion rate by 15% across the world in 2011• We project to grow by more than 25% in 2012• Our last 3 funnel redesigns got 37%, 23% and 12.5% lifts• Just one funnel will drive an additional 30-40M USD revenue p.a.• Our ROI on Conversion Optimisation is >300 times the cost• Mobile conversion rates as high as 15-20% (includes phone)• In some markets, mobile is >25% of online revenue• In 2012, our mobile web app will take an est. 125M Euros• We support a 500M euro channel with a team of 6 people• Our work is nothing special – we just love making things better!

EmailTwitter

LinkedInSlideshar

eToday

: sullivac@gmail.com: @OptimiseOrDie: “Craig Sullivan Belron”: slidesha.re/nlCDm6: Meet the experts!

CRO and Testing resources

• 101 Landing page tips : slidesha.re/8OnBRh • 544 Optimisation tips : bit.ly/8mkWOB• 108 Optimisation tips : bit.ly/3Z6GrP• 32 CRO tips : bit.ly/4BZjcW• 57 CRO books : bit.ly/dDjDRJ• CRO article list : bit.ly/nEUgui• Smashing Mag article : bit.ly/8X2fLk