Google Website Optimizer
I just watched a really good introduction webinar on Google Website Optimizer tool. You use this tool to test different variations of your landing pages and then you determine which version is generating more conversions for you. This is a great tool—and it’s free!
They went over some common misconceptions about using WO in this webinar and I want to address some of them here.
1. Many people think that you need an Adwords campaign to use Website Optimizer.
You do not. You only need to have an Adwords username and password, but you do not have to actually run a campaign.
2. You will only need to create a WO account in order to use the tool.
This is not true. You will need to have a Google Analytics account in order to use the Website Optimizer. This is the only way that your results can be measured.
3. There is a big difference between an A/B-test and a Multivariate test.
Not really.
With an A/B test, you create two different versions of a web page or landing page.
The WO will automatically split your visitors to either page A or page B.
A/B tests are good to use for first time tests, layout tests, and pages that receive lower traffic.
With a Multivariate test, only one web page is created. You then tell the Website Optimizer which sections of this page you want to vary. For example, you want some visitors to see the page containing picture A combined with text B, and others to see the page containing picture B combined with text C. The Website Optimizer will rotate the content of the sections you indicated, so different visitors see different versions of the page. Multivariate testing helps to maximize conversion rates, discover winning combinations, and allows you to test dozens of versions of a page.
4. With an A/B-test, you can test only two versions of a page
The name A/B can be somewhat misleading, but in reality you can test an almost unlimited number of pages at the same time in an A/B test. You just need to specify that you have alternative pages when you are setting up your test. Google’s WO best practices suggest that you start testing with a small number of variations, but you can certainly test more than two versions.
5: With an A/B-test, you can test very different webpage-designs simultaneously
This one is actually true. You can create two versions of a website that are completely different, and then test which one converts better. It isn’t really recommended that you do this though because if one page performs significantly better than the other page you don’t really know what caused it. You won’t really know what to tweak on that page to further improve its performance.
Some best practices in testing that they recommended:
1. Test a small number of variations.
2. Test big changes.
3. Consider early indicators if you don’t have enough conversions.
4. Don’t jump to conclusions! Less than two weeks worth of data is no good—so be patient, don’t freak out, and allow time for the data to be collected.
