Archive for the 'Research' Category

Take the guesswork out of your web marketing with AB Testing

Published on August 12, 2009 in Analytics & Tracking and Research

In creating a web presence, there are a lot of different ways to go in terms of layout, text, images, colors, offers and so on. So how do you know which direction help you reach your goals? AB Testing allows you to test two variations of a webpage or email blast in order to determine which is more successful. (Think of it like bracketing for the NCAA finals.) For example, does an orange “buy now” button work better than a green one? Does a subject line with a freebie offer work better than one with a discount offer? Is it more effective to place the navigation bar at the top or on the left? These may seem like trivial differences. However, once your AB Testing results come in, you’ll discover they’re huge.

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Get inside your consumers' heads with a usability study.

Published on July 21, 2009 in Research

brain

Usability testing involves the systematic observation of persons using a product under controlled conditions. Best conducted by an outside agency or usability expert, usability studies will provide insights into performance, accuracy, recall and emotional response. For example, how many steps did it take Joe to find something to buy on your website or check out? How many mistakes did he make in navigating your site? How much information did Joe walk away with? Was he comfortable on your website or was it a stressful experience?

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Keep Your Website In The Game With A Competitive Assessment

Published on February 17, 2009 in Research

To be a real player in the game of online marketing, you need to at least do what your competitors are doing, and preferably more. As I always say, “The competition doesn’t set the bar. The competition sets the floor.”

This means you can’t just launch your website and forget about it. Look at Yahoo! This is a company that didn’t keep up with the evolution of Google fast enough. They fell behind, and now they’re hurting. They should have done a competitive assessment.

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Customer surveys

Published on January 16, 2009 in Research

No12_surveyYes, you can talk to your customers.

The Internet is a two-way street (or superhighway, if you prefer), especially when it comes to receiving feedback from customers or prospects. If you have an email list or even just a website, use those vehicles to talk to your customers and find out what they’re thinking. Conducting a customer survey is much easier than you would imagine. There are several online services that simplify and facilitate the process.

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