The 5 Most Startling Marketing Discoveries from 2012

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The 5 Most Startling Marketing Discoveries from 2012 Including the 3 words that changed everything for a top financial product

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Join the conversation on Twitter

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Today’s team

Flint McGlaughlin Managing Director

Jon Powell Senior Manager, Research and Strategy

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DISCOVERY #1: Prospects Can Be More Motivated By the Negative than the Positive

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Background and test design

Background: North American Spine is the sole provider of the Accurascope procedure, an innovative, minimally invasive spine surgery for back pain relief Goal: To increase number of leads on the home page. Primary Research Question: Which value approach of the three treatments will increase the conversion rate? Approach: A/B multifactor split test

Experiment ID: TP4061 Location: MECLABS Research Library Controlled Testing Environment: North American Spine

Research Notes:

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6

Controlled Testing Environment (CTE)

Fully Optimized Page Goes Live

Test Cycle #1

Test Cycle #2

Control TRT 1 TRT 2

Control TRT

TRT 3

2 MECLABS

Certified Final

The MECLABS Controlled Testing Environment

2 Marketing Creative

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Experiment: Control

Control

? What are some problems with this control?

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8

Experiment: Treatment #1

Treatment #1

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Experiment: Treatment #2

Treatment #2

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10

Experiment: Side-by-side

Treatment #2

Treatment #1

Control Landing Page

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Versions Conversion Rate Relative

Difference Statistical

Confidence

Control 1.8% - -

Treatment #1 1.6% -7.9%

Treatment #2 2.6% 46.6%

46.6% Increase in Conversion The treatment generated 46.6% more leads

What you need to understand: With simple but nuanced adjustments, treatment #2 was able to achieve a 46.6% lift over the control.

Experiment: Results

95%

95%

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Experiment: Key Insights

Treatment #2

INSIGHT #1: Prospects can be more motivated by the negative than the positive

Treatment #1

Control

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Experiment: Key Insights

Treatment #2

INSIGHT #1: Prospects can be more motivated by the negative than the positive INSIGHT #2: A few words can dramatically influence a prospect’s perception

Treatment #1

Control

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Experiment: Key Insights

Treatment #2

INSIGHT #1: Prospects can be more motivated by the negative than the positive INSIGHT #2: A few words can dramatically influence a prospect’s perception INSIGHT #3: A PPC ad, though limited in length, can actually say too much

Treatment #1

Control

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Experiment: Key Insights

Treatment #2

INSIGHT #1: Prospects can be more motivated by the negative than the positive INSIGHT #2: A few words can dramatically influence a prospect’s perception INSIGHT #3: A PPC ad, though limited in length, can actually say too much INSIGHT #4: The best PPC ad does not always get the most clicks

Treatment #1

Control

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By modulating specificity and friction in the messaging of our PPC ad, we were able pay for less clicks while increasing overall conversion.

But This

Not This

Level of specificity

You must be suffering from back pain to click

this ad.

You must need back surgery to click this ad.

59% IN CLICKTHROUGH

47% IN CONVERSION

Experiment: Key Insights

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Learn more …

MarketingExperiments.com/AdForensics

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DISCOVERY #2: The Color of the Page Can Have a Profound Effect on the Message

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Experiment: Background

Background: A large sports entertainment provider seeking to increase conversion on it’s main landing page. Goal: To increase premium signups Research Question: Which color scheme will result in a higher conversion rate? Test Design: A/B single factor split

Experiment ID: TP1645 Record Location: MECLABS Research Library Controlled Testing Environment: [Location Protected]

Research Notes:

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Experiment: Treatment Designs

• The control was a design with a dark background and white text.

Version A

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Experiment: Treatment Designs

Version B

• The treatment was an almost exact color inverse of the control.

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Experiment: Which Page Won? Version A Version B

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10.66% Increase in account sign ups The inverse color scheme increased account sign ups by 10.66%

Experiment: Results

What you need to understand: By simply changing the background color to white, the treatment was easier to read and provided greater color flexibility with headlines and secondary information. The result was a 10.66% increase in conversion.

Design Lead Rate Relative

Difference Statistical Level of Confidence

Control (Black) 2.40%* - -

Treatment (White) 2.66%* 10.66% 95%

*Conversion rates have been anonymized

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How does color affect conversion?

F Key Principles

1. Marketers do not optimize web designs, they optimize thought sequences. Yet often, our web page design is NOT created with the intention of guiding the visitor through a clear sequence of thought.

2. There are primarily 5 design elements that enable a marketer to guide the visitor through a conversion process:

1. Size 2. Shape 3. Color 4. Position 5. Motion

3. Of the five elements, color is likely the most overlooked and misused.

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Learn more…

MarketingExperiments.com/ColorTest

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DISCOVERY #3: The Quickest Route to a Maximum Lift is by Changing Page Categories

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Background: The company is a leading automotive head gasket repair solution. Goal: To increase total orders on the cart page. Primary Research Question: Which landing page/cart will result in a higher conversion rate? Approach: Radical redesign of cart page through a variable cluster A/B split test.

Experiment ID: TP1429 Location: MECLABS Research Library Controlled Testing Environment: [Protected]

Research Notes:

Experiment: Background

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Experiment: Control

Logo

Control

Logo

Logo

Step 2

Logo

Step 3

Logo

Step 4

Logo

Step 5

Logo

Step 6

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Experiment: Treatment Treatment

Logo

Logo Logo

Step 2

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Experiment: Side by side Treatment

Logo

Logo

Logo

Control

Logo

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? What makes this test different?

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Logo

Control

Logo

Experiment: Control

An average experiment might have tested a single

variable at a time.

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Logo

Control

Logo

Experiment: Control

An average experiment might have tested a single

variable at a time.

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Logo

Control

Logo

Experiment: Control

An average experiment might have tested a single

variable at a time.

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Logo

Control

Logo

Experiment: Control

An average experiment might have tested a single

variable at a time.

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Experiment: Control

Instead, we changed almost everything…

Logo

Control

Logo

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Experiment: Treatment Treatment

Logo

Logo

Instead, we changed almost everything…

? Why?

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Experiment: Treatment

• We are not operating in a clinical environment with sterile conditions. This is a field test.

• In a field test you must deal with special conditions that you do not have in a lab. This business is dependent upon its revenue stream.

• We cannot wait for a series of ten tests across twelve months to get the results we need. Every error everyday costs money.

Treatment

Logo

Logo

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Experiment: Results

Versions CR Rel. diff Stat. Conf

Control 2.1% - -

Treatment 3.3% 58.1%

58.1% Increase in conversions The Treatment generated 58.1% more conversions than the control

What You Need to Understand: The reduction of friction throughout the entire process coupled with the single call-to-action led to a 58.1% relative increase in conversion.

99.4%

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Learn more…

MarketingExperiments.com/RadicalRedesign

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DISCOVERY #4: Higher Conversion is Not Necessarily Related to the Change on the Page

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Background: Denmark-based Saxo Bank sells access to a foreign exchange trading platform.

Goal: To get visitors to sign up for a free trial

Primary Research Question: Which landing page will have the highest free trial sign-up rate?

Test Design: A/B split test

Experiment ID: Saxo Bank Forex Trading Test Source: Optimization Summit Attendee, Michael Aagaard, Online-TekstForfatter.dk

Research Notes:

Experiment: Background and design

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Call for student work

If you have any tests you would like to share with the MarketingExperiments team, email us at:

Editor@MarketingExperiments.com

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Experiment: Control Control

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Experiment: Treatment Treatment

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Experiment: Side-by-side

Control Treatment

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99.4% Increase in conversion

The new page design improved the conversion rate by 99.4%

Experiment: Results

Version CR Relative Difference Confidence Interval

Control 2.00%* - -

Treatment 3.99%* 99.4%

What You Need to Understand: By making a few simple changes to the page, the treatment was able to achieve a 99.4% higher conversion rate. * Conversion rates have been anonymized to protect Saxo Bank.

99%

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1. It is not the magnitude of change on the page that impacts conversion; it is the magnitude of change in the mind of the prospect.

What you need to understand

F Key Principles

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1. It is not the magnitude of change on the page that impacts conversion; it is the magnitude of change in the mind of the prospect.

2. Marketers must learn to see their webpages through the eyes of the customers. Too often we employ company logic rather than customer logic.

What you need to understand

F Key Principles

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Marketer Market Value Proposition

Customer Logic vs. Company Logic

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1. It is not the magnitude of change on the page that impacts conversion; it is the magnitude of change in the mind of the prospect.

2. Marketers must learn to see their webpages through the eyes of the customers. Too often we employ company logic rather than customer logic.

3. When we employ customer logic, we discover simple changes that can have a large impact on the conversion rate of a landing page.

What you need to understand

F Key Principles

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Learn more…

MarketingExperiments.com/QuickWin

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DISCOVERY #5: 3 Words Can Mean the Difference Between Adequacy and Excellence

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Background: This test was implemented in the secure section of a large financial institution’s website. The offer was an up-sell for a savings account. Goal: To increase approved and funded savings accounts Primary Research Question: Which link copy will result in the highest impression to funded account rate? Approach: A/B Single Factor Split

Experiment ID: TP1567 Location: MECLABS Research Library Controlled Testing Environment: [Protected]

Research Notes:

Experiment: Background

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Experiment: Control Path

Save automatically with a {Brand} Savings Account Learn More

CTA

Image

Logo

Landing Page

CTA

Logo

Application Form

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Experiment: Control Path

Save automatically with a {Brand} Savings Account Learn More

CTA

Image

Logo

Landing Page

CTA

Logo

Application Form

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Experiment: Treatment Path

Save automatically with a {Brand} Savings Account Open an Account

CTA

Image

Logo

Landing Page

CTA

Logo

Application Form

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Experiment: Treatment Path

Save automatically with a {Brand} Savings Account Open an Account

CTA

Image

Logo

Landing Page

CTA

Logo

Application Form

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Experiment: Side-by-side

Learn More Open an Account

Control Link

Treatment Link

The ONLY change in this test was the link text to begin the application process.

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Verison CR Rel. diff Stat. Conf

Control Link: Learn More 3.0%* - -

Treatment Link: Open an Account 4.3%* 43.0%

43% Increase in Funded Accounts The Treatment generated 43.0% more conversions than the Control

What You Need to Understand: By changing the copy in the link to communicate the more serious implication of opening an account, the link attracted prospects with higher levels of motivation and resulted in a 43% increase in FUNDED Accounts.

*Conversion rate has been anonymized to protect research partner.

Experiment: Results

99%

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Learn more…

MarketingExperiments.com/CallToAction

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Summary: Putting it all together

DISCOVERY #1: Prospects Can Be More Motivated By the Negative than the Positive.

DISCOVERY #2: The Color of the Page Can Have a Profound Effect on

the Message DISCOVERY #3: The Quickest Route to a Maximum Lift is Through

Changing Page Categories DISCOVERY #4: Higher Conversion is Not Necessarily Related to the

Change on the Page DISCOVERY #5: 3 Words Can Mean the Difference Between Adequacy

and Excellence

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LIVE OPTIMIZATION

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Live Optimization

Primary objective: To convert free trial users to paid users after trial ends Primary traffic sources: Display, email list rental and affiliates program

Page URL: http://bit.ly/x73R3S

Target audience: Design professionals and video producers

Video blocks

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Live Optimization

Primary objective: To get truck drivers to apply for employment with us

Primary traffic sources: Adwords, Organic, Display, Ads on job boards and PPC

Page URL: http://bit.ly/XT98Y2

Target audience: truck drivers

CR England

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Live Optimization

Primary objective: To get people to sign up for a free introduction lecture

Primary traffic sources: SEO Meditation, transcendental meditation, tm, meditation techniques

Page URL: http://bit.ly/XbvYFg

Target audience: People interested in meditation and spiritual growth

Transcendental Meditation Program

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Live Optimization

Primary objective: Lead Generation

Primary traffic sources: Organic and SEO (stainless steel precision tubing, miniature medical tubing )

Page URL: http://bit.ly/XSGAOg

Target audience: Engineers and purchasing agents

International Tube

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Live Optimization

Primary objective: To get prospects to download our free whitepaper

Primary traffic sources: SEO and Email

Page URL: http://bit.ly/UBNVNa

Target audience: Facility managers

Sustainable Energy

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Primary objective: Lead Generation

Primary traffic sources: SEO and Adwords “Ford Dealer” “Ramsey Ford”

Page URL: http://bit.ly/Sb6yv0

Target audience: Auto consumers

Ramsey Ford

Live Optimization

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