Using Analytics to Optimize Landing Pages

Search Exchange, Charlotte, NC

May 19, 2010

What You Will Learn How to gather information that will

make your website better How to tie online metrics with

business goals Methods of testing different page

variations Landing page best practices Free resources for continuing

education

Analytics

Search Exchange 2010

What Analytics Does Drives decisions that improve site

user experience and increase marketing ROI

Provides insight into why customers interact with your website

Allows you to track trends and performance over time

Analytics is the practice of using web analytics software

Google Analytics

Start with Website Goals Analytics does not know how to run

your business Start with identifying the business

goals of your website Configure analytics to measure your

performance against those goals There is no such thing as the right

number of unique visitors

Key Metrics Visitors Traffic Sources Content Goals Ecommerce

Conversion Tracking Ecommerce Lead Generation Brand Awareness Member Acquisition

Convert Visitors to CustomersYour visitors

Shopping Cart

Checkout

Thank You Page

Your Customers

Product Information

1

2

3

4

Analytics & Search Marketing Identify the keywords

with the highest ROI Track organic traffic

vs. paid traffic Identify new keyword

opportunities Eliminate unprofitable

keywords Develop new content

for your website

Beware of the HiPPO

Landing Pages

Search Exchange 2010

Landing Page Goals Provide a consistent experience Help a user complete a task Post-search experience – content

should be tailored to the query Clear call to action Clean, simple design Maximize the value of the inbound

searcher

Example: “hotel credit card”

Chase Marriott Rewards

Starwood American Express

Discover Card

Key Takeaways Less is more with landing pages Goal of page: Don’t make me think Make your offer clear and easy to

understand Provide multiple options to contact

you Match the content to the query Remember this is not your home

page Never stop testing new landing pages

Multivariate Testing

Search Exchange 2010

Multivariate Testing Allows you to test multiple landing page

configurations simultaneously Free tools like Google Website Optimizer Paid tools like Test and Target from

Omniture Enables you to make data-driven decisions Can help you convert more visitors into

customers Stops arguments with the HiPPO before

they happen

Website Optimization Visitors spend an average of 8

seconds* before deciding whether or not to remain on a website

Goal is to drive the visitor beyond the landing page

Website Optimizer helps you convert these visitors into buyers by increasing conversions

*Source: Marketing Sherpa, Landing Page Handbook

A/B and Multivariate Options

How Does GWO Work?

Test variations of the same page

Customers Visit

your Website

1/3 visitors

1/3 visitors

1/3 visitors

14% Make Purchase

20% Make Purchase

2% Make Purchase

Customers

Convert

Combo 1

Combo 2

Test Different Variations of

your Page

Original Winning ComboWinning Combo

Reporting

Combination 10 is performing the best

Combination 10 is performing the best

Bars represent relative improvement

Bars represent relative improvementAbility to disable bad

performing combinations

Ability to disable bad performing

combinations

Free Resources

Search Exchange 2010

Avinash Kaushik Google’s Analytics Evangelist Book: Web Analytics: An Hour a Day New Book: Web Analytics 2.0: The Art

of Online Accountability and Science of Customer Centricity

Blog: Occam’s Razor www.kaushik.net/avinash

Twitter: @avinashkaushik

Google Analytics Google Analytics Help Forum:

http://groups.google.com/group/analytics-help

Google Analytics IQ Program: http://www.google.com/support/conversion

university Google Analytics Authorized Consultants:

http://www.google.com/intl/en/analytics/authorized_consultants.html Google Analytics Blog:

http://analytics.blogspot.com

SiteScan by EpikOne Free diagnostic tool that verifies if

your Google Analytics Tracking Code is installed properly on your website

http://www.sitescanga.com/ Inside the numbers: 45% of the

pages they have scanned have errors Google Analytics only works if you

have code on every page of your website

Quick Recap Define your website goals and

identify key metrics specific to your site

Audit your landing pages Create and test new landing pages

using multivariate testing Refer to analytics resources regularly

The End

Search Exchange 2010

Thank You! Benjamin Rudolph President & CEO Relevance Advisors 404.635.6775 benjamin.rudolph@relevanceadvisors

.com @benjaminrudolph

Site Performance Process

Search Exchange 2010

Stakeholder Interviews Determine business needs and goals Align metrics with the business objectives Reporting without a purpose is

meaningless 90% about the business; 10% about the

metrics Can you answer the question: Why do you

want those metrics? Goal is not to know what’s happening but

to change what’s happening

Review Analytics Tool Implementation Examine the site for a complete and

error-free analytics code implementation

Identify any on or off-page barriers to data collection

Things that can interfere with tracking: Slow server load Page elements hanging Ad serving JavaScript conflicts

Seed and Execute Tests Tests may cover

Overall messaging to audience Stock Images Color schemes, font formatting, visual

“touches” Page design vs. page goals Messaging/design consistency Information architecture – how people

find stuff Funnel pathing: the balance between

guided and open-ended funneling

Analyze the Results Review Learnings Understand Implications Refine Move Forward Never Stop Testing – this is a website not a

monument