SES Toronto 2012 presentation by Garry Przyklenk highlighting TD's Top 20 Tips for Conversion Optimization.

1. TD’s Top Twenty Tips for
Conversion Optimization
Garry Przyklenk
Manager, Analytics Implementation
garry.przyklenk@td.com
@gprzyklenk
Toronto | June 11–13

2. Toronto | June 11–13, 2012 | #sesto
TD’s Optimization Objectives
• Reduce operating costs
• Increase sales
• Improve customer experience
@gprzyklenk

3. Toronto | June 11–13, 2012 | #sesto
Tip 1: Use the right tool for your business
Conversion Optimization tools have distinct:
• Methodologies
• Performance capabilities
• Integration options
• Vendor support
• Cost structures
• Reports
• Human resources
@gprzyklenk
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zzpza/3269784239/

4. Toronto | June 11–13, 2012 | #sesto
Tip 2: Optimize acquisition channels first
Sometimes you only get one opportunity to make a good first
impression:
• Paid search landing pages
• Organic search entry pages (warning)
• Top entry pages:
– Referrals
– Social media owned versus earned
– Direct/Typed/bookmarked
@gprzyklenk

5. Toronto | June 11–13, 2012 | #sesto
Tip #3: Scrutinize Lift versus Shift
Optimization efforts usually count success in lift, but never
consider the possibility of ‘shift’:
• Lift:
– Promotes incremental and sustained increases in positive business
growth
– Does not disrupt existing conversion events
• Shift:
– Promotes localized conversion changes
– Destabilizes existing funnels
– “Laws of Thermodynamics”
@gprzyklenk

6. Toronto | June 11–13, 2012 | #sesto
Tip #4: Feel the pain
Put yourself in the shoes of your customer and brainstorm their
goals on your site. Consider the following:
• How easily could you perform the following tasks?
– Signing up for an account
– Filling out an application
– Resetting your password
– Ordering a product online or changing your order
– Contact someone or get someone to contact you
• What would your expectation be for completing these tasks?
@gprzyklenk

7. Toronto | June 11–13, 2012 | #sesto
Tip #5: Analyze the competition
Think you’re smarter than your competition? Try testing their
ideas with your audience to find out what they might be doing
better:
• Test your calls to action
• Analyze content structure for ‘inspiration’
• Compare processes
@gprzyklenk

8. Toronto | June 11–13, 2012 | #sesto
Tip #6: Engage test groups
Try user research focus groups to test your website:
• Free online virtual focus groups:
– Fivesecondtest.com
– Usabilla.com
• Paid online focus groups:
– Usertesting.com
• Software:
– Clicktale
– Tealeaf
@gprzyklenk

9. Toronto | June 11–13, 2012 | #sesto
Tip #7: Recommend products and services
Industry giants like Apple, Dell, Amazon, and GoDaddy leverage
the art of the upsell and leverage analytics to recommend:
• Historical preferences or interests
• Frequently bundled accessories or options
• Anticipated reorders (i.e. consumables)
• Peace of mind (i.e. extended warranties)
• Better servicing (i.e. service plans)
@gprzyklenk

10. Toronto | June 11–13, 2012 | #sesto
Tip #8: Improve self-help
Areas on a website dedicated to helping people are most often
frequented by loyal customers that prefer to solve their own
problems. Help them save you money and phone calls, consider:
• Better documentation:
– Video tutorials
– FAQs*
– Community forums*
• Comprehensive download archives
• Public service messaging
• Active social media channels
@gprzyklenk

11. Toronto | June 11–13, 2012 | #sesto
Tip #9: Obsess over search like Google engineers
Search functionality on your website is often a last-ditch attempt
prospects and clients use to find what they want.
• Optimize for higher click-through and low bounce back to search
results pages
• Find related pages for search queries with no results
• Enhance search matches with synonyms and common
misspelling
• Include tables to match manufacturer part numbers and SKU’s
@gprzyklenk

12. Toronto | June 11–13, 2012 | #sesto
Tip #10: Be careful with promotions
Incentives and urgency can have strong effect on conversion rate
but undesirable effect on lifetime value (LTV).
• Online-savvy prospects are pre-conditioned to give a little to get
a lot
• Promotions that significantly undercut pricing may come at a
greater price in customer churn
• Optimization ≠ Ad serving
@gprzyklenk

13. Toronto | June 11–13, 2012 | #sesto
Tip #11: Live up to the hype
Testimonials and professional affiliations can do wonders for
conversion and consumer trust, if you can deliver.
• Get written approval for logo usage and recommendations
• Avoid conflicts of interest
• Be wary of unwritten partner exclusivity (especially in duopolies)
@gprzyklenk

14. Toronto | June 11–13, 2012 | #sesto
Tip #12: Be trustworthy
Establishing trust for smaller brands can be challenging, especially
online businesses. These subtle cues make all the difference:
• No-nonsense privacy policy
• Clear contact us page
• Hours of operation
• Physical address and map location
• Service level agreements
• Trust marks
• Security certificates
@gprzyklenk

15. Toronto | June 11–13, 2012 | #sesto
Tip #13: Content is king
Clear, concise content is still king, be cautious and exhaustively
test the following content optimizations:
• Reduced descriptions can create confusion
• Images to replace text
• Hyperbole
@gprzyklenk

16. Toronto | June 11–13, 2012 | #sesto
Tip #14: Integrate web analytics capabilities
Optimization software can be very similar to web analytics, but
not exactly the same. In many cases, web analytics software
knows more about user behavior, so leverage it!
• Customer geography for localized content
• Original traffic source
• New, returning prospect or known customer
• Device/browser type (especially for mobile)
@gprzyklenk

17. Toronto | June 11–13, 2012 | #sesto
Tip #15: Optimization helps SEO
Google has revealed that websites with better user experience
(optimized sites) perform better in the SERPs. Optimizations go
hand-in-hand with SEO.
Enough said.
@gprzyklenk

18. Toronto | June 11–13, 2012 | #sesto
Tip #16: Leverage CRM data
Optimizations take on new meaning (and better conversion) when
you can target individuals based on CRM data. Consider
augmenting optimizations based on:
• Sales or support email severity
• Returns and refunds
• Phone calls
• Customer tenure
• LTV
@gprzyklenk

19. Toronto | June 11–13, 2012 | #sesto
Tip #17: Apply monetary value to optimizations
Percentages are misleading. Lift and confidence is confusing.
Equating an optimization to dollar value is crucial for scale.
• Additional time for analysis and execution of tests
• Money for better tools and insights
• Additional human resources
@gprzyklenk

20. Toronto | June 11–13, 2012 | #sesto
Tip #18: Make optimization a routine
Optimization isn’t a flavor of the month, it takes work and
persistence to achieve long-term success.
• Plan ahead based on business goals
• Strategically schedule optimizations based on priority and/or
opportunity
• Secure resources to make it happen
• Keep everyone in the know
@gprzyklenk

21. Toronto | June 11–13, 2012 | #sesto
Tip #19: Build a culture of optimization
Embed optimization into product, design or client lifecycles.
• Giving everyone a voice means you’re never short of ideas for
testing
• Integrate analytics and optimization tools into all your platforms
early in development
• Communicate progress, success stories, opportunities and
challenges regularly with internal departments
@gprzyklenk

22. Toronto | June 11–13, 2012 | #sesto
Tip #20: Take everyone along for the ride
Unified organizational success is only truly realized when online
and offline complement each other.
• Share findings from optimizations with front-line personnel
• Promote internal engagement to leverage offline experience in
future optimizations
• Attribute value creation to offline channels; online cannot
operate in a vacuum
@gprzyklenk

23. Thank you!
Garry Przyklenk
Manager, Analytics Implementation
garry.przyklenk@td.com
@gprzyklenk
Toronto | June 11–13