Sit! Stay! Click! Making Your Users Beg for More Startonomics ‘09 Ted Rheingold Top Dog, Dogster, Inc. blog.dogster.com twitter: @tedr

First Things First Is your product used? Are happy customers creating new happy customers? Do new visitors engage?

Is your product used?

Are happy customers creating new happy customers?

Do new visitors engage?

OKRs must be determined in advance OKRs will show transformative growth (revenue, users, partners, etc.) Must be collectively agreed to by all stakeholders Your resources must be allocated to achieve your OKRs Ready Set Objectives & Key Results Go!

OKRs must be determined in advance

OKRs will show transformative growth (revenue, users, partners, etc.)

Must be collectively agreed to by all stakeholders

Your resources must be allocated to achieve your OKRs

Key Performance Indicators KPIs: metrics that define and measure progress toward organizational goals (OKRs) KPIs are often ratios (ARPU, bounce rate, actives rate, etc.) KPIs can and will change over time, do so conscientiously Everything else in info-porn

KPIs: metrics that define and measure progress toward organizational goals (OKRs)

KPIs are often ratios (ARPU, bounce rate, actives rate, etc.)

KPIs can and will change over time, do so conscientiously

Everything else in info-porn

“ So What?” & Actionablility Put everything through a triple “So What?” test Actionable insights are everything Don’t do anything for less than a 25% gain. Shoot for 100%

Put everything through a triple “So What?” test

Actionable insights are everything

Don’t do anything for less than a 25% gain. Shoot for 100%

Much More to Testing Than Being In Beta Test, Test, Test A-B Testing Multivariate Testing Click-Density Testing User Experience Testing

Test, Test, Test

A-B Testing

Multivariate Testing

Click-Density Testing

User Experience Testing

User Experience Testing FTW Doesn’t require expensive experts Find target users from your networks ($15-$40/hr) Set up quiet environ: record screen, voice, face Lead everyone through same script & tasks After 10 users you’ll get 98% of insights Do user exp. testing before final production cycles. Build in post-test change time

Doesn’t require expensive experts

Find target users from your networks ($15-$40/hr)

Set up quiet environ: record screen, voice, face

Lead everyone through same script & tasks

After 10 users you’ll get 98% of insights

Do user exp. testing before final production cycles. Build in post-test change time

Best Practices Be disciplined Have a clear line of sight Minimize stats review, fight info-porn Do not dilute responsibility among stakeholders Test that your data is sound Filter user types

Be disciplined

Have a clear line of sight

Minimize stats review, fight info-porn

Do not dilute responsibility among stakeholders

Test that your data is sound

Filter user types

Case Study

Marketing Initiative Feb ‘07 Goal: 2,000 New Registrants a Day Marketed sites via AdSense and BlogAds At launch we linked ads to our homepages Quickly made a general landing page with intro info and big link to register Then made dynamic landing with relevant text and registration form. This significantly increased percentage of ad clickers that became registrants

Marketed sites via AdSense and BlogAds

At launch we linked ads to our homepages

Quickly made a general landing page with intro info and big link to register

Then made dynamic landing with relevant text and registration form.

This significantly increased percentage of ad clickers that became registrants

LANDING PAGE Welcome

Landing Page Cute Overload

LANDING PAGE Daily Candy

LADING PAGE Dog Info

REGISTRATION PAGE -Activate

Quantitative Success Doesn’t Mean Qualitative Success We hit OKR of 2,000 registrants a day BUT only 60% were activating Only 8% we’re making profile pages vs. 80% that found site on their own Real members were generating a $4 ARPU, these were worth $0.10

We hit OKR of 2,000 registrants a day

BUT only 60% were activating

Only 8% we’re making profile pages vs. 80% that found site on their own

Real members were generating a $4 ARPU, these were worth $0.10

Final Result Within 3 months we halted all ad spending. But we were sitting on a treasure trove of what topics engaged pet people the most.

Within 3 months we halted all ad spending.

But we were sitting on a treasure trove of what topics engaged pet people the most.

HOMEPAGE - Current

CRAZY EGG Searchers

Dogster Search Traffic

Great Reads Web Analytics Avinash Kaushik Advanced Web Metrics Brian Clifton

Free/CheapTools Google Analytics Google Trends, Adwords Keyword Tool Google Website Optimizer (A/B Multivariate) Silverback (experience testing) Awstats (free server-side webstats) CrazyEgg (click tracking heat maps) Kissmetrics (social space analytics) Medialets (iPhone apps)

Google Analytics

Google Trends, Adwords Keyword Tool

Google Website Optimizer (A/B Multivariate)

Silverback (experience testing)

Awstats (free server-side webstats)

CrazyEgg (click tracking heat maps)

Kissmetrics (social space analytics)

Medialets (iPhone apps)

Ted Rheingold Top Dog, Dogster, Inc. blog.dogster.com twitter: @tedr Sit! Stay! Click! Making Your Users Beg for More Startonomics ‘09