Nathanael Yellis, Digital Director for Heritage Action, gives you 8 specific lessons learned about online optimization. Each lesson is supported by a real-world test. Online optimization is continuous improvement based on data. It’s how you generate big sustainable wins online. The best way to learn is having a strong framework and use it to build specific tests about your audience. This slide deck is a fine place to start for the framework.

1. Nathanael Yellis
Digital Director, Heritage Action
Online optimization is continuous improvement
based on data.
It’s how you generate big sustainable wins online.

2. Online activity is a mess.
Visualize a funnel to keep things simple.

3. Which funnel step is the
best one to optimize?

4. Step
conversion
Baseline
Boost open
20%
Boost click
20%
Boost donate
20%
Boost all
20%
Open 30% 10,000 12,000 10,000 10,000 12,000
Click 10% 1,000 1,200 1,200 1,000 1,440
Donate
money
20% 200 240 240 240 346

5. Want big results? Optimize the
whole pathway.
How? Develop a theory about
human behavior in your funnel.

6. Control: leading with big name and event details, just like an invitation.

7. Variation: motivating words will make more people register for events.

8. Name & Details Motivational Words
Opened email 21% 20%
Clicked email 12% 18%
RCSP 35% 54%
Overall conversion 0.9% 1.9%
Lesson learned: optimize the whole pathway.

9. 12.2% 13% Increase Decrease in
in
Revenue Conversion
Per Visitor
Control: 7 button array
Variation: 3 button array
Lesson Learned: focus on the bottom line.

10. Optimization Systems Can be a Mess

11. Original: “Donate” in the Header

12. Variation: “Contribute” in the Header

13. Result: No Significant Difference, Nothing Gained
Lesson Learned: focus tests on areas with big potential

14. Look for high-potential tests
Senate Calls House Calls
Opened email 19% 13%
Clicked link 22% 25%
Entered zip
code
38%
Call report 28% 24%
Conversion 0.4% 0.8%
Removing a step from the funnel doubled conversion
Lesson Learned: Good tests are a big change in a high potential area.

15. Original: Donate as a Header Link

16. Variation: Red Button

17. Result: nothing significant learned
Testing “we need a red button like Obama’s” isn’t worthwhile
Lesson Learned: Good tests are about your audience, not someone else’s.

18. Original: plain signup box

19. Variation: social proof

20. Results: plain beats messy social proof
Lesson learned: clarity in tests mean clarity in results.

21. “opens” “clicks” “donates” “signups” “visits” “eyeballs” “the list”
are all real people
Lesson learned: count the cost of web marketer tricks.

22. Lessons Learned
1. Optimize the whole pathway.
2. Test theories of human behavior.
3. Focus on the bottom line.
4. Test areas with big potential.
5. Tests big changes.
6. Tests ideas about your audience, not someone else’s.
7. Clarity in testing means clarity in results.
8. Count the cost of web marketer tricks.

23. @inathanael
www.inathanael.com