Optimizing for Multiple Customer Personas: How a recent test “broke the rules” of optimization and drove a 331% conversion lift

Optimizing for Multiple Personas
How a recent test “broke the rules” of optimization and
drove a 331% conversion lift

Today’s Team
Jon Powell
Senior Manager
Research and Strategy
MECLABS
@jonpowell31 Market research practitioner with 6+ years of hands-on discovery gained through

managing hundreds of A/B and multivariate tests for e-commerce, healthcare, financial,
and education Research Partners.

#WebClinic

Background
Experiment ID: TP1560
Record Location: MECLABS Research Library
Research Partner: [Protected]
Background: An organization that offers a minimally invasive medical treatment for
people suffering from chronic pain.
Goal: To increase leads from the website.

Research Question: Which site will generate the highest lead conversion rate?
Test Design: A/B multifactorial test.

#WebClinic

Side-by-Side
Version B

Version A

#WebClinic

331% Relative Increase in Conversions
The new page template B increased lead capture rate by 330.6%

Conv. Rate

% Rel. Change

Version A

1.6%

Version B

7.0%

-330.6%

#WebClinic

Stat. Conf.
99%

Familiar Behavior Patterns
From this

To this
Protocol ID: TP1306

266%
Increase in clicks

LOGO

LOGO

Protocol ID: TP1213

78%

Increase in conversions

Protocol ID: TP2026

46%

Increase in purchases

#WebClinic

Why did the treatment win?

So what was
different in this
situation?

#WebClinic


F

Key Principles

1. Messaging is naturally ordered into four stages: (1) To Listen, (2) To Attract, (3) To
Converse, (4) To Nurture. The order is as important as the activity. One cannot
converse before one attracts; one should not attract before one listens.

#WebClinic

After examination of:
• Feedback from service reps and Sales
• A data/metrics analysis of incoming
channels and keywords
• Existing customer research
The team’s preliminary research question:
What is the effect of providing multiple
paths (CTAs) for visitors to choose based
on where they are in the process?
#WebClinic


F

Key Principles

2. To enable conversation with different customers arriving at the same intersection,
one must alter the geography of the page in a way that attracts each group into its
own conversation.

#WebClinic

Though equally
weighted on the
page, the content is
not equal in the
mind.

#WebClinic


How do I write and design for a page that serves
multiple visitor types with varying interests?

#WebClinic


F

Key Principles

2. To enable conversation with different customers arriving at the same intersection,
one must alter the geography of the page in a way that attracts each group into its
own conversation.

3. A meta-analysis of these page types has uncovered how copywriting and design can
be adjusted to maximize response from pages serving multiple customer personas.

#WebClinic


Today, we are going to walk through tactical
design and copy changes extracted from patterns
of customer response.

#WebClinic

Design Changes

F

Key Principles

1. The marketer’s goal is not simplicity; the marketer’s goal is clarity. The former is the
means to the latter.
2. Simplicity which obscures clarity is lethal to the close. This is true as it relates to the
prospect’s understanding of the marketer’s offer.

#WebClinic

Example: Simplicity vs. Clarity
Protocol ID: TP1315
Control

How would you
increase the search
volume on this page?

#WebClinic

Example: Simplicity vs. Clarity
Treatment
By giving the page a more
Google-like search
experience, our researchers
hypothesized an increase in
search volume …
The result proved that
simplicity does not always
guarantee clarity.

5.6%

Decrease in search volume

#WebClinic

Design Changes

F

Key Actions

1. To enable clarity of the offer for multiple personas, focus on these three types of
page template adjustments:
• The number of conversion paths

• The availability of subheadlines and headers for instructional guidance
• The sequence of the content

#WebClinic

From TP1499 To This …
This,
Protocol ID:
From This

#WebClinic

From This, To This …

Utilized the header to
be instructional
To This

Optimal #
of paths

25%

Increase in clicks
#WebClinic

This,
Protocol ID:

From This

#WebClinic

From This, To This…
To This

Optimized the
number of paths

32.4%


#WebClinic

Added a
subheadline for
explanation

This,
Protocol ID:
From This

#WebClinic

Utilized headers
for explanation

To This

Reduced
paths via
consolidation

63%


#WebClinic

From TP17XX To This …
This,
Protocol ID:
From This

Increase in clickthrough

#WebClinic

Added a headline and
explanation subheadline

To This

181%


Adjusted
color

#WebClinic

Adjusted
content
position

Copy Changes

F

Key Principles

1. “Mind is the great lever of all things; human thought is the process by which human
ends are ultimately answered.” -Daniel Webster

#WebClinic

The Great Lever in Action

#WebClinic

The Great Lever in Action
The Top 5 Reasons for
Bungee Jumping
1. Overcome a fear
2. If you go naked, it could
be free!
3. Cross an item off the
bucket list
4. Bragging rights
5. It’s safe

#WebClinic

Copy Changes

F

Key Principles

1. “Mind is the great lever of all things; human thought is the process by which human
ends are ultimately answered.” -Daniel Webster
2. We must realize that even as the lever moves in degrees, the sale moves in stages.
The marketer must match the message to the stage. We achieve this by synchronizing
geography with chronology.

#WebClinic

Customer Buying Cycle
Sample Keyword

The wide
variety of
search terms
brings light to
what customers
are trying to
achieve online.

Search Volume

Florida Car
Insurance Quote

Low

Car Insurance
Quote

Medium

Buying Process

Purchase
Intent + Shop

Car Insurance

High

Consideration
or Research

Insurance

Very High

Awareness

#WebClinic

Copy Changes

F

Key Actions

1. To enable a type of synchronization that serves multiple personas, align your copy
within each competing section closely with:
• Different stages in the buying cycle

• Relevant, distinguishable categories of interest

#WebClinic

This,
Protocol ID:
From This

#WebClinic


To This

331%


#WebClinic

New copy focuses on relevant topics aligned
with buying cycle stage


A single section was rewritten
to attract more of a given
prospect type

Then This

49.5%


#WebClinic

From TP1503 & TP1507 This …
This, To
Protocol ID:
From This

#WebClinic

All
Traffic

To This

20.6%


#WebClinic

Partner
Sites

Then This
As a result of this discovery, the team installed
dynamic response pages

32.4%

20.6%


#WebClinic

Google

198%


This,
Protocol ID:
From This

#WebClinic

This,
Protocol ID:

Copy written for
browsers and
deal seekers

5.8%

Increase in search volume

#WebClinic

A Final Experiment

#WebClinic

Background
Experiment ID: TP1203
Record Location: MECLABS Research Library
Research Partner: [Protected]
Background: A subscriber-only social media site designed to provide fast, easy access
expert advice for IT.
Goal: To increase subscriptions, subscription revenue.

Research Question: Which sign-up process will produce the greatest subscription rate?
Test Design: A/B multifactorial test.

#WebClinic

Control

Order Page

Pop-over

#WebClinic

Side-by-Side
Control

Treatment

#WebClinic

10.9% Relative Decrease in Revenue Per Visit

The treatment order process received 10.9% less revenue per visit than the control.

Conv. Rate % Rel. Change $$$ / Visit % Rel. Change

Control

.095%

Treatment

.098%

-1.12%

#WebClinic

$1.89

--

$1.68

-10.93%

Summary: Putting it all together

F

Key Points

1. The marketer’s goal is not simplicity; the marketer’s goal is clarity. To enable clarity as it
relates to the prospect’s understanding of the marketer’s offer, focus on three types of
page template adjustments:
•
•
•

The number of conversion paths
The availability of subheadlines and headers for instructional guidance
The sequence of content

2. As the sale moves in stages, the marketer must match the message to the stage. Achieve
this by aligning copy of each competing section with:
•
•

Different stages in the buying cycle
Relevant, distinguishable categories of interest

#WebClinic

Templates for Multiple Customers
Page Templates that Work
Published July 5, 2013

http://www.marketingexperiments.com/site-optimization/page-templates-that-work.html
#WebClinic

See how you can conduct research with us…
MECLABS conducts rigorous experiments in the new science of optimization. We apply our
discoveries to help leaders optimize the financial performance of their sales and
marketing programs.
Learn more about how you may
be a fit for a MECLABS research
partnership:
• Select Research Partnership
Opportunities on the postwebinar survey
• Contact us directly
info@MECLABS.com
1-877-635-0565

x
#WebClinic

EMAIL AWARDS
Winners Announced

MECLABS.com/EmailAwards
#WebClinic

Live Optimization
CVCheck
Primary Audience: Individuals and HR managers
Primary Objective: Sell background checks

http://bit.ly/1h0hl4n

#WebClinic

Live Optimization
Sherman College
Primary Audience: Sherman College students and
alumni
Primary Objective: Send visitors to proper area

http://bit.ly/16n2Wgl

#WebClinic

Optimizing for Multiple Customer Personas: How a recent test “broke the rules” of optimization and drove a 331% conversion lift

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