A presentation by Refreshed Media Managing Director Simon Melaniphy to 2 audiences of business people at Business Link events at Fareham and Isle of Wight in 2009. Delivered as a 45 minute presentation as an overview on: 1. Planning your website 2. Creating an impact 3. Technical issues 4. Converting into sales or leads This covers a very top level overview on split and multivariate testing, including 2 case studies, calls to action and tools to test these with.

1. Web Design Essentials
Simon Melaniphy
Managing Director
www.refreshedmedia.com
simon@refreshedmedia.com
Telephone: +44 1202 414101

2. What you’ll learn in the next 20 minutes...
1. Planning your website
2. Creating an impact
3. Technical issues
4. Converting into sales or leads

3. - Define who your site visitors are
- Define the desired outcomes
- Specification
- Key requirements
- Site map
- Wireframes
Planning

4. Welcome to our World;
Examples of our WorkCreate an impact

5. First impressions last!
- 50 ms to make an impression!
- Establish site purpose quickly
- Consider using video
- Clearly show services
- Create trust
- Phone number
- Case study / testimonial
- Personal approach – team
- Keep up to date
- Demonstrate brand personality

6. Less is more – but remember the testing!

7. Imagery
- Picture speaks 1000 words...but ensure it’s saying the right ones!
- Represent your brand image
- Select stock images with care

8. Engagement
• White papers / articles
• Helpful videos
• Tools, e.g. calculators
• Reviews / testimonials
• Interactive product selector
Lauren Luke: Home recorded videos showing
makeup tutorials to sell her products.
Users = need to be engaged
Able to request looks, videos and information.
Why should your audience come to,
stay on or revisit your site?

9. Welcome to our World;
Examples of our WorkTechnicalities

10. Technicalities
• Accessibility – ensure website is open to all
•Sight impaired – screen readers
•Slow connection
•Different web browsers
•Mobile devices
•No flash or javascript
•Avoid popups
• Ensure reliable hosting

11. Technicalities
• Testing
•Broken links
•Valid XHTML code
•Cross browser checks
•Consider Sortsite - £199 or validator.w3c.org
•Against key requirements specification
•Review each page (somebody here has Lorem Ipsum!)

12. Welcome to our World;
Examples of our WorkConvert

13. What is a website conversion?
Visits
Sales
= Conversions!

14. What is a website conversion?
Visits
Test drive bookings
Brochure requests
Enquiries
= Conversions!

15. What is conversion rate?
Conversions
Website visitors
x 100
… the higher the better!
25 enquiry forms
1000 unique visitors
x 100 = 2.5%

16. Where is conversion rate measured?
Using free Google Analytics
•Google Analytics tells you volume and source of traffic
•You tell Google what your Goals (Conversions) are on the website

17. Tests are good!

18. Split Testing
Split (A/B) Testing
• Live serving of different versions of a page
• One test at a time
• Which gets the best conversion rate?

19. Split Testing – The winner!
The original version had
25% more conversions.
It doesn’t matter really what the marketing manager, MD, agency think…
It does matter what the visitor thinks!

20. Multivariate Testing

21. Multivariate Testing
9 subtly different versions... 300% difference in conversion rate!

22. Design To Convert

23. Navigation
Simple navigation menus, and site signposting…MAKE IT EASY!

24. Clear descriptions & selling points
From typing in “personal loans” on Google...
Focus your pages
- Bullet point key info
- Clear, readable text
- Explain benefits
- Prominent calls to action

25. Clear calls-to-action
Make these as
prominent as
possible

26. Forms
• Keep forms simple with necessary fields
• Autofill saves time
• Signpost and segment if the form is long
• Clear “submit” or “next” buttons
• Form on content page?
• TEST!!

27. Live Help
• Communicate in a way easiest to the customer
• Helps people
• with quick enquiries
• when prefer soft sell
• when can’t speak on phone
• Can help to improve conversion rate

28. Scroll Analysis
Hover maps - are visitors reaching the bottom of your pages?

29. Heatmaps
Pinpointing exactly
where visitors are
clicking on the website

30. Heatmaps
Are visitors clicking
areas of the page
which aren’t links?
Which specific
areas of buttons /
links are visitors
clicking on?

31. Summary
• Plan your website build
• Create credibility
• Engage with visitors
• Keep the content fresh
• Ensure it works for all
• Test design changes to improve conversion rate

32. Web Design Essentials
For more information please contact
Simon Melaniphy
Managing Director
www.refreshedmedia.com
simon@refreshedmedia.com
Telephone: +44 1202 414101