Case Studies
Turning Browsers into Buyers
Brandon Finch
Director eBusiness, Jelly Belly Candy Company
bfinch@jellybelly.com
SEO and SEM Landing Page
Conversion Optimization through
A/B and Multivariate Testing

Brandon Finch
Director of eBusiness,
Jelly Belly Candy Company
A Quick History of Brandon Finch
•  Hands-on in ecommerce since 2000
•  Started with Patagonia’s Web Team
•  Worked for leading brands encompassing outdoor,
footwear, apparel and motorsports
•  Currently Director of eBusiness for JBCC
Some Things to Know
•  My perspective is mine
–  You’ll have to develop your own perspective
•  I don’t know what you don’t know
–  We’ll start at the beginning
•  You can’t do it all
–  Prioritize
–  Do what you can do
This is a Huge Subject Because…
•  There are so many “conversion” scenarios
–  Define “conversion” for your business
•  Email and/or SMS sign-up
•  Lead generation
•  Product purchase
•  Or…?
•  And there are so many factors influencing conversion
•  We’ll focus most on SEM by Retailers
–  Applicable to other marketing efforts
I went looking for a hotel…
…and here’s what I got
Next!
Ah – much better!

Agoda.com paid for the click, not my business!
The LP isn’t Everything
Conversion doesn’t happen in a vacuum –
consider the complete funnel.
•  Other pages contribute (or detract)
–  Product page
–  Shopping cart
–  Checkout pipeline
–  …and more
•  Other factors contribute, too
Conversion isn’t Everything
The accepted triumvirate for success is:
1.  Traffic
2.  Conversion
3.  AOV

Taken together, these are your
Revenue Per Visitor (RPV) factors.
LP Conversion Basics
To maximize conversions, get visitors to the
right page:
•  The page has a specific purpose
•  The page is somehow tied to a campaign
–  Accidental LP: already exists and is indexed (SEO) or
chosen (SEM)
–  Planned LP: created for indexing (SEO) or for a
campaign (SEM)
•  The page meets the customer’s expectation
Good LP Design has:
•  Relevance…
–  Search’s secret sauce (both SEO and SEM)
–  Prominent content is key
–  Natural language is best

•  …which is provided by Information
–  What question does the page answer?
–  Is there a clear value proposition?
–  Can the customer accomplish the goal?
Where to Land?
The “level” of the Landing Page MUST match the
“level” of the search:
•  More specific means more specific
–  Brand-level phrases = brand pages
–  Category phrases = category pages
–  Product phrases = category or product pages
Relevance and Level #1
Search Phrase “Polo Shirt”:
Relevance and Level #1
Resulting page:
Relevance and Level #1
Why not this?
Relevance and Level #2
Search Phrase “Polo Shirt”
Relevance and Level #2
Resulting page:
Relevance and Level #2
Why not this?
Best Practices for LP Conversions
Page design should be…
•  In line with your brand
•  In line with the ad
•  User-focused
– 
– 
– 
– 

Pay homage to what they need, not what the business needs
Strip out the excess – avoid overload
Give a clear value proposition (quality, price, differentiation)
Give a strong and clear CTA

•  Refined
–  This is your first date!
–  Use your best copy
–  Use your best images
Who Got it Right?
Search Phrase “A/B Testing Tools”:
Who Got it Right?
Search Phrase “A/B Testing Tools”:
Test, Test, Test
WiderFunnel distills it to PIE:
•  Potential
–  What pages are worst according to analytics and
the customer?
–  How much can they be improved?

•  Importance
–  What pages get the most traffic and drive revenue?
–  How much does the traffic cost?

•  Ease
–  What’s realistic, technically and politically?
Test the Elements
•  Font
–  Typography, Size, Color

•  Images (types, not specifics)
•  Content (more complex decision = more
information needed)
•  Product organization (list vs. grid vs. ???)
•  Refinement (facets and filters)
–  Price, Size, Color, Shape

•  Social proof
–  Ratings, Reviews,Testimonials
Measure your Success
Revenue per Visitor (RPV) per LP
•  Traffic – good traffic
•  Conversions – the right images, information, CTA
•  AOV – easy to accessorize/up-sell

Ask – How does your landing page support this?
Jelly Belly Testing, What Worked:
Home Page
Split Buttons
Jelly Belly Testing, What Worked:
Shop with Trust Seals
Jelly Belly Testing, What Worked:
International vs. No Tax Green vs. No Tax Red
Jelly Belly Testing, What Worked:
Results Page Info Banner
Jelly Belly Testing, What Worked:
3x vs. 4x Grid
… And What Didn’t
Left Navigation Removed vs. Left Navigation
… And What Didn’t
Roll-over Button
Additional Resources
•  SLI Systems’ Conversion Optimizer
(www.sli-systems.com)
•  Optimizely.com
•  SearchEngineLand.com
•  KissMetrics.com
•  WiderFunnel.com
Thank You!
Brandon Finch
Director of eCommerce,
Jelly Belly Candy Company
bfinch@jellybelly.com
Case Studies
Turning Browsers into Buyers
Brandon Finch
Director eBusiness, Jelly Belly Candy Company
bfinch@jellybelly.com

Case Studies: Turning Browsers into Buyers

  • 1.
    Case Studies Turning Browsersinto Buyers Brandon Finch Director eBusiness, Jelly Belly Candy Company bfinch@jellybelly.com
  • 3.
    SEO and SEMLanding Page Conversion Optimization through A/B and Multivariate Testing Brandon Finch Director of eBusiness, Jelly Belly Candy Company
  • 4.
    A Quick Historyof Brandon Finch •  Hands-on in ecommerce since 2000 •  Started with Patagonia’s Web Team •  Worked for leading brands encompassing outdoor, footwear, apparel and motorsports •  Currently Director of eBusiness for JBCC
  • 5.
    Some Things toKnow •  My perspective is mine –  You’ll have to develop your own perspective •  I don’t know what you don’t know –  We’ll start at the beginning •  You can’t do it all –  Prioritize –  Do what you can do
  • 6.
    This is aHuge Subject Because… •  There are so many “conversion” scenarios –  Define “conversion” for your business •  Email and/or SMS sign-up •  Lead generation •  Product purchase •  Or…? •  And there are so many factors influencing conversion •  We’ll focus most on SEM by Retailers –  Applicable to other marketing efforts
  • 7.
    I went lookingfor a hotel…
  • 8.
  • 9.
  • 10.
    Ah – muchbetter! Agoda.com paid for the click, not my business!
  • 11.
    The LP isn’tEverything Conversion doesn’t happen in a vacuum – consider the complete funnel. •  Other pages contribute (or detract) –  Product page –  Shopping cart –  Checkout pipeline –  …and more •  Other factors contribute, too
  • 12.
    Conversion isn’t Everything Theaccepted triumvirate for success is: 1.  Traffic 2.  Conversion 3.  AOV Taken together, these are your Revenue Per Visitor (RPV) factors.
  • 13.
    LP Conversion Basics Tomaximize conversions, get visitors to the right page: •  The page has a specific purpose •  The page is somehow tied to a campaign –  Accidental LP: already exists and is indexed (SEO) or chosen (SEM) –  Planned LP: created for indexing (SEO) or for a campaign (SEM) •  The page meets the customer’s expectation
  • 14.
    Good LP Designhas: •  Relevance… –  Search’s secret sauce (both SEO and SEM) –  Prominent content is key –  Natural language is best •  …which is provided by Information –  What question does the page answer? –  Is there a clear value proposition? –  Can the customer accomplish the goal?
  • 15.
    Where to Land? The“level” of the Landing Page MUST match the “level” of the search: •  More specific means more specific –  Brand-level phrases = brand pages –  Category phrases = category pages –  Product phrases = category or product pages
  • 16.
    Relevance and Level#1 Search Phrase “Polo Shirt”:
  • 17.
    Relevance and Level#1 Resulting page:
  • 18.
    Relevance and Level#1 Why not this?
  • 19.
    Relevance and Level#2 Search Phrase “Polo Shirt”
  • 20.
    Relevance and Level#2 Resulting page:
  • 21.
    Relevance and Level#2 Why not this?
  • 22.
    Best Practices forLP Conversions Page design should be… •  In line with your brand •  In line with the ad •  User-focused –  –  –  –  Pay homage to what they need, not what the business needs Strip out the excess – avoid overload Give a clear value proposition (quality, price, differentiation) Give a strong and clear CTA •  Refined –  This is your first date! –  Use your best copy –  Use your best images
  • 23.
    Who Got itRight? Search Phrase “A/B Testing Tools”:
  • 24.
    Who Got itRight? Search Phrase “A/B Testing Tools”:
  • 25.
    Test, Test, Test WiderFunneldistills it to PIE: •  Potential –  What pages are worst according to analytics and the customer? –  How much can they be improved? •  Importance –  What pages get the most traffic and drive revenue? –  How much does the traffic cost? •  Ease –  What’s realistic, technically and politically?
  • 26.
    Test the Elements • Font –  Typography, Size, Color •  Images (types, not specifics) •  Content (more complex decision = more information needed) •  Product organization (list vs. grid vs. ???) •  Refinement (facets and filters) –  Price, Size, Color, Shape •  Social proof –  Ratings, Reviews,Testimonials
  • 27.
    Measure your Success Revenueper Visitor (RPV) per LP •  Traffic – good traffic •  Conversions – the right images, information, CTA •  AOV – easy to accessorize/up-sell Ask – How does your landing page support this?
  • 28.
    Jelly Belly Testing,What Worked: Home Page Split Buttons
  • 29.
    Jelly Belly Testing,What Worked: Shop with Trust Seals
  • 30.
    Jelly Belly Testing,What Worked: International vs. No Tax Green vs. No Tax Red
  • 31.
    Jelly Belly Testing,What Worked: Results Page Info Banner
  • 32.
    Jelly Belly Testing,What Worked: 3x vs. 4x Grid
  • 33.
    … And WhatDidn’t Left Navigation Removed vs. Left Navigation
  • 34.
    … And WhatDidn’t Roll-over Button
  • 35.
    Additional Resources •  SLISystems’ Conversion Optimizer (www.sli-systems.com) •  Optimizely.com •  SearchEngineLand.com •  KissMetrics.com •  WiderFunnel.com
  • 36.
    Thank You! Brandon Finch Directorof eCommerce, Jelly Belly Candy Company bfinch@jellybelly.com
  • 37.
    Case Studies Turning Browsersinto Buyers Brandon Finch Director eBusiness, Jelly Belly Candy Company bfinch@jellybelly.com