Robert Gilbreath, VP of eCommerce Marketing and Analytics at Calendars.com, will discuss testing approaches to optimize the checkout page. The presentation will cover the history of website testing and personalization, avoiding decisions based on gut instinct alone ("HIPPO"), and taking a modern approach using technology and data-driven testing. Case studies from Calendars.com will demonstrate the impact of testing elements like time-based messaging, store locators, email consistency, button colors, page layouts, and shopping cart flows. Testing yielded increases in key metrics like conversion rates and revenue. The presentation aims to demonstrate how small changes from testing can provide meaningful results.

1. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
Robert Gilbreath
VP of eCommerce Marketing and Analytics

2. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• Introduction
• History of website testing and personalization
• Avoiding the HIPPO
• A modern approach to technology and testing
• Case studies, examples and results
• Questions and answers

3. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• Founded in 1999
• Based in Austin, TX
• Internet Retailer Top 500 Site
• Calendars, Games, Puzzles, and Books
• Also DogBreedstore.com
Robert Gilbreath
• Joined Calendars.com in 2009
• Ecommerce Marketing, Merchandising,
and Content

4. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• History of website testing and personalization
IT heavy: Not totally controlled by marketing.
Limited options: Rely on IT to make updates/changes/additions.
Speed: Slow to produce results / data.
Results: Data inconclusive.

5. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
Does he (or she) exist within your organization?

6. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• Highest Paid Person’s Opinion (HIPPO)
History of testing / personalization mean the HIPPO stomped.
Decisions and changes not based on tests.
Gut and/or ego decisions can be right, but…

7. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• A modern approach to technology and testing

8. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• A modern approach to technology and testing

9. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• A modern approach to technology and testing

10. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• A modern approach to technology and testing

11. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
Sample of a campaign/test set-up

12. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page

13. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page

14. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• Case Studies and Results
– Time-based Messaging
– Store Locator Push
– Email Echo / Consistency
– Button Color
– Layout Changes
– Dynamic Messaging – Shipping Threshold
– Shopping Cart Flow

15. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• Time-based Messaging Campaigns

16. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• Results of Time-based Messaging Campaigns
Add-to-cart Rate: 5.5%
Conversion Rate: 9.2%
Revenue per Session: 8.6%

17. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• Store Locator Campaigns

18. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• Results of Store Locator Campaigns
Overall CTR: 13.57%
12/22 - 12/24: 14.36%
* Doubled traffic to store locator vs. previous season
* Increased mention of store locator by customers

19. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• Email Consistency Campaigns

20. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• Results of Email Consistency Campaigns
Add-to-cart Rate: 4.9%
Conversion Rate: 12.4%
Average Order Value: 6.43%
Revenue per Session: 19.7%
* Bounce rate decreased 7.9%
* Cart abandonment rate decreased 22.5%
Additional test: Echo Email Subject Line vs. Echo Email Body (Winner)

21. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
Do these little lifts to conversion rate and AOV matter?
Control Test Change
Visitors 1,000,000 1,000,000
CR 5.00% 5.60% 12.40%
AOV $50.00 $53.22 6.43%
Closed 50,000 56,000 6,000
$2,500,000 $2,980,320 $480,320

22. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• Button Color Tests

23. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page

24. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page

25. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• Results of Button Color Tests
Conversion Rate: 4.5%
Average Order Value: 2.9%
Revenue per Session: 7.6%

26. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• Layout Changes (Category & Navigation)

27. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• Category Layout (Before)

28. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• Category Layout (After)

29. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• Navigation Layout (Before)

30. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• Navigation Layout (After)

31. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• Results of Navigation Layout Changes
Conversion Rate: 2.2%
Average Order Value: 6.6%
Revenue per Session: 8.9%

32. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• Dynamic Messaging (Shipping Thresholds) Example

33. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page

34. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• Shopping Cart Flow
-Calendars.com home page
as all customers see if prior
to cart and checkout.
-Top navigation and site
search are all displaying.

35. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• Shopping Cart Flow
Cart page showing the
removal of the very top
banner.

36. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• Shopping Cart Flow
Once customers move
from the cart page into
the checkout process,
all three elements are
removed.

37. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• Shopping Cart Flow

38. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• Shopping Cart Flow

39. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• Results of Shopping Cart Flow
Conversion rate: .6%
Average Order Value: .42%
Revenue per Session: 1.1%
* Cart Abandonment Rate decreased .71%
Looks minor but this took TWO minutes to set up, yielded additional revenue.
** Lock icon on billing page reduced cart abandonment by 15.8%!

40. The Breakdown of a Perfect
Checkout Page
• Questions & Answers
Robert Gilbreath
Twitter: @Adomatica
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/robertgilbreath
Email: Robert@calendars.com