Don't Just Split Test. People Test Too. (9)
Something I notice in our industry that makes little sense to me is the tendency to allow data to dictate our every decision, often without taking the time to understand what the data actually means.
We split test landing pages and ad creatives with an eye on numbers and percentages, but many of us are guilty of failing to learn from that data. We don't do enough to understand where the variations come from. What causes the low CTR on your landing page? Why is one ad clicked and another ignored?
We rarely question. We just let the numbers do the talking. To put it bluntly, we split test but we rarely 'people test'.
Here are some suggestions for anybody who is going slightly cross-eyed from numbers plugged in to their calculator, or CTR equations splattered across a spreadsheet.
1. Use a fresh pair of eyes.
How simple are your ads? - Ask a family member or friend, or anybody in your target market, to view your ad and answer "What is it about?", "Would you sign up?", "If not, why not?"
A lot of the time, you will hear dismissive answers...
"Do I want to date a cowboy? Sod off, Cupid? I live in central London!"
But don't be disheartened. The information "I wouldn't join this site because..." is priceless and can be used to adapt your further ad copies and landing pages. It's likely that the sentiment will be shared if the ad is unattractive to your test prospect. A fresh pair of eyes will catch all the quirks and irregularities in your sales funnel, in the same way that getting somebody to edit a 600 page novel is a pretty good idea too.
2. Track users in real-time for deeper insights.
Most affiliates analyse their data in cold numbers and percentages. Very few take the time to actually watch what happens when traffic lands on their page.
ClickTale, CrazyEgg, Userfly and Open Web Analytics are your new best friends for seeing what happens when a user lands on your page.
These apps make use of click heatmaps and mouse movement trackers, some even recording actual user sessions on your page.
The best way to understand where your conversions are being lost is to see, visually, what the users are doing. Admittedly, it's the not the same as pulling a Derren Brown and reading their minds - but it will help. A lot.
3. Don't forget to browser test.
If you have the CSS coding technique of a spangled monkey, you should always be looking to browser-test your landing pages before pushing them live.
Use BrowserShots to test how your page looks on various machines. I pray that the day will come where we don't have to worry about this crap, but relic versions of Internet Explorer are still in existence - especially for older users, who happen to be one of my favourite demographics to target.
If your links and images are all over the shop, the 'amateur' look is unlikely to save you.
4. Speak in the language of your target market.
I believe there was a post just recently on STM about the importance of speaking to your target market in language that they are familiar with. This applies not only to basic English, but to technology terms as well. Not every demographic is 'down with the kids', which is a problem, because many affiliates communicate on that level.
There are a whole bunch of readability tests you can run online. Here's a popular one at Juicy Studio.
If you are targeting foreign non-English speaking countries, there is an even greater need to seek out native speakers for your translations. The difference in performance between technical translations and natural translations from a native speaker who gets what you're trying to achieve... is incredible. The sort of jump in performance that can turn a losing campaign in to your biggest winner.
The gist of what I'm saying here is that many affiliates are ruled by decisions based on technicalities - numbers, percentages and calculations.
The sooner you attempt to understand the human aspect and mental logic behind the numbers, the faster you'll grow as a powerful marketer.
Thanks, finch, it's really useful for me.
Originally Posted by Finch
http://stmforum.com/forum/showthread...-your-audience
Another excellent post, Finch. Thank you.
Originally Posted by dario
You're a legend - thanks for the tips!
Thanks for the tips bro! I'm definitely going to take this into consideration.
Very on point post, I personally write all my dating ads / LPs so that they can be understood with a 6th grade reading level. Depending on what you're marketing, often times your target demographic may not be as articulate as you may assume so you're better off writing simply and to the point as you'll capture a broader base of viewers. Sure, some people might think your ad is very simple and unimpressive writing, but you're doing this to make money, not to win awards for cleverness.
That's true keepitsimple; I remember my first campaign was literally "Want a Girlfriend?" and I grew from there. It was a humble beginning, to say the least lol.
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