Comments on: How Split-Testing Our Opt-In Form Increased Our Conversion Rate by 102.2%

By: bo

bo — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 22:32:33 +0000

My immeadiate reaction was: 15.000 subscribers, a lot of mail, spam, mass, full inbox, don’t want it. So I associated it with getting a lot of mail.

Then another reaction. I do not want to see what the masses are subscribing to but more specific stuff. Even if that is not a valid point.

By: Peter

Peter — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 12:48:21 +0000

In reply to Tim. No data to support it, but I'm with this line of thinking. Folks are looking for an edge, a differentiator, and when there's 15,000 people already getting the "tips" they sense the opportunity is already triaged.

By: Maria Peagler

Maria Peagler — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 17:22:19 +0000

Derek – My first thought was that with numbers in the 15,000s for subscribers, people might think it’s junk. Certainly that’s not the case, but touting the number of subscribers wouldn’t be as convincing as a real testimonial from just one of them.

By: rob aubrey

rob aubrey — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 01:51:57 +0000

The reason social proof does poorly on this type of site is because the way people make decisions.

There are two types of processors for decision making, internal and external.

Internal processors like to find out things on their own and don’t rely on what other people think, do or say. In fact it repels them. They research and then decide.

External processors care more about what other people think. They ask friends, family members co-workers what they think and then go with the majority.

Neither is right or wrong- they just are.

So here’s the thing, most people that are reading sites like this are researchers and most likely fall into the internal category.

Because internal processors are actually repelled by “other people” it could actually hurt you.

Rob

By: Charles Tutt

Charles Tutt — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 18:39:37 +0000

Great article. Red meat!

Personally when I subscribe to an email list or make a purchase online, I’m turned off by testimonials or other “social” because it’s just part of the ‘sales pitch’ as far as I’m concerned. I do login to the forum, read other articles and in the case of purchase, check other websites for the same product and then make up my own mind.

By: Chase

Chase — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 16:22:44 +0000

Hey Derek,

Loved seeing Cialdini cited here. Did you ever run that second test (with social proof under the opt in line?) I’m curious of the results.

By: Jean-Luc

Jean-Luc — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 17:32:34 +0000

Well I’d rather say it’s a simple question of rythm, and not social proof
On variation 2, it says “1, 2, 3”, it is simple and efficient
On variation 1, it says “1, 1, 2, 3”, it is complicated and you say twice the same thing “Get Free Update”, by doing that you indirectly and unconsciously say to the reader that he’s dumb so you need to repeat, so you need to repeat (see? see? ^^)
If you want social proof, I’d put variation 2, and under the button, a simple text: “14000 others”, it’s smart and simple

my 2 cents ^^ (and maybe I’m totally wrong)

By: Heluo

Heluo — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 23:01:44 +0000

Derek, I can only speak for myself, but I would subscribe based on the author, the content and the subject if it would have my sustained interest, leaving all other factors out. That’s it. That’s three magnitudes that would make me hit the subscribe button, whereas actually, the chance of me subscribing would decrease by multitudes with each deviation, until each such distraction could have the three factors mentioned earlier vanish altogether and I might click away.

Anyone’s mileage may vary, but chances are, with the more testimonials, the more ‘subscribers’ or any other ‘sales’ proof, it wouldn’t be easy to keep me there (it is possible, but it is one of those indicators to set off a good-bye).

If you address me as one of 14,752, so that I am #14,752, it would be like I am in a soccer stadium and you are talking through a loud announcer. Whereas, you could be still talking to same amount of people, but if you make the ‘catchy phrase’ into a ‘personal message’ or some humoristic statement, I would feel it is just you an me, even though everyone knows I am surrounded by audience.

Actually, seeing with how many others one would have to share ‘secret of the gadget’ would increase the chance that I would not subscribe.

But then again, I am easily one of those saying they’d never be caught on candid camera and then one day I ended up in one of those television programs, never once having noticed there had been six cameras on my face :o)

Heluo

By: Brett

Brett — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 09:11:04 +0000

I tried Visual Website Optimizer and love the technology, but it only allows you to modify one page at a time.

I was wanting to test a banner I have across the top of every page encouraging an optin, but VWO only allowed me to change one page. Did you test your sidebar on every page? And if so, how did you get VWO to do that?

Cheers and thanks for the great info. This tool is really good!

By: Dwight

Dwight — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:01:31 +0000

Derek:

When I started looking into split testing my sites, I found out there are 31 variables to test in a headline; All caps, color, font, ending, context, emotional plea etc. and the list goes on.

I also looked into a system called Taguchi testing, or scientific testing, where you can test over 14,000 different combinations using 18 variations. I found talk about it in Adwords for Dummies 2007 Howie Jacobson,PhD. The technical editor for this book knows more. His name is David Bullock.

I personally have a pretty good understanding because I like math and I have been using it for a few months now and it grows on you.

Bottom line, testing has changed my site and my income. I use adwords to complement my sites visitors and I had the same thoughts you had before I understood the consequences of not testing. Before testing, I had a .07% click through rate on my ads to my site.

I now enjoy upwards of 1.37% click through rate on all three networks combined per month. Some of my ads are pulling from 3.4% up to over 7%, most are around 5%.

I found this combination through testing and I will never go back to thinking that I know what my audience wants. I now ask them, “do you like this?”, or “do you like this better?” and let them tell me what they want. Using the data to find out what your customer really wants and will react to is the basis for success.

Keep up your good work, and if you want to shorten your testing time and ability to see what influences what, take it to the next level.