Increase your website conversion rate with split testing
30th September 2010
If your website has 1,000 visits a week and converts 3% of traffic that works out at 30 conversions a week. If you are setting your targets at 60 conversions a week there are two ways to achieve this: 1 – Double your traffic, 2 – Double your conversion rate. Doubling your conversion rate is likely to be the cheaper option as your marketing costs to drive traffic to your website remain the same.
So how do you go about doubling your conversion rate? This blog explains how you can use Google Website Optimizer to split test your website and improve conversion rates in incremental steps.
Firstly define what a conversion is
What on your website counts as a conversion? Is it someone contacting you? Is it someone making a purchase? Is it someone downloading a paper or guide? Is it someone booking your service?
Then create your split testing plan
Now you know what you’re aiming for and you’ve baselined your current conversion rate it’s time to increase your conversion rate.
To do this we recommend using Google Website Optimizer. It’s a free tool that allows you to have two different versions of the same page live. The first person that goes to the website will see one version of the home page; the second will see a different version. Over a 2 – 3 week period you can see which version is performing better and then look to improve on that.
There are many things on any website which can be split tested. These include:
- Offers
- Banners
- Buttons
- Colours
- Features
- Layouts
- Text
- Designs
Start split testing
Decide what you want to split test and define a plan to test a different element every two weeks. After every test analyse which version won and use that version to test something else.
If the majority of split tests result in a rise in conversion rates, over time this cumulative effect should see a big rise in conversions.
So there you have it – a way to scientifically increase conversion rates. Remember you can split test any page on your website whether that be your home page, landing pages, product pages or payment process.
