Neuro Marketing is Bulls**t

@OptimiseOrDieChinwag Psych 05/14

3 Bill & Ted

4

The Invisible Gorilla

The Neuro Marketing Bullshit Toolkit#1 Get out of the office#2 Immerse yourself#3 Get Session Replay#4 Voice of Customer#5 Act like a Private Eye#6 Test things!#7 Split testing tools#8 Hypothesis design#9 Invest in Copywriting#10 Find, Read, Learn stuff#11 Agile, Lean and CRO#11 Work the dark side#13 Collaborative toolsets#14 Photography

SUMMARY

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#1 : GET OUT OF THE OFFICE

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1a : Lab Based Testing

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1b : Remote UX Testing

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1 Moderator

Participant2Viewers3

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Som, feedbackRemote UX tools (P=Panel, S=Site recruited, B=Both)Usertesting (B) www.usertesting.comUserlytics (B) www.userlytics.comUserzoom (S) www.userzoom.comIntuition HQ (S) www.intuitionhq.comMechanical turk (S) www.mechanicalturk.comLoop11 (S) www.loop11.comOpen Hallway (S) www.openhallway.comWhat Users Do (P) www.whatusersdo.comFeedback army (P) www.feedbackarmy.comUser feel (P) www.userfeel.comEthnio (For Recruiting) www.ethnio.com

Feedback on Prototypes / MockupsPidoco www.pidoco.comVerify from Zurb www.verifyapp.comFive second test www.fivesecondtest.comConceptshare www.conceptshare.comUsabilla www.usabilla.com

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1c : Crowdsourced Testing

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1d : Beer, Caffeine and Work Breaks

DESKTOP & LAPTOPCamStudio (free) www.camstudio.orgMediacam AV (cheap) www.netu2.co.ukSilverback (Mac) www.silverbackapp.comScreenflow (Mac) www.telestream.net

MOBILEUX Recorder (iOS) www.uxrecorder.com Skype Hugging bit.ly/tesTfm Reflector bit.ly/JnwtMo

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1e : Guerrilla Testing

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1f : Interview Like a Pro!

• Read these:

“Don’t Make Me Think” amzn.to/1gIZEJn“Rocket Surgery Made Easy” amzn.to/1e0hnUL“Talking to Customers” bit.ly/1e0hT58“Talking with Participants” bit.ly/1kKL3LE“Don’t listen to Users” bit.ly/1cQpiIE“Interviewing Tips” bit.ly/1fKqu03“More interviewing Tips” bit.ly/1bmvGT

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1f : Multichannel, Device, Location, Context

http://www.nomensa.com/blog/2014/diary-studies-for-multi-device-user-research/

#2 : IMMERSE YOURSELF

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• Test ALL key campaigns• Use Real Devices• Get your own emails• Order your products• Call the phone numbers• Send an email• Send 11 shoes back• Be difficult• Break things• Experience the end-end• Do the same for competitors• Team are ALL mystery

shoppers• Wear the magical slippers• Be careful about dogfood

though!

• Gives you insight missing from other tools• Rich source of data on visitor experiences• Segment by browser, visitor type, behaviour, errors• Forms Analytics (when instrumented) are awesome• Can be used to optimise in real time!

Session replay tools• Clicktale (Client) www.clicktale.com• SessionCam (Client) www.sessioncam.com• Inspectlet www.inspectlet.com• Mouseflow (Client) www.mouseflow.com• Ghostrec (Client) www.ghostrec.com• Usabilla (Client) www.usabilla.com• Tealeaf (Hybrid) www.tealeaf.com• UserReplay (Server) www.userreplay.com @OptimiseOrD

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#3 : GET SESSION REPLAY

• Sitewide Omnipresent Feedback• Triggered (Behavioural) Feedback• Use of Features, Cancellation, Abandonment• 4Q Task Gap Analysis very good

• Kampyle

www.kampyle.com

• Qualaroo

www.qualaroo.com

• Feedback Daddy

www.feedbackdaddy.com

• 4Q

4q.iperceptions.com

• Usabilla

www.usabilla.com

#4 : GET THEIR VOICE

• Surveys are an art form. • They’re also highly underrated.

• The Autoglass (Belron) NPS survey got a 35% email clickthrough rate and a 94% fillout rate. Why?

Luke Wroblewski www.lukew.comCaroline Jarrett www.formsthatwork.comSticky Content www.stickycontent.com

• Higher NPS than a well known consumer brand! Why?

• Systematic programme of sampling of millions of customers a year. Figuring out the drivers of delight and dissatisfaction. Optimise. Repeat.

#4 : GET THEIR VOICE

• Make contact and feedback easy & encouraged• Add contact & feedback to everything (e.g. all emails)• Run regular NPS and behaviourally triggered surveys • Get ratings on Service Metrics • Find what drives the ‘level’ of delight• Listen to customers regularly• Always be asking customers questions (in person or survey)• Make the team spend ½ a day a month at the Call Centre• Meet with your Sales and Support teams ALL the time• Tip : Take them for Beers and encourage bitching

#4 : GET THEIR VOICE

• For your brand(s) and competitors• Check review sites, Discussion boards, News• Use Google Alerts on various brands & keywords• See what tools they’re using (www.ghostery.com)• Sign up for all competitor emails• Run Cross Competitor surveys• This was VITAL for LOVEFiLM

• Use Social & Competitor Monitoring tools :

slidesha.re/1k7bflGblog.kissmetrics.com/james-bond-of-the-web/

#5 : ACT LIKE A PRIVATE EYE

#4 – Test or Die!Email testing www.litmus.com

www.returnpath.comwww.lyris.com

Browser testing www.crossbrowsertesting.com

www.browserstack.com

www.spoon.net

www.saucelabs.com

www.multibrowserviewer.com

Mobile devices www.appthwack.comwww.deviceanywhere.comwww.mobilexweb.com/emulatorswww.opendevicelab.com

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#6 : 8 Million Pounds a Year – one bug

• Google Content Experiments bit.ly/Ljg7Ds

• Optimizelywww.optimizely.com

• Visual Website Optimizerwww.visualwebsiteoptimizer.com

• Multi Armed Bandit Explanationbit.ly/Xa80O8

• New Machine Learning Toolswww.conductrics.comwww.rekko.com

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#7 : MACHINE LEARNING

Insight - Inputs#8 : Building a Hypothesis

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Insight - Inputs#8 : These are the inputs you need…

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Insight - Inputs

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#8 : Brainstorming the test

• Check your inputs• Assemble the widest possible team• Share your data and research• Design Emotive Writing guidelines

Insight - Inputs

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#8 : Emotive Writing - exampleCustomers do not know what to do and need support and advice• Emphasize the fact that you understand that their situation is stressful • Emphasize your expertise and leadership in vehicle glazing and will help

them get the best solution for their situation• Explain what they will need to do online and during the call-back so that they

know what the next steps will be• Explain that they will be able ask any other questions they might have during the

call-back Customers do not feel confident in assessing the damage• Emphasize the fact that you will help them assess the damage correctly online Customers need to understand the benefits of booking online• Emphasize that the online booking system is quick, easy and provides all the

information they need in regards with their appointment and general cost information

 Customers mistrust insurers and find dealing with their insurance situation very frustrating• Where possible communicate the fact that the job is most likely to be free for

insured customers, or good value for money for cash customers• Show that you understand the hassle of dealing with insurance companies –

emphasise that you will help with their insurance paperwork for them, freeing them of this burden

 Some customers cannot be bothered to take action to fix their car glass • Emphasize the consequences of not doing anything,

e.g. ‘It’s going to cost you more if the chip develops into a crack’

Insight - Inputs

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#8 : THE DARK SIDE

“Keep your family safe and get back on the road fast with Autoglass.”

Insight - Inputs

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#8 : NOW YOU CAN BEGIN

• You should have inputs, research, data, guidelines• Sit down with the team and prompt with 12

questions:

– Who is this page (or process) for?– What problem does this solve for the user?– How do we know they need it?– What is the primary action we want people to take?– What might prompt the user to take this action?– How will we know if this is doing what we want it to do?– How do people get to this page?– How long are people here on this page?– What can we remove from this page?– How can we test this solution with people?– How are we solving the users needs in different and better ways

than other places on our site?– If this is a homepage, ask these too (bit.ly/1fX2RAa)

Insight - Inputs

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#8 : PROMPT YOURSELF

• Check your Copywriting guidelines.

• Use Get Mental Notes• What levers can we apply now?• Create a hypothesis:

“WE BELIEVE THAT DOING [A] FOR PEOPLE [B] WILL MAKE OUTCOME [C] HAPPEN. WE'LL KNOW THIS WHEN WE SEE DATA [D] AND FEEDBACK [E]”

www.GetMentalNotes.com

Insight - Inputs

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#8 : THE FUN BIT!

• Collaborative Sketching

• Brainwriting• Refine and Test!

We believe that doing [A] for People [B] will make outcome [C] happen.

We’ll know this when we observe data [D] and obtain feedback [E]. (reverse)

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Insight - Inputs

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#8 : HYPOTHESIS DESIGN SUMMARY

• Inputs – get the right stuff• Research, Guidelines, Data• Framing the problem(s)• Questions to get you going• Use card prompts for

Psychology• Create a hypothesis• Collaborative Sketching • Brainwriting• Refine and Check Hypothesis• Instrument and Test

“On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.”David Ogilvy

“In 9 years and 40M split tests with visitors, the majority of gains came from playing with the words.”@OptimiseOrDie

#9 : HIRE OR TRAIN GREAT COPYWRITERS

Why?• Because every word, every piece of copy, each error

message, all the emails, the forms, the web pages – are your BRAND and EXPERIENCE

• The words set the emotional landscape and lens through which your entire product is viewed

• If you aren’t writing for simplicity, comprehension and persuasion, you’re missing the biggest trick in all this work

• There is no dumbing down of content• Get some training from www.stickycontent.co.uk• STOP FILLING IN (Developers & Error Messages)• We know lots of new things about the brain but the

techniques in persuasive writing have been around for decades

• Eye control and copy decoration : mklnd.com/RENTbr

#9 : HIRE OR TRAIN GREAT COPYWRITERS

Scarcity principle...#9 : EXAMPLE – SPAM MESSAGING

Scarcity principle...#9 : EXAMPLE – SPAM MESSAGING

We promise never to maim or kill you whilst shopping!

#10 : READ STUFF

#10 : READ STUFF

#10 : FIND STUFF

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@danbarker Analytics@fastbloke Analytics@timlb Analytics@jamesgurd Analytics@therustybear Analytics@carmenmardiros Analytics@davechaffey Analytics@priteshpatel9 Analytics@cutroni Analytics@avinash Analytics@AschottmullerAnalytics, CRO@cartmetrix Analytics, CRO@Kissmetrics CRO / UX@Unbounce CRO / UX@Morys CRO / Neuro@UXFeeds UX / Neuro@Psyblog Neuro@Gfiorelli1 SEO / Analytics

@PeepLaja CRO@TheGrok CRO@UIE UX@LukeW UX / Forms@cjforms UX / Forms@axbom UX@iatv UX@Chudders Photo UX@JeffreyGroks Innovation@StephanieRieger Innovation@BrianSolis Innovation@DrEscotet Neuro@TheBrainLadyNeuro@RogerDooley Neuro@Cugelman Neuro@Smashingmag Dev / UX@uxmag UX@Webtrends UX / CRO

#10 : LEARN STUFF

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Baymard.comLukew.comSmashingmagazine.comConversionXL.comMedium.comWhichtestwon.comUnbounce.comMeasuringusability.comRogerDooley.comKissmetrics.comUxmatters.comSmartinsights.comEconsultancy.comCutroni.com

www.GetMentalNotes.com

#11 : Agile, Lean and Optimisation

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CRO

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Lean CRO

Think like a store owner!

If you can’t refurbish the entire store, which floors or departments will you invest in optimising?

Wherever there is:

• Footfall• Low return• Opportunity

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#12 : WORK THE DARK SIDE TOO

• Your customer acquisition costs may be high but churn, returns or lack of repeat custom could be totally eating your growth ability

• Churn and Cancellation are vital sources

• Talk to your complaints or escalation teams

• Seek out unhappy people• Interview these pissed off customers

• Learn from #fail

#13 – Use Great Photos

24 Jan 2012

• Persuasion / Influence / Direction / Explanation

• Helps people process information and stories

• Vital to sell an ‘experience’

• Helps people recognise and discriminate between things

• Supports Scanning Visitors

• Drives emotional response

short.cx/YrBczl

+13.9%

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#13 : SPLIT TESTING PHOTOGRAPHY

+5.9%

Terrible Stock Photos : headsethotties.com & awkwardstockphotos.comLaughing at Salads : womenlaughingwithsalad.tumblr.comOther Stock Memes : linkli.st/optimiseordie/7FdxzBBC Fake Smile Test : bbc.in/5rtnv

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SPAIN

+22% over control

99% confidence

“It’s not about what you think when you look at the design – it’s about the reaction it causes in the mind of the viewer. Always design for that first.”

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#13 : PHOTOGRAPHY UX

The Best Companies…

• Have great copywriters at the heart of the process• Source photos and content that support persuasion and utility• Have cross channel, cross device design, testing and QA• Invest continually in analytics instrumentation, tools, people• Prioritise development based on data and customer insight• Have an Agile, iterative, cross-silo, one team project culture• Practice real continuous product improvement • Continually reduce cycle (iteration) time in their process• Prefer collaborative tools and methods to lots of meetings• Segment their data for valuable insights, every test or change• Blend ‘long’ design, continuous improvement AND split tests• Make optimisation the engine of change, not the slave of ego

“Congratulations! Today you’re the lucky winner of our random awards programme. You get all these extra features for free, on us. Enjoy.”

Business Future Testing

Insight - Inputs

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SUMMARY

• Great new stuff about the brain• It’s all about the inputs & execution• Don’t randomly test – game the system• Drive split tests using Data, Psychology,

Customers• If you read all this stuff, you’ll do well• Last 18m : 25%-800% increase in revenue• Biggest insight of the last 5 years?

“Blending Lean and Agile UX with conversion optimisation techniques* and participative, collaborative cultures – will produce exceptional products and insights.”

*(persuasive copywriting & psychology, analytics, split testing, Kaizen, Kano)

If it isn’t working, you’re not doing it right

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WRAPUP

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RESOURCE PACK

• Maturity model• Belron methodology example• Building a ring model• Manual Models for Analytics

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Ad Hoc

Local HeroesChaotic Good

Level 1Starter Level

GuessingA/B testingBasic tools

AnalyticsSurveys

Contact CentreLow budget

usability

Outline process

Small teamLow hanging

fruit

+ Multi variateSession replayNo segments

+Regular usability

testing/research

PrototypingSession replay

Onsite feedback

_____________________________________________________________________________________________ _

Dedicated team

Volume opportunities

Cross silo teamSystematic

tests

Ninja TeamTesting in the

DNA

Well developed Streamlined Company wide

+Funnel optimisationCall tracking

Some segments Micro testing

Bounce ratesBig volume

landing pages

+ Funnel analysis

Low converting & High loss

pages

+ offline integration

Single channel picture

+ Funnel fixesForms analytics

Channel switches

+Cross channel testing

Integrated CRO and analyticsSegmentation

+Spread tool use

Dynamic adaptive targetingMachine learningRealtime

Multichannel funnels

Cross channel synergy

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Testing

focus

Culture

Process

Analytics

focus

Insightmethod

s

+User Centered DesignLayered feedback

Mini product tests

Get buyin

________________________________________________________________________________________________Missio

nProve ROI Scale the

testing Mine valueContinual

improvement

+ Customer sat scores tied to

UXRapid iterative

testing and design

+ All channel view of

customerDriving offline using online

All promotion driven by testing

Level 2Early maturity

Level 3Serious testing

Level 4Core business value

Level 5You rock, awesomely

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5 - Belron example – Funnel replacement

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#1 Building a Model

#1 Avinash article#2 The Ring Model#3 3 examples#4 Benefits#5 Summary

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6.1 – Avinash “See-Think-Do”• Avinash Kaushik, analytics guru, proposes a very nice model for marketing. A

brilliant article can be read here:• http://www.kaushik.net/avinash/see-think-do-content-marketing-measurement-

business-framework/

• But this sort of thinking is also relevant to optimisation• CRO often focuses on purely the ‘Do’ stage – rather than ‘See’ or ‘Think’ stages.

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6.1 – Example

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6.2 – The Ring Model• Simply looking at conversion points is not enough• We need a way to look at the ‘layers’ or ‘levels’ reached• So I developed a ring or engagement model• This works for many (but not all) websites• Focuses on depth of engagement, not pages viewed• Helps to see the key loss steps, like a funnel• It’s not a replacement for funnel diagrams• It helps to see the ‘big picture’ involved• So – let’s try some examples

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6.3 – Examples – Concept

Bounce

Engage

Outcome

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6.3 – Examples – Shoprush.com

Bounce

Search or Category

Product Page

Add to basket

View basket

Checkout

Complete

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6.3 – Examples – 16-25Railcard.co.uk

Bounce

Login to Account

Content Engage

Start Application

Type and Details

Eligibility

Photo

Complete

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6.3 – Examples – Guide Dogs

Bounce

Content Engage

Donation Pathway

Donation Page

Starts process

Funnel steps

Complete

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6.3 – Within a layerExit

Deeper Layer

Email

LikeContact

Wishlist

Micro Conversions

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6.4 – Benefits• Helps you see where flow is ‘stuck’• Sorts out small opportunities from big wins• Ignores pages in favour of ‘Macro’ and ‘Micro’ conversions• Lets you show the client where focus should be• Helps flush flow or traffic through to lower levels• Avoids prioritising the wrong part of the model!• Example – Shoprush problem is basket adds, not checkout• If you had 300k product page views, 5k adds and 1k

checkouts – where would your problem be?• If you had 300k product page views, 100k adds and 1k

checkouts – it’s a different place!• Example – Google adwords site has bad traffic, not

conversion

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6.5 – Benefits contd.• A nice simple way to visualise complex websites• Does not rely on pages – more ‘steps’ or ‘layers’• Helps you see where traffic is ‘stuck’ or ‘failing to engage

more deeply’• The combination of traffic potential, UX and persuasion

issues combines to identify opportunity• Avoids visual bias when doing an expert review• In the e-commerce example, Rush have optimised product

page first, not homepage.• Questions?