microsites tested: recent experiments reveal 2 common design mistakes that can kill microsite...

Microsites Tested:Two common mistakes in the microsite design process that can kill conversion rates at launch

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TODAY’S TEAM

@jonpowell31

Jon PowellSenior Manager Research and StrategyMECLABS

Market research practitioner with 6+ years of hands-on discovery gained through managing hundreds of A/B and multivariate tests for ecommerce, healthcare, financial, and education Research Partners.

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JOIN THE CONVERSATION ON TWITTER

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MICROSITE EFFECTIVENESS STUDIED

When compared, microsites generally rated at least somewhat effective for achieving overall marketing objectives

Why do marketers find the performance of microsites so

adequate?

Is there something marketers are doing wrong?

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Today, we are going to walk through two experiments that reveal two common mistakes

made with microsite design.

TODAY’S FOCUS

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Experiment #1:

B2C Golf Community Microsite

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EXPERIMENT #1: BACKGROUND

Background: A national land and home sales organization for consumers

Goal: To increase the number of leads for community microsites

Research Question: Which specific section of content will result in the largest lead rate?

Test Design: A/B Split test

Experiment ID: TP1431Record Location: MECLABS Research LibraryResearch Partner: [Protected]

Research Notes:

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In this test, we focused on the messaging surrounding the call-to-action.

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EXPERIMENT #1: VERSION A

• In Version A, the call-to-action offered a PDF download of a hole-by-hole description of the course.

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EXPERIMENT #1: VERSION B

• In Version B, the call-to-action offered a PDF download of a scorecard designed specifically for the course.

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EXPERIMENT #1: SIDE-BY-SIDE

Version BVersion A

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EXPERIMENT #1: RESULTS

Design Conversion Rate

Version A 8.92%

Version B 2.73%

Relative Difference -69.4%

69% Decrease in ConversionsVersion B’s content decreased the rate of conversion by 69.4%

What you need to understand: The substance change of a single, important section of content resulted in a disproportionate decrease in leads

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What was wrong with Version B?


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FKey Principles

1. One of the most common mistakes with microsites is the tendency of marketers to ask for too much too soon.

2. As we have taught elsewhere1, CTA’s should be value-positive. However, this is not enough. CTA’s must be synchronized to the prospect’s thought sequence.

3. Our research findings suggest that most microsites should focus on progressing prospects with “process level value”, specifically as it relates to:

1. The next, most immediate unanswered question in their mind

2. Something they believe will help them address that

MISTAKE #1: MACRO DISTORTION

1. Flint McGlaughlin: Quick Win Clinic: 5 Simple Ways to improve your webpage copy right now. May 2013

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Losing Variation

• The losing call-to-action performs poorly because it assumes the visitor is convinced that they want to play on this course, and so offers them a scorecard.


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• The winning treatment, however, does not assume the visitor wants to play and so offers a “hole-by-hole” description of the course itself.

• The “hole-by-hole” description maintains an emphasis on the value proposition created by the course’s direct connection to the community of interest.

Winning Variation


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To This

64%in conversions

Extends a general invitation with added explanation

Adds a connection to customers further in the decision process

Protocol ID: TP1636

From This

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From This To This

326%in conversions

Offers a guide that focuses solely on the surrounding community

Offers a guide that includes more detail and is also formatted in a way that’s easy to scan and compare to other information sources

Protocol ID: TP1432

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Experiment #2:

B2B Medical Research Microsite

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Background: A physician-only social network that allows medical product companies to conduct first-hand research on potential purchasers.

Goal: To increase the number of product company leads from the microsite

Research Question: Which microsite content approach will result in the largest lead rate?

Test Design: A/B Split test

Experiment ID: TP1483Record Location: MECLABS Research LibraryResearch Partner: [Protected]

Research Notes:

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• The original page is designed to connect the visitor with all the information that they might need to make a decision.

• However, it does require the visitor to take multiple steps to get the information.

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Product InfoFree Reports

News Releases About Info

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• An alternative design of the microsite was tested that integrated the majority of the information into a single page.

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• Key Product Info

• Key Company Info

• The entry page took a long-copy approach and integrated the following information:

• The remaining information was consolidated to one additional page

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EXPERIMENT #2: SIDE-BY-SIDE

Version A

Version B

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Design Conversion Rate

Version A 3.52%

Version B 8.97%

Relative Difference 154.7%

155% Increase in ConversionsVersion B’s content increased the rate of conversion by 154.7%

What you need to understand: The change in the amount and sequence of microsite content resulted in an increase in leads without negatively affecting SEO

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What was wrong with Version A?


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FKey Principles

1. People do not buy from microsites, people buy from people.

2. One of the most common mistakes with microsites is the tendency of marketers to design an aesthetic site that provides little-to-no sustainable conversation.

3. For microsites, our findings suggest the most effective amount of content is the balance necessary for ideal prospects to perceive enough:

1. Clarity on the offer and its ask

2. Credibility of its claims and its provider

MISTAKE #2: CONVERSATIONAL VOID

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• There is little-to-no conversation on this page.

• It is as if the visitor is bombarded with a plethora of different voices at once.

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• The conversation in this design is sequenced and directed vertically.

• Subsequent information is provided in sequence so as not to compete with the overall conversation.

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So is less content better?


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EXPERIMENT: ON MICROSITE CONTENT

Background: An online, low-cost DIY platform for small and medium sized businesses to distribute content to thousands of websites

Goal: To significantly increase product engagement and orders

Research Question: Which front-end microsite content configuration will result in the largest amount of orders?

Test Design: A/B Multi-factorial Sequential test

Experiment ID: TP1901Record Location: MECLABS Research LibraryResearch Partner: iReach (by PRNewswire)

Research Notes:

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EXPERIMENT: ORIGINAL CONTENT AMOUNT

According to individual test and nature based data, the lack of content left many visitors with unanswered questions, mostly on topics necessary to foster conclusions

Cart Pages (5)Entry Page

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EXPERIMENT: TREATMENT CONTENT AMOUNT

Entry Page Cart Pages (5)

Prospect Page Selection PageProduct Details 1 Product Details 2

Alternatively, content was added before cart pages to help customers answer those questions of value, concern and credibility that the original microsite could not.

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EXPERIMENT: MICROSITE CONTENT RESULTS

Microsite Content Order Conv. Rate

Original 8.0%**

Treatment 10.5%**

Relative Difference 31%

31% Increase in Order Conversion RateThe treatment microsite increased total order conversion rate by 31%

What you need to understand: The addition of the right amount of content increased total order conversions by 31% and total product revenue by 38%

**Conversion rates anonymized for the partner’s protection

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Summary

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Mistake #1: Macro DistortionOne of the most common mistakes with microsites is the tendency of marketers to ask for too much too soon. CTA’s must be synchronized to the prospect’s thought sequence.

Mistake #2: Conversational VoidPeople do not buy from microsites, people buy from people. One of the most common mistakes with microsites is the tendency of marketers to design an aesthetic site that provides little-to-no sustainable conversation.

SUMMARY: COMMON MICROSITE DESIGN MISTAKES

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Live Optimization

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Live Optimization

Primary objective(s):To get engineers and designers to download the white paper

Primary audience:Engineers/IT designers

URL:http://bit.ly/16D3aNU

OpenText Global

http://bit.ly/16D3aNU

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Live Optimization

Primary objective(s):Email capture

Primary audience:Drivers in recent auto accidents

URL:http://bit.ly/1cK8vHx

Carranza

http://bit.ly/1cK8vHx

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Live Optimization

Primary objective(s):Prompt visitors to watch a video

Primary audience:Distribution center managers

URL:http://bit.ly/14p8K5u

Intermec

http://bit.ly/14p8K5u

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MECLABS conducts rigorous experiments in the new science of optimization. We apply our discoveries to help leaders optimize the financial performance of their sales and marketing programs.

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