funny cache problem

It's been a while since I updated my optimizer tests but I did try to remove one recently and ran into the same cache problem. I couldn't get my site updates to "take" in a live browser...very strange stuff indeed by google

G Cache Taking Over Updates?

I've done a lot of testing before posting this but I'm quite sure that G cache actually takes over site representation for a given user if they've been there for a certain instance of your test. I manage many sites and was trying to change a graphic image on a test page, of course just replacing it without changing the name and uploading, and after several attempts, even replacing via cpanel file manager, the new image does not show up. I opened up a new site and did a similar test in my developing environment and as usual no problem...I am very curious about this.

Are there limitations to changing files within a page while a test is active???

Product Price Point Testing Using Google Website Optimizer

I've just launch my first price point test using G OPtimizer and a new clickbank product. Here is how I did it:

First, I setup 2 addional CB products which are actually the same product just different prices. I use DLGuard download manager so I had to do the same thing there, point to the new CB product numbers for each price point.

The three price points are 22.00, 12.99, and 9.00.

The object is to determine which combination of volume x price creates the best revenue stream (expenses are the same for all three price points).

In Optimizer, I sectioned off (for those new to this blog see my terms post here) the portion of the sales page that had buy links and the price stated.

I use a link > redirect to help organize my buy link so I created 2 more of them (/buy.htm, buy9.htm, buy12.htm) so each one refreshed to the appropriate CB download link I created in DLGuard. For those not using DLGuard, you would simply put your different product link associated with each price point on the different pages. This can also be done directly in the variants if you use a direct buy link.

The variants each sectioned off three links to purchase: the buy now button, the image of the ebook cover, and the "buy right now" text. You can see it here:Buying a Mattress.

Thats it. All incoming traffic (see here for post explaining what traffic Google Optimizer measures)will be divided up among the three prices...and eventually we'll see a clear winner.


meegwell

Cleaning up a Variant Test on the Full Site Experiment - Plus Tips & a New Experiment

The Google Website Optimizer test I put together that basically created a whole new navigation system (see HERE) was daunting to say the least. I wasn't happy with the way the test variant looked, it was too crammed and busy - just messy looking. The goal was to cut down on the options of places to go and combine the sales page into the landing page. I have since cleaned it up a bit, added a new eCover and removed a lot of the other graphics. This taints the test a bit but it is slow going anyway given the small niche the book is geared toward.

One of the most important things when doing a large experiment like this is organizing your pages and code. I basically made copies of the pages involved, and had the old and the new open in my development window at the same time. Since I was redesigning the whole page, I placed the test section tags immediately within the body tags - this made it easy to spot and cut down on possible problems.

The Google Optimizer preview window (and the live site) played some games with the styles - although I was doing a whole body cut and paste, some styles showed differently in the test variant then the original - even though the code was the same for that given part (i.e. some text that was unrelated to the changes I made).

I'm still not sure why this happened. I am a bit guilty of sloppy coding - I'm not a programmer or developer - I just sort of wing that with the help of Dreamweaver.

I have my next experiment planned already and it is something totally different. I'm about to launch a new product and what I'm going to do from day one is test 3 different prices. I'll basically set up three products in Clickbank, which will all be the same except for the price. I'll change the text and the link info in each variant to reflect the different prices. There should be a lot of traffic for this campaign so I'll see results right away. I'll have to look at returns also since the price people pay will affect their decision to return a product.

I'm looking forward to that one.

Optimizer Reports: The Red & The Green

Be sure to read my last post on the traffic that is used for Goggle Website Optimizer as well as the method used - clearing up some myths floating around out there: here.

So I'm getting some "Color" in my reports. What does this mean? It means that Google Optimizer is getting closer to determining ultimate winners and losers. For now it is only on the individual test sections report, lets have a look:



note: click on the images to enlarge


"old sale picture" and "Limited time Sale" both have some color. I believe the threshold is 75% for a winning Green variant (ie it has a 75% chance of beating the others - see column headings) and 25% for the Red losers(25% or less chance of beating the others.) When everything is at 100%, this experiment will be over and I will change my site around permanently, based on the results.

This is again based on statistical "confidence" metrics...at some point there will be enough samples taken, and conversions from those samples, to say "ok your done - this variant will beat the others most of the time".

To review what these two were: the "old sale picture" used an higher price crossed out above the actual price. the "limited time sale" just added text to that effect under the price.

The combinations haven't changed a lot from this post.

As far as the other other larger test goes, I'm still waiting on a few more conversions to post some detail.

I also have some "lessons learned" form that experiment and from doing a full-site variant test with Google Optimizer...problem is the site is old and really want to re-vamp the full front page so that would mean a major experiment overhaul...oh well we'll see.

Website Optimizer: What Traffic Does it Track? What Kind of Test is it?

I've seen these questions come up on various boards and such:

What traffic does Google Optimizer track? Does it only track AdWords?

Google Optimizer tracks and does the multivariant testing on all incoming traffic, regardless of source. You need an AdWords account because all the tracking and G analytics horsepower is housed within AdWords - Google Optimizer leverages off of this...why reinvent the wheel?


What Type of Testing Does it Do? (Taguchi, A/B, etc)

I've seen a lot of misinformation on this topic. Particularly around Taguchi - it seems that a lot of folks in the Internet Marketing world are a bit confused here.

Here is quick explanation:

Factorial Experiments allow you to test multiple 'factors' with multiple 'choices'. For example, a factor could be an image on a landing page and a choice would be various images being swapped.

Now, outside of automated efficient electronic type of testing, such as testing physical operations like machines or chemicals, the tests become very expensive with the more factors and choices you add. Remember permutations? The possible number of combinations expands greatly with each new factor and choice of factor.

So, we have "Fractional Factorials" which in a nut shell limit the amount of total combinations via statistics needed to get a meaningful result. Taguchi is a form of fractional factorial experiments.

So back to the web - It costs nothing more to do 10 factors with 20 choices then it does to do 2 factors with 2 choices....so there is no need for a fractional method like Taguchi.

Google Optimizer uses a full factorial method, where the factors are the "test sections" and the choices are the "variants" on a given experiment page.


Hope this helps,

Meegwell

The Combinations of Variants Tell a Different Story

The train I caught was absolute hell and I would like to say I don't know why Amtrak is still in business, but I do know why - there is no choice and they are subsidized to stay alive....but that's another story.

I'm settled in my hotel now and I see there were at least one if not more conversions since my earlier post so the results of the combinations won't match those of the individual pages posted earlier...

I seem to have a leader breaking out. The exciting thing about this is I can look back to just a week or so ago and say "damn...it looks like I just started making x amount more per week, just because I tried different combos of sales page crap"

How else would I have figured out that potential customers became customers because they liked the bonus setup, but they only like it when it was presented with a crossed out old price and NOT with some text about a limited sale????

Ahhh...getting into the mind of the web shopper.

So here is where we are so far as far as combos goes:



As you can see, combo 3 is leading the pack with 4/84...a conversion rate of 4.7% !!!

I'm so ready to "release the hounds" and let this combo go and sit back and enjoy a 4.7% conversion rate....but I cant, because there is more data to be collected.

But let me tell you, the history of this site's conversion rate is more like less than 1%.





meegwell

More Google Optimzer Sales Page Results

The full site test at prowebvalue is still collecting data - I have yet to report on the issues I had there but will shortly. In the meantime, Im seeing some more clear results from the original sales page test. Here is the indivual page results:



As you can see, 2 of the 3 changes are beating the original on a stand alone basis. The top row shows an estimated conversion rate of .85 to 2.85. This is figured by factoring in the stated margin of error (see the +/- 1%?). The second one is similar, and the third has the original beating the new, with a similar estimated conversion.

I am going to make a request to G to clearly show an "improvement" percentage for this report.

The combo results tell a different story but I've got to catch a train and will report those tonight.

Landing Page Experiment: A Full Site Test!

My first test is still running fine and I'll get back to that one when more data has come in. Unlike that first test, which was simply swapping out some variations of different sales page elements, my second test was much more involved!

I just finished launching the second test, and quite frankly I'm a little nervous given all the changes that were involved. Here's the scenario:

This test became so involved I'm going to post the links to the new and old so you can get a feel for yourselves.

I wanted to change a the landing page of an old site of mine. The site sells a book that teaches professional valuation techniques, applied to websites. It was one of my first projects and is a small technical niche - kind of a "near the heart" thing and not so much for the sales.

The plan was to incorporate the sales page into the landing page, and eliminate some of the paths that needed to be taken before a visitor is presented with the option to buy the book. The problem is those paths were many, and in order to keep a good amount of information (like table of contents samples), many pages had to be duplicated and re-designed since the sales page was now the index (those other pages had links to the old sales page location). Can you picture this mess?

So I did it. I created the new landing pages, cut out a bunch of the duplicate links and paths, and just left the table of cocntents samples. For each sampl, I built a new page that sent the visitor back to the index, so they dont end up at what was the old sales page.

This basically creates a whole new site - the content being the same, but the whole navigation system is different...Im sure I screwed something up I'll catch tomorrow.

Problems and tips: these were o' plenty - but it's a bit late now so Im going to post details tomorrow. For now, I've setup the 'old' and the 'new' in a separate directory and kept all the linking for each as if Google Website Optimizer brought you to each page.

The old, original index was this: Original



The new index, and site navigatio and sample pages is here: New Variant




note: In order to put this "original" out there, I had to remove all Google Optimizer coding.

Like I said, I'll dive into the details of actually creating this test tomorrow...

Google Optimizer: Multi Variant Combination Results

Note that these results reflect an Experiment that has only been running about a day, so all the info is not available yet. Most notably, the "red" and "green" bars that will show me clear cut winners and losers. For those statistcal people out there, that will be determined when the sample number is large enough to determine a statistically significant outcome.

So far, "Combination 3" is the front runner:



This combination is the "Table with bonus items and no links" discussed in previous posts, along with the "crossed out old higher price", and the orginal version of the third variant, which simply did not have the text under the price reading "limited time sale".

When I click on any of the combination links, it shows me the actual sales page (my Experiment Page) with thes Variants installed.

So far so good, I'm getting good data that is very interesting to analyze.