Alan Morte: Making Conversion Rate Your B**** With Google Analytics

PowerPoint Presentation

Making Conversion Rate Your B**** With Google Analytics

@AlanMorte @ThreeVentureshttps://threeventures.com

Alan MorteDirector of Analytics3rd Time At SOS


Brag file


What youll learn today


How to to find web test ideas with out of the box Google Analytics data & common senseHow to present test ideas to clients / boss & get them approvedHow to use Google Analytics content experiments & avoid common pitfalls

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Why am I presenting?


I have an issue with conversion rate


A lotA littleTalked aboutActually delivered


Why is it actually delivered a little?


Unrealistic expectations



You cant deliver results



I forgot were in Dallas


How do you combat this?


If a client has unrealistic expectations


Respectfully show them why


How do you do that?


How expectations are setAcknowledge that clients get unreasonable expectations from somewhere Get clients to get real, use data and facts to support your claimsBe ready for them to be upset dont give in

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What if they dont listen?


Do a better job explaining.


If it still doesnt work


Fire them!


If you still have them as a client



What about clients with reasonable expectations?


What do you do now?


Talk less do more



Not that type of more


This type


Step 1:STEP 2 :STEP 3 :STEP 4 :STEP 5 :What is valued

Identify problem, solutionsPresent ideasPlan,execute testMeasure, learn,repeat


Excuses for why you cant do that


Client doesnt have the right data


I dont control the website, landing pages


The client doesnt listen to me


Excuses are why conversion rate is delivered


A little


And



Lets break the process down


Step 1:STEP 2 :STEP 3 :STEP 4 :STEP 5 :What is valued

Identify problem, solutionsPresent ideasPlan,execute testMeasure, learn,repeat


Step 1


What is valued?


UsersLeadsTransactionsAd revenue


Step 2


Identify the problem


Which is user flow always.


Identify the solution


Fix the user flow


Step 3


Present the idea by


Identifying the issue


And deliver a


Solution


Or solutions


Step 4


Plan, execute the test


THE PLAN


Step 5


The Process


Alan, thats great


Reality checkBut we need how to


Not philosophical bullshit


I was hoping you would say that


Heres what youll need to know...


Whats valuedProblem & solutionsPresentPlan & executeLearn & repeat

Whats the metric?How to A/B Test?How to pitch?How to improve it?How to iterate?


Whats the metric?


Remember this


Remember this

UsersLeadsTransactionsAd revenue


The main web KPIs are mostly that.


But ask your client / boss


What is the most important to them?


Test to improve that.


Or have a DAMN good reason why not.


How do you improve the metric?


Define user flows for the site without dataDetermine if users follow the defined flowsIdentify why users dont follow flows

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How do you define a user flow for a site?

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Ask yourself, why does the site exist?


It exists for a user to take some action(s)


What are those actions?


HINT: anything thats a revenue generation opportunity


Write those actions down.


Now for each action


What path does the user take to complete it?


HINT: its the exact order of pages visited to complete the action


Perfect, write down the exact order of pages for each action.


Now you should have something like


Homepage User FlowLanding Page User FlowLanding Page User FlowMetric - LeadStarts on homepage Goes to contact pageFills out form, sent to thank you page

Metric - LeadStarts on landing pageFills out form, sent to thank you page

Metric - TransactionStarts on landing pageCompletes checkout steps

Metric - TransactionStarts on homepage Goes to product pageCompletes checkout steps

Blog Post User FlowMetric - LeadLands on blog postSigns up for newsletter at bottom of post, sent to thank you page.

Homepage User Flow


Alright!



No.


Not yet


Select a user flow you defined


Go to the Google Analytics user flow report


Time to see if people actually follow the flow

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How do you do that?


Heres a video


Well review a real homepage user flow



Not many users get to step two


If you didnt see it


Let me help you visualize it


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See the issue?


See the opportunity?


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2Opportunity


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How do we identify why users dont follow flows?

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Start at the problem step


Problem!


Answer five specific on-page questions



Lets review the page with issues!


Are explicit instructions present?


Do we tell the user exactly what to do?


Nope.


Whats the solution?


Select the colorSelect the sizeCheck delivery optionsClick buy now

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Dont assume the user knows what to do


Are there buttons to the next step?


Yes.


Good, users like to click on buttons


Why? Lets drunk user test to find out


The button is the only thing that sticks out...


Are there any stop words or negative tone?


Like Not ready to buy?...


Nope.


Dont give users a reason to think theyre not ready...


Is there a clear explaination of the product or service?


Yes. See the title?


Now, is all that above the fold?



Nope.


You just found a bunch of ways to improve...


But before we can test...


How do you pitch the improvements?


Before you request a meeting...


Rank the improvements you just found...


Heres the one from my example...


Add numeric instructions above foldPlace button above the fold on all devices

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Now for each improvement...


Make a visual representation...


Youll need this in the pitch...


Heres how to pitch...


No phone calls...


Virtual or in-person meetings only...


Or else this happens...



So when youre in the meeting...


What do you do?


Identify the problem


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2OpportunityProve it with the user flow data!


Present your top ranking solution to


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2OpportunitySeize the opportunity!


Dont forget the visual representation you made...


The person your pitching needs to SEE IT!


Now...


Now...


If they dont like the solution...


Discuss one they like...


And then you can test both...


Either way the person agrees with you.



How do you test the improvements?


Define whos building the solution(s)Review the solutions once theyre builtSetup a Google Analytics content experiment

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When defining whos building the solution(s)...

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Give EXPLICIT instructions for the changesProvide the visual representation you createdAsk for a completion dateMarketing or I.T. responsible?


When reviewing the solution(s)...

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Were the EXPLICIT instructions followed?Does it match the visual representation?Check on mobile, tablet, desktop


Set up a Google Analytics content experiment...

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Follow three steps...


Choose an objectiveConfigure the experimentSet the experiment code, start the test

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Choosing an objective...

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A

B

C

D


The objective is the metric youre trying to improve.


The percentage of traffic should be...


More for sites with less visitorsLess for sites with more visitors


And turn email notifications on!


Configuring an experiment

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B


Name the original variation Control...


Name the test variation with whats being tested...


Should you consolidate the experiment for reports?


I dont like to because then the...


Control page isnt impacted in the base reports by the test.


Set the experiment code, start test

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The code goes on the original page ONLY...


Must be hardcoded in , before base GA code!


Now start the test by...


A

B


Couple of things to note about validation...


It cant verify anything in Google Tag ManagerDont place test code with tag management!


After youve started the test...


Wait 48 hours...


Make sure the test is recording data.


When setting your test up, be aware of...


The multi-armed bandit test


What is a multi-armed bandit test?


Its a testing algorythm to...


Reach significance faster

Minimize conversion lossUse less traffic to test


Which sends more traffic to the best test variations...


In order to reach statistical significance quicker.


But it has a flaw...


It cant account for market influences...


Like if you get featured of the homepage of Reddit...


Which HEAVILY skews your test data...


By over / under stating conversions for a variation...


So to combat this...


You can test on 50% of your traffic...


Which leaves two control samples for test analysis...


One control sample that is part of the test...


And one that is not...


Or if you have A LOT of traffic...


Just turn the shit off...


Go back to step 1...


Click advanced options...


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B


How to analyze test results, iterate the process?


Analyze results at the test minimum lengthAssess the test results at test end

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Analyze results at the test minimum length

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Look for the following...


Is a variation is winning by 100s of %s?


Is a variation is losing by 50% +?


If yes to either...


Check the pages in the test...


Make sure nothing went wrong...


If something has changed...


Stop the test, fix the issue, and restart.


If everything is fine...


But the test variation is losing bad...


Turn that shit off!


Why?


You want to minimize any conversion loss...


So what if everything looks normal?


Assess your test results at test end

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Assess how the test variation(s) did...


Did they perform how you thought they would?


Why, or why not?


Now setup a virtual or in-person meeting...


With your client or boss...


Review the results and assessment together...


Do they agree with the assessment of the test?


If they disagree...


Collaborate....


Agree upon an assessment of the test...


Heres an example...


The test increased conversions because *Assessment*...


Or...


The test failed because of *Assessment* and...


Our next test is to improve *Assessment*...


Whatever the assessment is...


Log the results and assessment

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Like this...



This way you record everything you learn...


And the results...


Now repeat the process...


The Process


Over time...


If you follow the process in this deck...


You can use the test log to show...


Monthly results...


Quarterly results...


Yearly results...


And if youre doing good...


(Because you followed the process in this deck)...


You can pitch the client for more $$$...


Or your boss for a raise...


Or put in a proposal for a...


New site design for the client...


That features everything youve learned on the site.


So does this process really work?


Heres three case studies...


Client A, ecommerce...


Client A, ecommerce...


45.48% increase in conversion rate...


1,290 more transactions...


Client B, lead generation...





800 more leads...


Client C, ecommerce...





819 more transactions...


QA, Resource Links


Download link for a testing playbook, log, and...


This deck...


threev.co/state-of-search-15


Go and make conversion rate your b****!


QA

&

@[email protected]

linkedin.com/in/alanmorte
