How to Breathe New Life into Your Online Content Archive

In this episode of Youpreneur FM, Chris dives into the topic of making the most out of your online content archive by repurposing content to help you reach your followers in new ways.

We’ve all been there before. You work hard on creating a solid blog post, you feel a rush of pride as you hit “publish” and share it with your audience.

Then it disappears into your archive.

There is always such a steady stream of new content for our audiences take in on a daily basis that sometimes even the best of blog posts, podcast episodes, or videos pass people by and don’t get the attention they deserve.

This episode is all about identifying that evergreen content that we already have and making the most out of it.

I also go into repurposing content to help reach your following in a different way, as well as a chance to reach new audiences with a fresh take on your evergreen content — hitting two birds with one stone!

This is a great episode, so grab some coffee, a pen, and your notepad and get ready to dive into this episode of Youpreneur FM.

In this 17-minute episode I discuss:

• Why you need to take inventory of what you currently have
• Which powerful social media tool I use to help promote older content
• The importance of keeping aware of what you are linking to
• What steps you can take when freshening up older posts
• How you can use your “Most Popular” section to promote sales

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5 Strategies to Entice Consumers to Binge-Watch Your Product Videos

Continue watching.

These two words are infamous in the world of video streaming. When consumers are hooked, they want more to watch.

“Content marketers should consider the binging trend a sort of case study. All of the elements that make us binge are lessons,” says Kari Matthews, a content writer for technology companies.

“We can do what these [television] shows do, in our own way, in our own industries, to make the most of our content and build our brands.”

Work with your team to engage customers with binge-worthy product videos. Get them excited about your brand and ecommerce services.

Try these five strategies below to entice your consumers.

1. Cater to Diverse Audiences

Normally, experts suggest creating content to serve a select group of people. But when it comes to product videos, you may want to take a different approach.

You want your content to be shareable. So, it must serve several different audiences. And that includes people who will never purchase your product.

“Remember that not everybody who buys, buys today, not everybody who consumes content shares it, and not everybody who shares content buys,” states Scott Allan, chief marketing officer at AddThis.

“Instead of focusing on capturing leads, create memorable content that customers will draw on when they or their friends are ready to make a purchase.”

So, produce content that people can share with their family and friends. Focus on moments that everyone can relate to, like laughing with friends, hosting a summer barbeque, or attending a college football game.

Below is the noteworthy Dollar Shave Club product video. Not everyone who shared this content bought the shavers, but it did go viral and reached their target audience.

If your company wants avoid vulgar language, think of your product video like a PG-rated film. For instance, most Disney movies are meant for kids to enjoy, but they have enough common themes to engage the parent.

Don’t be afraid to serve more people with your videos. The goal is to spread the word.

2. Develop A Backstory

For product videos to gain your audience’s attention, the content must discuss more than the product. Yes, content must go beyond talking about your company.

In other words: Tell a story that emotionally attaches people. It’s all about showing your audience a new perspective. And giving them a different insight that humanizes your brand.

Studies show that “Americans alone consume over 100,000 digital words every single day, but 92% say they want brands to tell stories amongst all those words.”

The same holds true in the world of video. A written product description isn’t good enough. And a video regurgitating similar information is just awful.

According to For Dummies, a “backstory refers to everything that occurred in your story’s past. A character’s backstory may include family background, job history, psychological condition, and any memories you create for that person from childhood on.”

Instead, bring your videos to life with characters and a plot. Give the actors names and set up an environment where the product is being used, not displayed.

That’s what Amazon did when they introduced its Echo. Rather than giving consumers a run down of the product features, the eCommerce giant showcased the product’s value in a simulated setting.

Get creative. Show, don’t just tell consumers about your products.

3. Create Episodic Content

According to Netflix, the network’s 83 million members watch more than 125 million hours of TV shows and movies every day. That’s a lot of time in front of a screen.

But what keeps viewers coming back for more?

One reason is access to uninterrupted content. Consumers don’t need to worry about commercials. Advertisement don’t get in the way of their favorite shows. Therefore, they can focus on viewing what they love the most.

Another reason is the addicting show plots. A great television show contains episodes that leave the audience wanting more. People are constantly wanting to know what’s going to happen next.

Will the main character finally locate the killer? Or will the antagonist prevail and destroy his enemies?

Image Source

Episodic content has people on the edge of their seats. And that’s how your team should set up product videos.

Shoot multiple videos with cliffhangers. Get consumers intrigued about your brand culture and latest product benefits.

“Episodic content enhances the credibility of your brand as people become more and more familiar with you and what you are about. This builds trust and value with your target audience,” says Kerri Ponder, a writer at Crowd Content.

One product video is fine. But a bunch can get customers hooked on your ecommerce brand.

4. Notify Customers of Updates

Your customers are busy. They have to manage both their work and home schedules.

So, sometimes certain things get forgotten. And that’s perfectly fine.

That’s where are your team steps in. Remind your customers of your new product videos.

There’s an old marketing adage: The Rule of Seven. It says that a “prospect needs to see or hear your marketing message at least seven times before they take action and buy from you.”

Create a special website pop-up telling them about new videos. Keep customers informed by sending notification emails leading up to the launch.

Your business already sends updates about new terms and conditions. Mimic the technique for product videos.

“Getting people excited about content that is perhaps not yet fully done whets their appetite and keeps them talking about you and your brand, days ahead of when your campaign or content actually is released,” writes Shanna Cook, senior social media manager at Nokia.

Like any marketing tactic, don’t over do it. Reminders can become nuisances if they are sent every single day. Take a look at your internal data and set times best suited for your target audience.

Ask customers to sign up for your email list for product video announcements. There’s power in notifications.

5. Offer an Instant Reward

Everyone enjoys special gifts for their efforts. Reward customers for taking the time to watch or share your video.

Customers want to be delighted. They desire instant rewards that help them today, not tomorrow. So, stay away from mail-in rebates or points that can’t be redeemed today.

For example, at the end of a product video, offer a 10% promo code. And think beyond discounts. Giveaway exclusive access to a webinar or a free ebook.

Christian Karasiewicz, a social media marketing professional, suggests the following:

“Develop a video to showcase your expertise or further educate your viewers, then include a YouTube card that leads your audience to related material. This can be a transcription, checklist, infographic, SlideShare or downloadable PDF…”

YouTube cards are notifications that appear in your video. It’s a small rectangular box at the top right corner. It give your viewers a preview of the message. Check out the video below on how to add cards to YouTube videos.

Analyze which rewards consumers like the most. Then, start offering instant rewards for watching your product videos.

Binge-Worthy Content

On-demand video is attracting consumers to brands. The best ones hold the audience’s attention and keep them engaged.

Aim to create product videos for a diverse audience. Give your videos a backstory. And notify customers of new releases.

Produce captivating product videos. Let consumers continue watching.

About the Author: Shayla Price lives at the intersection of digital marketing, technology and social responsibility. Connect with her on Twitter @shaylaprice.

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Pre-Launch Protocol: How to Position Your Book to Be a Sales Success

Once your book is written, you’ll turn your efforts toward giving it the best possible chance to get attention, engage readers, and sell.

Launching a book happens in three stages: pre-launch, launch, and post-launch.

All three stages have an effect on the long-term sales success of your book. In this episode, Pamela and Jeff talk about best practices for each stage and how to position your book to maximize sales on launch and in the future.

One thing that helps? Getting a few well-known people to endorse your book before it launches.

In this episode Jeff Goins and Pamela Wilson discuss:

• What “sticky statements” are, and why you need them in each chapter of your book
• The three-part approach to book launches and how to optimize each stage
• One surprising fact about book endorsements (that left Pamela speechless)
• An innovative approach to beefing up opening week sales

Subscribe in iTunes to Listen
To leave a rating or comment, visit iTunes.

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Jerod Morris on The Everyday Innovator

This week, Jerod Morris and Chad McAllister of The Everyday Innovator have a fascinating conversation about the connection between product management and content marketing.

In this 40-minute episode, Jerod and Chad discuss:

• What content marketing is
• How content marketing and product management are similar
• Applying content marketing to product management

Subscribe in iTunes to Listen
To leave a rating or comment, visit iTunes.

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4 Best Practices for Nonprofit Event Planning

If you’re like many nonprofits, you probably host an annual fundraising event to help raise money and keep your organization up and running. But planning, organizing, and managing events can be tough, and all that effort can go to waste if not handled correctly. When you’re planning your upcoming event, keep these four tips in mind to ensure everything runs smoothly:

1. Get organized

Who are you inviting to the event? Is this going to be a general fundraiser that includes the community, or are you targeting a certain group or business type for your event? Are you going to need volunteers? Make sure you know who should be involved before you get to the planning process. This will make getting your invitee and volunteer lists together easier, and knowing the ‘who’ is a great way to start planning your event marketing strategy.

2. Get the word out

Email and social media marketing are simple and inexpensive ways to let people know about your event. You can even get them to sign up on the spot. Start by thinking about your overall marketing plan and the type of event you’re planning.

Email is a great way to follow up and remind guests that they’re attending or volunteering at your event. As a rule of thumb, send out one to two reminders to your attendees, including the date, time, and location for the event. Send your volunteers all the information they’ll need, such as where to meet, their assigned duties, and the date and time they should arrive. Encourage both your guests and volunteers to RSVP via email so you can manage non-responders and keep everything streamlined and organized.

3. Sell tickets

Word is out about your event — now what? Time to manage attendance and donations. Use your website to create an event page where you can manage sign-ups, take money for ticket purchases, and accept donations. Decide on contribution levels, group discounts, and early-bird pricing. Are you going to have a VIP level or charge extra for meals and t-shirts? Use an online management system to set up different pricing levels and keep track of sign-ups for you.

4. Follow up

After you’ve sent your invitations and information and finally wrapped up your event, it’s time to show your appreciation. Send a follow-up note to thank everyone who participated in the event, including attendees, donors, volunteers, and staff. If this is an event you host regularly or annually, sending out a thank you can help ensure a great turnout next year. It’s a simple gesture, but definitely not one that should be overlooked. Send out an email, post a thank you message on Facebook, and give a shout-out to everyone who made the event possible.

Follow these tips for your most successful event yet. For more info on planning events, check out the Nonprofit Technology Network or the Fundraising Authority. And if you’re looking for email marketing tips, we have some of the best tips here.

Get Our Newsletter For more marketing tips, guides, and inspiration, sign up for the VerticalResponse bi-weekly newsletter. Sign Up

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in June 2012 and has been revamped and updated for accuracy and relevance.

© 2016, Jill Bastian. All rights reserved.

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Making the Case For A New Email Marketing Metric

Before I get to my case for a new email marketing metric, I want to first make reference to something that was written not all that long ago. Entitled Understanding The Email 'Frequency Math Effect' it appeared on the Email Insider section of MediaPost and was penned by Loren McDonald.

I think Loren’s post was very well-written and certainly thought provoking, which is what a good post ought to do: get you thinking. And that’s precisely the effect his post had on me.

As we consider the impacts of the “Frequency Math Effect” we would be well served to remember that statistics, if improperly used, can lead us down false paths. 19th Century British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli may have put it best when he wrote: "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics!"

To start, remember that any rate is calculated as a numerator divided by a denominator. For instance, Click- Through Rate (CTR) is Clicks (the numerator) divided by Pushed (the denominator). As you increase mailing volume, for any rate to remain unchanged then any increase in the denominator must be matched by a proportional increase in the numerator. And in reality as Loren pointed out in his initial post the Frequency Math Effect suggests that this is unlikely to occur: ever-increasing mailing volumes will generally tend to increase the numerator, but not as quickly proportionately as the denominator.

For email marketers a reduction in a rate is typically viewed as a bad thing. There are a couple of exceptions, however: Unsubscribe Rate and Spam Complaint Rate. A drop in either of these two rates is generally viewed as a good thing. This can lead the marketer down a dangerous path, however, particularly if cadence is being increased. Follow a reductio ad absurdum example with me to see the impact:

To start, let’s call the sum of Unsubscribes and Spam Complaints “Attrits” (yes, it’s a real word that is the base of the word attrition meaning to “wear away”). Using round numbers for illustration assume you have one million customers that you mail once a week and that this mailing generates a 0.1% combined unsubscribe and spam complaint rate (1,000 attrits). I think most of us would agree that if you mailed this customer list once a day you would likely get more than 1,000 attrits (for conversation let's say 2,000 attrits are generated by this higher cadence).

But remember, this is an illustration in absurdity so what happens if you mailed the entire list once an hour? Or once a minute?! That would be 10,080 individual mailing drops (!) and I think we can be pretty safe in assuming that every customer would have unsubscribed or hit the “This is spam” button by the end of that week!  Effectively, after one week we would have turned one million opt-in subscribers into one million attrits.

In the example above total Unsubscribes plus Spam Complaints would skyrocket while at the same time their matching rates would plummet (to perhaps as low as 0.01% combined). This is what Loren calls the "Frequency math effect." But there is something more going on here that is important to recognize. While the so-called "Frequency math effect" can impact any rate that you measure in email marketing, for most of those rates the numerator can theoretically increase indefinitely at the same rate as the denominator. But that is not true for Unsubscribe Rate nor for Spam Complaint Rate.

Why? Because presuming they don’t later opt back in, a customer can only attrit from a mailing list once. In my absurd example above up to ten billion emails were pushed. However, even if that had been 100 trillion emails, the numerator could never have risen above the one million records on the mailing file. As a result, as mailing cadence increases both Unsubscribe Rate and Spam Complaint Rate become progressively less useful metrics for us to rely on to diagnose our mailing program.

The Proposed New Metric

I would like to suggest that we need a new metric, one I call the "List Attrition Rate." Similar to how email marketers typically calculate both a "Click-Through Rate" and a "Unique Clicker Rate," the List Attrition Rate is designed to be a measure of unique customer behavior. However, unlike other unique metrics commonly used in our industry this one is not based solely on one campaign, but rather is calculated using all touches against the customer in a given week.

The List Attrition Rate is calculated as ("Weekly Unsubscribes" + “Weekly Spam Complaints”) divided by "Weekly Unique Recipients Pushed." The higher your List Attrition Rate, the worse the health of your mailing program.  As a result this metric is intended as the “Canary in the Coal Mine” that can warn you of dangerous mailing practices.  Not coincidentally this metric is explicitly intended to act as a restraining force against our natural impulses to over-mail our customers.

Consider the List Attrition Rate metric in the context of our absurd example above:

Mail once per week:

List Attrition Rate =

1,000 Weekly Attrits / 1,000,000 Weekly Unique Recipients Pushed =

0.1%

Mail once a day (7 times in a week):

List Attrition Rate =

2,000 Weekly Attrits / 1,000,000 Weekly Unique Recipients Pushed =

0.2%

Mail once a minute (10,080 times in a week):

List Attrition Rate = 

1,000,000 Weekly Attrits / 1,000,000 Weekly Unique Recipients Pushed =

100.0%

The List Attrition Rate is an intriguing metric because it measures the rate something bad occurred (the -Unsubscribe or Spam Complaint) as a ratio to the number of times it could have occurred, remembering that each customer can only exit the mailing list once. Set your threshold List Attrition Rate at a low enough level and you may finally have a tool to push back against other voices in your business trying to get you to over mail your customers.

The bottom line in all of this is we marketers need to apply the one metric that is applicable to everything we do: The common sense metric. If we look at something, anything and it doesn’t make sense or seems of out whack then we probably shouldn’t do it i.e. sending over 10,000 mailings in a very short people of time as per my earlier example.

Modern Marketers must orchestrate and deliver marketing messages that are relevant to individual preferences and behavior. Getting email delivered to the inbox is critical to this process which is why you need to download Email Deliverability: Guide for Modern Marketers.

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Use This Step-by-Step Guide to Feel Confident and Connected at a Conference

For someone who spends most of her days sitting alone behind a computer, entering a crowded room filled with hundreds of strangers can be a bit intimidating. I know because I’ve been there, done that.

In 2015, I went to Rainmaker Digital’s Authority Rainmaker conference by myself. It was not only my first time attending a conference solo, it was also my first conference where I was representing my business, not an employer’s.

My previous employer sent me to the 2014 Authority conference, and what I learned that year prompted me to leave that job and start my own business. (You can read that story here.)

So, I couldn’t miss the next event — even if that meant going alone. And I’m so glad I did.

The conference provided me with motivation, smart guidance, expert advice, and a network of colleagues that have been integral to helping me grow my new business.

No matter what conference is ahead — but especially if you’re attending Rainmaker Digital’s Digital Commerce Summit this year on October 13-14, 2016 in Denver, Colorado — here are simple tips to optimize your experience before, during, and after the event.

Before you attend

When you approach any project with a plan, you will have better results.

Don’t wait until you’re on the plane or walking into the opening reception to strategize for the conference.

If you prepare now, you can even become a sponsor to expose your business to influencers and decision makers.

Identify your goals

Not everyone who attends a conference has the same goals. My goals in 2014 (when I was attending as a sponsor) were very different from my goals in 2015 (when I was representing my business).

Choose one or two goals that are the most important to you.

Are you looking to:

• Learn something new? If so, what skills are you specifically looking to hone? Which sessions or person could help you learn that skill?
• Find a solution to a business problem? If so, who or what at the conference can help you solve it?
• Meet people? If so, what type of people? A network for referrals? A community for support? A person for a potential partnership?
• Sell a product or generate leads? If so, who is likely to buy your product? How can you connect with that target audience at the event?
• Find a vendor? If so, browse the event sponsors before you attend. Which one offers solutions to what you need?

Network and make plans to meet up with other attendees

Don’t wait until you walk into the opening reception to meet people.

Use social media to reach out to other attendees who have posted with the event hashtag prior to the conference. Spark up a conversation and make plans to meet up on the first day.

Hone your elevator pitch

Your elevator pitch doesn’t have to be a sales pitch. Unless you are there primarily to seek out new customers or clients, you don’t need to sell what you do.

You just need a 15-second elevator pitch that simply says:

• Your name
• Your business or employer’s name
• What you do and why you do it

Arm yourself with conversation points

Know how to keep conversations going by arming yourself with some talking points.

Many attendees of past Rainmaker Digital events love that you get a single-track educational experience, personally curated and handcrafted by Brian Clark, and shared by every attendee.

If there is a lull in conversation, the single-track experience makes it easy for you to ask questions like:

• What are you hoping to gain from the conference?
• How are you enjoying the conference?
• What’s been your favorite takeaway from the conference?
• Who has been your favorite speaker?
• Have you been to the conference before?
• How far did you travel to get here?

Create a free offer or giveaway

Consider creating a free offer or giveaway prior to the event. That way, you can offer it to new contacts you meet and highlight it on your website to attract the attention of visitors you met at the event.

While you’re there

Once you arrive, the real fun starts.

Shake the fears of in-person events

If you are nervous, remember this: many people attend conferences by themselves.

Look for others who are flying solo and make a confident introduction knowing they are as happy to talk to you as you are to talk to them.

For more tips, check out Pamela Wilson’s article: The Introvert’s Guide to Surviving an In-Person Conference.

Don’t be shy on social media

Last year, I used social media to put myself out there.

I was a little embarrassed when I posted this tweet right before the opening reception, but multiple people stopped to have a conversation with me because they saw it.

Did you travel to #authority2015 alone? Wish you could find a familiar face at the welcoming event? Look for me! http://pic.twitter.com/L7bgmMVcZg

— Raubi Marie Perilli (@RaubiMarie) May 13, 2015

Erin Flynn created a list of Authority Rainmaker 2015 attendees and sent a message out to the event hashtag.

This simple action made Erin the unofficial Twitter group leader of the event.

I couldn't find an official twitter list for #Authority2015 so I made a list: https://t.co/7W29aI3wce please tweet me to be added!

— Erin E Flynn (@erin3flynn) May 13, 2015

Find a “conference anchor”

If you’re attending the conference alone, you don’t have to be on your own. Look for someone else who is attending alone and ask him or her to be your “conference anchor.”

A conference anchor is a person who is your home base for the event. If you find yourself wandering around alone, go find your anchor.

#authority2015 anchors! @trixiemaru @RaubiMarie http://pic.twitter.com/OzD5cseha1

— Sonia Thompson (@TRYbizschool) May 16, 2015

Eat at least half of your meals with strangers

While it’s fun to make friends and spend time with those connections, don’t forget that you should still make an attempt to meet other new people.

Try to eat at least half of your meals with a table of strangers.

Collect and give business cards

Bring business cards and don’t forget to use them.

End conversations by asking someone if you can grab their card so you can check out their business. This approach creates an opportunity for you to hand over your card without it feeling forced.

Focus on creating authentic relationships

I used to attend conferences and feel a sense of victory depending on how many connections I made. But when I went into the conference last year, I had a different approach.

Instead of focusing on talking to a lot of people, I focused on really getting to know a few people. I sought out relationships, not connections. That approach gave me far more value than previous events.

After you leave

Don’t close the book on the conference the day you leave. Let the benefits flow into upcoming months.

Use the conference as an opportunity to create content

Clark Buckner planned ahead and used the conference as an opportunity to fill his podcast schedule. He took advantage of having so many smart content marketers in one place and recorded dozens of interviews from the event.

Super cool talk “@KeltonReid: @ClarkBuckner podcasting at the event – interviewing @chrisbrogan at #authority2015 http://pic.twitter.com/KLtbYXGK3f”

— Clark Buckner (@ClarkBuckner) May 14, 2015

Follow up with everyone

A day or two after the conference, pull out those business cards you collected and put them to use:

• Make connections on LinkedIn.
• Follow your new colleagues on Twitter and add them to a list of Digital Commerce Summit connections so you can keep track of that specific network.
• Send each person an email with at least one detail you discussed, to reinforce your connection.
• Use Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat to connect with the people you formed more personal friendships with.

Follow an action plan

Digital Commerce Summit is going to give you a lot of momentum. It’s going to fill you with inspiration and ideas. Don’t lose that when you board your plane to go home.

Take the knowledge and excitement you gain from the conference and put it into action. Schedule at least half a day upon your arrival home to review your notes and identify an action plan for how you can execute what you learned.

An outstanding conference experience starts and ends with planning

I followed these simple steps last year and they helped produce wonderful benefits:

• I was asked to guest blog on an attendee’s website.
• I was asked to be interviewed on an attendee’s podcast.
• I found someone to interview for my website.
• I met someone I could partner with to support my service offerings.
• A group of people and I started a private Facebook group for brainstorming.
• I met a good friend who has helped me when I’ve struggled with work. And, she’s going to be both my roommate and my conference anchor this year.

Plus, I had an awesome time!

So if you’re headed to Digital Commerce Summit this year on your own, don’t be anxious. Be excited. Use these tips to get prepared. Have a mission when you get there, and come find me to say hello.

Join us October 13-14, 2016 in Denver, Colorado

Digital Commerce Summit is the premier live educational and networking event for entrepreneurs who create and sell digital products and services. It’s a value-packed experience that will define the digital commerce industry.

This inaugural conference features an integrated agenda that covers digital product and service creation, plus the latest cutting edge marketing, sales, and product launch techniques from expert practitioners.

Grab your ticket to Digital Commerce Summit today.

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7 Reasons Your Site Isn’t Ready for A/B Testing

You’ve invested a lot of time and effort into perfecting your website and you want to get the maximum return from that investment. To achieve that goal, you’ve studied dozens of blogs on conversion optimization techniques. You’ve poured over countless CRO case studies, and you have a few tools to help you run A/B tests.

Before you start split testing to get those conversion gains, pause for a second. I don’t think you’re quite ready yet.

There are plenty of free tools to help you test your optimization – not to mention paid options from Optimizely to OptinMonster that’ll help you explore different facets of your site’s performance – so just about anyone can run A/B tests. But it’s not a matter of simply understanding how to do it.

The problem is that your site just isn’t there yet. A/B testing isn’t for everyone, and if it’s not done at the right time with the right conditions, you might end up accumulating a lot of false data that does more harm than good. Before you invest anything in testing and extensive optimization, consider these seven points:

1. The Traffic Volume Isn’t There

If this is what your traffic numbers look like, don’t bother A/B testing

There’s no doubt that A/B testing can be highly useful for businesses that want to improve their conversion rates. Having said that however, a lot of businesses shouldn’t bother with A/B testing.

Small businesses that are trying to grow, startups, e-commerce businesses in their early years and other micro businesses simply don’t have the traffic and transactions to accurately perform A/B tests. It takes a significant amount of traffic to provide accurate, measurable results.

In a post from Peep Laja of ConversionXL, he provided an example using a sample size calculator from Evan Miller, where the baseline conversion rate is entered. He then entered the desired lift.

Image Source

You can see from this image that in order to detect a 10% lift, the tool recommends at least 51,486 visitors per variation.

If the traffic isn’t there yet, you can still optimize your site based on audience data you’ve gathered, but A/B tests won’t be helpful for a while and they might produce false information.

2. You Don’t Have Anything to Test

A lot of websites function as a general brochure for a company with minimal conversion points. If you run a B2B site or you have a freshly-created site with little more than a contact form and an opt-in, then it’s too early in the game to start running concurrent A/B tests.

If your site is content-lite then it’s probably too soon to start running tests.

Even if the volume of traffic is adequate to run accurate tests, you may not see a significant lift from a general opt-in or estimate request form. For most businesses, the amount of effort and cost that would go into designing variations for the tests just to get a small lift around micro conversions isn’t worth it.

The same applies to newer e-commerce stores.

Your time would be better spent with your analytics, where you can set up goal tracking, creating marketing campaigns, and developing your content offers and resources. The A/B testing can come later once you have more to offer and traffic has grown substantially.

3. You’re Not Sure What Matters

Do you know what the choke points, leaks, and sticking points are in your funnel? I’m referring to the places where you’re losing prospective customers, as well as where you’re gaining the most.

Before you can run any kind of tests, you have to understand what matters, because some elements are more important than others.

For example: a marketing agency is driving visitors to their estimate request page. They spend a significant amount of time optimizing that page with A/B testing variations and micro changes. After extensive testing, they find that their efforts made very little difference with virtually no impact on their conversions.

Instead, they should have looked for mistakes in their funnel leading up to that page. Maybe the content that led the visitor to that point was where the changes needed to be made. Maybe the search intent of the customer didn’t match the content they found.

Another example: a brand selling shoes online puts a great deal of effort into optimizing and testing product pages, only to realize that the lift in conversion was insignificant. Instead, they could find ways to improve the average order value or review their funnel in Kissmetrics to find the biggest leaks where customers are dropping off and fix those problems instead.

Don’t know where to test? Find where you’re losing customers (and money) with the Kissmetrics Funnel Report.

If you randomly try to test what you think matters, then you’ll only be wasting time.

One study from Forrester showed that 60% of firms surveyed saw improvements in their website when they used a data-driven approach to design. It’s important to take the time to research what really matters to your business so you know what to optimize and where to make changes.

4. You’re Copying Content

While a competitor site (or any site for that matter) might look like an attractive design that your customers will probably engage with, you can’t waste time testing if you’ve played copycat.

Any tests you run after replicating their design and content will only be wasted. If the solution was as simple as copying what we thought worked well for our competitors (or even conversion case studies) then every e-commerce website would function exactly like Amazon.

The fact is, websites are highly contextual and they should relate to both the audience and what you’re promoting. Wal-Mart and Whole Foods are in the same business of selling food products, but they cater to completely different audiences and sell vastly different products.

If I stacked up my own services against another marketing agency offering identical services, there would still be contextual differences in how we market, how we service customers, the channels we use to engage them, and how we direct traffic to our sites.

You need to make sure your website is designed specifically for you, your channels, your audience, etc. before investing in testing.

5. The Data Isn’t There

The more capable you are with analytics tools like Kissmetrics or Google Analytics, the better off you’ll be. But, if the extent of your knowledge consists of checking traffic quantities, referral sources, time on page and bounce rates, then you’re only scraping the surface.

If you don’t know what data you need to monitor while A/B testing, then testing is a waste of time.

You have to approach your testing and analytics with a problem so you can find an answer in the data. That way, you can identify issues and confirm what aspects you need to change.

Learning a bit more about your analytics can tune you into:

• How site elements or offers are performing
• How your content is performing and whether it is keeping people engaged
• What people are doing on your site and the routes they typically take
• Where people are landing, as well as where they’re leaving
• Where your funnel is losing money

The data won’t specifically tell you how to fix problems; it’s just a starting point where you can discover actionable insights. Without that data, and without the ability to interpret it, A/B testing is pointless.

6. Your Site Has Usability Issues

When was the last time you tested your website in a browser other than the one you typically use? Have you tried going through your entire site on a mobile device?

Have you ever performed a full usability test with a variety of browsers and devices?

This is something a lot of marketers don’t consider when they start A/B tests. Ignoring usability issues, tech problems, and bugs is a huge mistake, though. Even minor bugs and slow load times can dramatically impact your conversion rates.

Just a one second delay in load time can drop conversion rates by as much as 7%.

You won’t get accurate results from A/B testing if segments of your audience are bailing due to usability issues. Some of your audience may never make it to your conversion point, and even if they do, their progress could be hindered by bugs or load times that will ultimately skew your results.

This misinterpretation could lead to changes and further variations of elements that are actually part of your winning, optimized design.

7. You Don’t Know Your Audience

Audience research should be one of the first steps of any marketing strategy. If your goal is to drive lots of traffic to your site with content marketing and paid advertising, I would hope you’ve done some measure of audience research.

Without it, you’re shooting blindly into the darkness and hoping to score a bullseye.

Researching and defining your target audience gives you in-depth information about who you’re targeting, such as their pain points, interests, behaviors, demographics info, and more. That information helps you craft compelling copy, winning headlines, and attention-grabbing offers.

How well do you know your target market?

Without it, you’ll resort to guessing what to change about your copy, headlines, offers, and calls-to-action. Every variation you test will be just as random as the one before it, and you likely won’t see any significant change in performance.

Know who you’re marketing to before you make a large investment in A/B testing.

Testing isn’t for Everyone

While there’s a wealth of articles and advice online telling you test everything you do and to A/B test every variation, you don’t have to. For many statups and growing online businesses there just isn’t enough traffic early on to create an accurate sampling with measurable results.

Focus on growing your business for now. As you grow traffic levels, learn more about your customers, and targeted traffic increases you can start testing variations to go after those micro wins.

Do you use A/B testing on your site or landing pages right now? Have you found issues with the quality of your results? Share your thoughts with me in the comments below.

About the Author: Aaron Agius is an experienced search, content and social marketer. He has worked with some of the world’s largest and most recognized brands to build their online presence. See more from Aaron at Louder Online, their Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.

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How Bestselling Author Jay McInerney Writes: Part Two

The bestselling author of 11 books, including the eighties-defining Bright Lights, Big City, Jay McInerney, took a break to chat with me about his new book, the writing process, and some timeless tips from his mentor, Raymond Carver.

Vanity Fair called Mr. McInerney “Our modern-day Fitzgerald,” and his most recent book — Bright, Precious Days — is described as “… a sexy, vibrant, cross-generational New York story — a literary and commercial triumph of the highest order.”

The author is a renowned short story writer, screenwriter, and actor who has lived in New York for three decades and rubbed elbows with a laundry list of literary lions, including his mentors Tobias Wolff and Raymond Carver.

In addition to fiction, Jay writes a highly regarded wine column for Town & Country magazine and has written several essay collections on wine.

The author most recently joined the Prince Street podcast as a culinary and arts correspondent and has interviewed director Francis Ford Coppola, author Stephanie Danler, and celebrity chefs including Eric Ripert, to name a few.

Join us for this two-part interview, and if you’re a fan of the show, please subscribe in iTunes to automatically see new interviews and help other writers find us.

If you missed the first half, you can find it right here.

In Part Two of the file Jay McInerney and I discuss:

• The author’s astute anatomical analogy for writer’s block
• How a short story became a series of bestselling novels
• Why writers need to stretch the boundaries of their genres
• The big city as creative muse
• Some timeless advice from Raymond Carver on the importance of discipline

Subscribe in iTunes to Listen
To leave a rating or comment, visit iTunes.

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[Infographic] How to Create an Effective Testing and Optimization Plan

Editor’s Note: This is the third step in last week’s post by Adam Lapp. Here’s Adam…

Paul Cheney
Managing Editor
MarketingExperiments

If you’re entrenched in Conversion Rate Optimization, A/B testing, or have read articles before from MarketingExperiments or MECLABS, you’re probably been inundated with the concepts of friction, anxiety, and value proposition.

But how do you take those concepts and build an effective test plan so you can start increasing your bottom line?

To help you with that, our team of amazing designers (shout out to Lauren, Charlie, Leah, James, and Chelsea) designed this infographic for you. Hope you find it useful.

Share this Image On Your Site

<p><strong>Please include attribution to MarketingExperiments.com with this graphic.</strong></p><p><a href=’http://ift.tt/2bPwjiK src=’http://ift.tt/2c8xOXC; alt=’Harnessing Customer Motivation’ width=’768px’ border=’0′ /></a></p><p>

If you have any questions, please email me at Adam.Lapp@Meclabs.com. I would love to hear from you.

You might also like:
The Web as a Living Laboratory
Test Plan: Build better marketing tests with the Metrics Pyramid
The Best Conversion Rate optimizers do NOT make changes to webpages…

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Last Chance to Get 30% Off Everything at StudioPress

Prices go back to normal tonight!

Just a friendly reminder that our big blowout sale ends today (8/30/16) at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

Until then, you can get anything we sell at StudioPress — including the Pro Plus All-Theme Package — for 30 percent off.

To activate your discount, click this link.

Then browse individual themes, and pick up as many as you want for 30 percent off.

Or, locate the button for the Pro Plus Pack (see image below) and get everything for 30 percent off.

With Pro Plus, that means every theme we sell right now, every theme we make in the future, plus 15 additional third-party themes.

It’s a great value. We’re excited for you to take advantage of it, so you can give your website a fresh look and feel … and fall in love with it all over again.

Get your 30 percent off discount now, before it’s gone.

Just click this link to shop and save:

http://ift.tt/2bJHd79

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