Web Marketing Strategy Update

As I write this I’m split testing 4 different pages on the The Amazing Formula website.

Split testing means that an equal number of visitors will see each of the pages. We are tracking the orders from each, so we will know which page converts best.

Today, I want to talk about WHAT I’m testing, how and why. This is what I want you to do:

1. Visit The Amazing Formula site

2. Notice the BLUE IE BAR at the top that has a number, right next to the blue Internet Explorer icon.

3. Refresh the page in your browser and watch as that number changes. You will see that the ENTIRE page changes.

If you’re having difficulty getting the page to refresh properly, hold down your shift key while you click on refresh.

4. Keep refreshing and you’ll see a total of FOUR different page designs that I’m split testing.

COMMENTS ON THE PAGES

1. You might not see the opt-in “fly in.” We had a problem with the DHTML (dynamic html) code. Lisa’s going to fix that this weekend or on Monday.

2. Version 3 (should have a #3 next to the IE icon) has only 1 table, no sidebar and no opt-in on the page yet.

Lisa’s going to put an opt-in form within the page.

3. At the moment I’m tracking orders with hypertracker. We just got these pages finished. Next week, I will probably use separate order forms for tracking.

4. On all the pages other than #4 (our old design with the yellow lion) you’ll notice the following:

a. Subheadings are in red

b. We’ve used yellow highlighting on the pages to draw attention to the main parts.

c. We’ve also strategically used RED text throughout, to help draw your eyes down the page.

5. Page 2 has a picture of a lady at the top with the “Free Report” offer.

I feel this header graphic probably competes too much with our headline. But I’m trying it anyway ’cause I’m curious.

6. You’ll notice page 3 has audio testimonials from Rosalind Gardner, Phil Wiley and John Harracharan.

I wanted those on the other pages too, but Lisa ran out of time on Friday.

We’ll probably put them on all the pages on Monday and re-start our tracking.

7. Notice on the far right now the scroll bar is in red? I’m trying that to make it EASY to find the scroll bar, because the sales letters are long.

8. Notice that we have testimonials BELOW the P.S.

9. One thing I’d like to test is a page WITH a headline and without the header graphic.

I’m wondering how much our header graphic competes with our main headline.

10. I plan to also test the original version of our sales letter at some point.

11. I’ll also test total dollars generated vs. a name squeeze approach.

I realize almost EVERYONE uses a name squeeze now. And one marketer called anyone who doesn’t use it a “WIMP”!

Which is funny because you can ask Jonathan Mizel, who is the person who COINED the term “Name Squeeze” where he got the strategy from. He’ll tell you from Scott Covert. And ask Scott where he got the strategy from.

I’ll let you figure that one out.

Anyway, I did major testing a year or year-and-a-half ago. The total results of my name squeeze page vs. the regular sales letter weren’t impressive enough for me to switch.

Maybe now that everyone is doing name squeeze pages and people are used to it, that approach will out perform a straight sales letter.

I’m not going to ASSUME that’s the case. I’m gonna test it.

12. Index 1 has the opt-in on a separate column on the left with testimonials under it. I’m curious to see how that does compared to the opt-in header method and the opt-in inserted into the text.

13. I’m curious to see how these pages perform vs. #4 which is our traditional lion’s design that you’ve been starin’ at for the past 3 or 4 years.

14. You’ll notice the text font sizes in the new pages are bigger than the font size on #4. I had to really twist Lisa’s arm to do that. She prefers the smaller font sizes. I read a study somewhere that showed a larger font size out pulled a smaller one. We will see.

15. You could argue that my split test isn’t 100% accurate since I’m testing more than 1 element on a page. That would be true.

It’s good enough for me at this point. If later I feel I need to drill down more, I will. But I doubt that will happen. Either I won’t see much difference on the conversions or there will be one clear winner.

I don’t know. We’ll see.

16. I’m sure there are probably one or more mistakes in our tracking, pages or testing process. We JUST barely got these pages up on Friday. On Monday, we’ll be going over them more carefully.

MY SPLIT TESTING SCRIPT

Rick Hanson wrote the script I’m using to split test. Rick is the best combination of php guy/marketer I know. Rick can come up with CREATIVE solutions to problems when others can’t.

He isn’t the best “scratch” php author I know. But he is the best troubleshooter who’s also 100% “in-the-loop” on all the insider Internet marketing stuff. He’s saved my tail many a time with his creative solutions.

Richard Hanson 519-681-7632 1 p.m. - 9 p.m. EST

You’ll have to pay him $100+ an hour to do stuff because he’s making the transition to being a copywriter. But if you need php troubleshooting or help, or you need sales letters, he’s a real gem.

16. Marty Foley and others do far more extensive split testing than I do. The reason is because I will still, overall, make more money coming out with new products than I will split testing the nth degree. Not that you shouldn’t do it. And Marty has discovered a lot of great things from testing.

I hope this article is useful to you and gave you some ideas.

Marlon Sanders is the author of “The Amazing Formula That Sells Products Like Crazy.” If you’d like to get on his mailing list and receive tips, articles and information about online marketing, visit The Amazing Formula website.