100 Conversion Optimization Case Studies

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If you’re a marketer, you’re undoubtedly looking for techniques to optimize your website for better conversions. Fellow marketers have released tactics that worked from them. In this post, I’ve curated some of these. They’ve come from multiple sources and been placed in one post. I present to you 100 conversion optimization case studies!

Overview and Results Achieved:

CloudSponge had an outdated website design:

This is the redesign:

The new design achieved a 33% conversion increase.

Key Findings:

-You can see the difference between the two designs. One is boring, has one call to action, and gives no good reasons why anyone should choose CloudSponge. The new website lets visitors view a demo and also gives them reasons to try CloudSponge.

If your website looks like the original CloudSponge, get a new design. It’ll pay for itself once you see a conversion bump.

Source:

http://99designs.com/designer-blog/2010/10/26/how-cloudsponge-increased-conversions-33-using-99designs-case-study/

Overview and Results Achieved:

L’Axelle wanted to get more people to click on their add to cart button. This was their original homepage:

This was the test:

L’Axelle describes the original copy as being comfort oriented. They sell on the basis of people feeling relieved and relaxed.

The test copy is action oriented. It is about solving a problem.

The action oriented headline and copy earned a 38.3% conversion rate, 93% better than the original.

Key Findings:

-”Put an end to sweat marks” is action oriented and assures some relief for customers. Adding the word “end” makes it sound like they won’t get sweat marks ever again. If the headline read “Reduce Sweat Marks,” the copy might not have performed well.

Source:

http://www.abtests.com/test/125001/landing-for-laxelle

Overview and Results Achieved:

The Weather Channel wanted to turn people into premium subscribers. They decluttered their homepage and had a single action. These changes increased conversions 225%.

Key Findings:

-When in doubt, simplify. Simplicity is difficult and requires restraint, but it’s much easier for visitors and helps them make decisions.

Source:

http://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/case-study/how-to-convert-225-more

Overview and Results Achieved:

37signals changed the design of their Highrise product page. While they’ve done many tests, we’ll feature one where they had a white background and tested it against a background of a customer. Here is the test and results:

And they tried a long page with the same background vs a short page. The long page performed worse:

Key Findings:

-As you can see, the type of background with the person really sticks out from most of the other pages on the internet. It may signal to the visitor the importance of the website and make them want to read more of the offering.

Source:

http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2991-behind-the-scenes-ab-testing-part-3-final

Overview and Results Achieved:

The Sims 3 wanted to get more people to register. They tested their value proposition.

The original page:

The test:

The test increased game registrations 128%.

Key Findings:

-As you can see, the test emphasizes “free.” If your product is free or offers a free trial, don’t hide it. Let people know, because most are willing to try something that is free.

Source:

http://www.widerfunnel.com/proof/case-studies/the-sims-3-doubles-game-registrations-by-identifying-the-most-compelling-offer

Overview and Results Achieved:

Nature Air had 17 separate landing pages. They did a single A/B test on each landing page. The control did not make the CTA prominent:

Then they put the CTA in the content area:

Conversions went from 2.78% to about 19%, meaning their conversions improved 591%!

Key Findings:

-No matter how compelling your offer, if you don’t make it easy for visitors to click on something, they’ll never know. Make your CTA prominent, part of the content area, and easy to find. You’ll preferably want to keep it above the fold.

Source:

http://www.blastam.com/blog/index.php/2009/06/google-website-optimizer-increases-conversion-591/

Overview and Results Achieved:

FigLeaves sells women’s apparel on their website. They added product reviews to the site, and this change made customers 35% more likely to purchase.

Key Findings:

-Helping the visitor navigate and make decisions proves once again to be helpful at increasing conversions and making the visitor more likely to buy.

Source:

http://blog.arhg.net/2010/02/reflections-on-bryan-eisenbergs-keynote.html

Overview and Results Achieved:

BaseKit wanted to get more performance out of their pricing page. This was the old design:

This is the new design:

BaseKit calls this new version “Bolder, brighter, clearer pricing, nicer design, testimonial, more obvious currency selection.” The new design achieved a 25% higher conversion rate.

Key Findings:

-Your pricing page is just as important as your pricing. The way you present your pricing and the information surrounding it can play a big role in whether the visitor becomes a customer.

Source:

http://visualwebsiteoptimizer.com/split-testing-blog/increase-conversions-pricing/

Overview and Results Achieved:

Hawk Host A/B tested their homepage.

This is the control:

This is the test, with the prominent padlock:

The padlock converted 2-3x better than the original. No official percentage was given.

Key Findings:

-I’m not sure what purpose the globe served, so it shouldn’t be too surprising that a padlock increased conversion rates. It gives a subliminal message of security and assures visitors. Aim to have your images link with your unique value proposition and main message.

Source:

http://blog.hawkhost.com/2010/02/21/multivariate-testing-a-real-life-example/

Overview and Results Achieved:

WikiJob had three testimonials on their homepage. They had a couple of problems with these testimonials, though. The testimonials weren’t attributed to any specific customers and no one even knew if they were testimonials. They were just quotes placed on the homepage. WikiJob did have testimonials, but they were at the bottom of the page. WikiJob decided to A/B test and move the testimonials to the top of the page.

What they experienced was a 34% increase in conversion rates.

Key Findings:

-Testimonials can give visitors assurance that previous people had success with you, thus ensuring your reputability.

Source:

http://www.salesnexus.com/blog/sales/the-importance-of-using-testimonials-2/

Overview and Results Achieved:

Zen Windows had a conversion rate of .75%. They hired a firm that redesigned the visitor flow.

Old design:

New design:

As a result of the redesign, their conversion rate increased to 2.95%.

Key Findings:

-The redesign made it easier for visitors to navigate the website. If your visitors are struggling to navigate your site, you can bet it’s having a negative effect on your conversions. If you’d like to learn what visitors think of your website, check out User Testing.

Source:

http://www.marketingadept.com/blog/2011/01/zen-windows-case-study/

Overview and Results Achieved:

Performable tested their homepage with two buttons: One was green, and the other was red. They kept the text (Get Started Now!) the same.

They found that 21% more people clicked on the red button than the green button.

Key Findings:

-As the article mentions, button color is easy to test. Experiment and you may be surprised with your results.

Source:

http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/20566/The-Button-Color-A-B-Test-Red-Beats-Green.aspx

Overview and Results Achieved:

UK airline BMI had an urgent CTA that read “Hurry! Only XX seats left.” When they added a red background to the CTA, they increased their conversions 2.5%.

Key Findings:

-Colors that coordinate with the message may increase conversions. Consistency among text and colors can help reinforce the message you want to instill in visitors.

Source:

http://blog.sendblaster.com/2011/07/25/designing-a-call-to-action-that-customers-can%E2%80%99t-resist/#more-3936

Overview and Results Achieved:

BellaCor offered bonds from Buy Safe to a select group of visitors. They tested this against a group that was not given an option of bonds. The group that was offered bonds had a 10.4% better conversion rate than the control.

Key Findings:

-Consumers want to protect their transactions. They need assurances and security.

Source:

http://www.internetretailer.com/2010/08/26/bellacorcom-boosts-conversions-bonds

Overview and Results Achieved:

Oriental Furniture added a Buy Safe seal to their website. They checked this against the control that didn’t have the seal. After a couple of months of testing, Oriental Furniture experienced a 7.6% bump in conversion rate.

Key Findings:

-Assurances are almost always beneficial for websites and customers.

Source:

http://www.internetretailer.com/2011/01/05/orientalfurniturecom-drives-conversion-76-security

Overview and Results Achieved:

WaterFilters.net needed a search for their website. They turned to Google Site search.

As a result of implementing the search, bounce rate decreased 4% and conversions increased 11%.

Key Findings:

-Aiding visitors in their navigation through your site is a good tactic for increasing conversions.

Source:

http://static.googleusercontent.com/external_content/untrusted_dlcp/www.google.com/en/us/sitesearch/pdf/waterfilters.pdf

Overview and Results Achieved:

Intuit implemented proactive chat in different areas on their website.

Adding chat to the checkout process increased the average order value 43%. And there was a 20% increase in conversions compared with not using chat.

Using proactive chat on a product comparison page increased sales 211%:

It also was included on their checks and supplies product page:

And on the lead generation page:

Key Findings:

-Introducing proactive chat, where the visitor can see the chat box, may improve conversions if placed in areas of your website where visitors have questions.

Source:

http://www.proimpact7.com/ecommerce-blog/how-intuit-increased-conversion-rate-by-211-just-by-using-proactive-chat/

Overview and Results Achieved:

Crazy Egg got a website redesign and in 30 days improved their conversions 21%. They highlighted a few of their key changes:

-Let visitors try before they buy – the old design

-Align the brand with the audience

-Pay attention to the details

-Test, learn, and never be satisfied

Source:

http://www.dtelepathy.com/blog/design/get-more-conversions-website

Overview and Results Achieved:

Bradley Spencer had this big secure image on a website:

And without the secure image:

The results were surprising – a 400% increase in conversions over 3 days. Four times more people clicked the coupon link.

Key Findings:

-Conventional wisdom says that adding security badges on your site would increase conversions, and 8 or 9 out of 10 times it would. This is one of those rare times when it didn’t. Always be experimenting, you’ll never know what you can remove to increase users.

Source:

http://www.bradleyspencer.com/2010/5-surprising-lessons-from-user-testing/

Overview and Results Achieved:

Device Magic wanted to test if video or an image slider converted better.

The original – with video:

The variation – with image slider:

The image slider increased conversions from homepage to signup page by 35% and subsequent signups by 31%.

Key Findings:

-Every website is different, so it cannot be surprising that an image slider outperformed video. Unfortunately, this video is too long (visitors know they’ll be sitting there for over 4 minutes to watch) and the screencap doesn’t make the video seem too interesting.

Source:

http://visualwebsiteoptimizer.com/split-testing-blog/video-or-image-slider-ab-test/

Overview and Results Achieved:

Express Watches is a UK based online seller of Seiko watches. A big customer anxiety is the fear of getting counterfeit watches. Express Watches A/B tested on whether customers cared more about price or authenticity.

The control – competing on price point:

The variation – assuring authenticity:

The variation increased sales 107% over the original.

Key Findings:

-This result is likely industry specific. In industries where a lot of fraud exists, it certainly helps to prove you’re authentic. This can be applied to other industries as well. Placing badges like “Certified __ Partner” may increase sales.

Source:

http://visualwebsiteoptimizer.com/split-testing-blog/increase-in-sales/

Overview and Results Achieved:

SafeSoft Solutions develops products for customer contact centers. They A/B tested to see if leaving pricing on a landing page increased or decreased conversions.

The control:

The variation:

The variation brought a 100% boost in leads generated over the control. In this case, showing the price did have a positive impact.

Key Findings:

-People have a notion in their head that if a company doesn’t display pricing, it’s likely an expensive product. To get pricing, you have to talk to one of their salesmen and hear a sales pitch first. The variation removes this question and tells the visitor up front what the price is.

Source:

http://visualwebsiteoptimizer.com/split-testing-blog/prominent-price-display-increases-leads-generated-by-100/

Overview and Results Achieved:

UK Tool Centre thought that having an extra product filter on their website was reducing visitor engagement. The filter was a brand of wood care products called Cuprinol.

This is the control:

In the variation, the filter menu was removed:

The variation resulted in an increase of 27% engagement in the product pages. This was due to visitors being less distracted.

Key Findings:

-Don’t distract visitors with unnecessary options.

Source:

http://visualwebsiteoptimizer.com/split-testing-blog/remove-product-filter-increase-site-engagement/

Overview and Results Achieved:

AMD used ShareThis for social sharing. They wanted to increase the amount of sharing among visitors. They tested six variations, with different icons and placement. They tested it on AMD’s Support & Drivers page.

AMD found the best place for your social buttons is the left-position chicklet version with dynamic adjustment based on browser window size:

Key Findings:

-Experiment and learn the optimal place for your social media buttons. Many websites place them on the left-hand side, but only you can test to see what works best.

Source:

http://visualwebsiteoptimizer.com/split-testing-blog/amd-3600-social-sharing-increase/

Overview and Results Achieved:

One company had shopping cart abandonment rates of around 80%. They had the goal of getting it down to 70%, hoping they’d see a 50% increase in sales. Down to 60% and maybe their sales would double. When they factored this in, they knew they had to redesign their shopping cart experience.

Here’s a comparison of their redesign compared to the old design:

As you can see, the new design is greatly improved. There is a little help section along with guarantees on the right, live customer support, customer testimonials, backend improvements, and they shortened and categorized the form.

This resulted in an abandonment rate that went down from 80% to 54%.

Key Findings:

-If you have an abandonment rate in the 80% class or above, it’s time to put some focus into a redesign. Changing a struggling homepage while ignoring the checkout experience will keep you stagnant. Find what the problems are (big or small) and work to fix them. You’ll see improved conversion rates and more income for your business.

Source:

http://experienceblogger.com/post/1081389180/design-for-conversion-checkout-page-redesign

Overview and Results Achieved:

SAP BusinessObjects originally had a small blue text link for its add to cart option.

They added a big orange button on the test:

And increased their conversions 32%.

Key Findings:

-Making a CTA will almost undoubtedly increase conversion rates.

Source:

http://dmu.cdmginc.us/testing-corner-do-bigger-buttons-work-better/

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App Store Optimization – A Crucial Piece of the Mobile App Marketing Puzzle

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With over 2 million mobile apps in the major app stores, getting your app discovered is one of the biggest issues facing mobile app publishers today. If you’re in the mobile app space, it’s important to understand the various methods for marketing your app. We’d like to share with you one very important technique that continues to be overlooked by most – app store optimization (or ASO for short).

More apps are discovered through search than any other method

ASO is the process of optimizing mobile apps to rank higher in an app store’s search results. The higher your app ranks in an app store’s search results, the more visible it is to potential customers. That increased visibility tends to translate into more traffic to your app’s page in the app store.

The goal of ASO is to drive more traffic to your app’s page in the app store, so searchers can take a specific action: downloading your app.

Also, the ASO process requires a crucial understanding of your target customer base, including the keywords your potential customers are using to find apps similar to yours. When you learn more about which keywords are being used, you will have a better understanding of the language of your potential customers – a crucial piece of any marketing plan – and you can home in on your keyword choices.

According to Forrester, 63% of apps are discovered through app store searches. This makes search, in the app store, the most used method for discovering and downloading new apps. Recently, at Google I/O, Ankit Jain reported that “For the average app, search actually makes up the vast majority of installs.” Simply put, this means that:

If you’re not using ASO to increase your app’s search ranking, you’re missing out on the largest discovery channel available to your app.

With hundreds of thousands of apps in each app store vying to rank above one another, the amazing reality is that the majority of publishers are not investing in app store optimization. So here’s our gift to you: ASO is your secret weapon. Spend time every week improving your ASO, and you will meaningfully impact your app’s ranking and overall success.

Let’s start by breaking down the various components that can affect your ASO:

Title – The keyword placed in the title should be the one with the heaviest search traffic. Spend time researching which keyword that is, because changing your title often to include different keywords can be detrimental. As your app begins to rank higher and gain more reviews, news of your app will begin to spread by word of mouth. Changing the title can make it difficult for word to spread about your app.Keywords – To improve your search rankings, you need to know which keywords are relevant and used most often by your target audience. It is helpful to monitor competitors in order to realize how you compare week to week.

In addition to being the most important factors for ASO, the fact that the title and keywords can be modified easily means that you can regularly optimize them.

Total # of Downloads – Your number of downloads are extremely important to ASO, but you don’t have complete control over them.Ratings and Reviews – Also important and difficult to control. However, there are ways to incentivize happy users to rate and review.

With a sampling of keywords, they looked at the top 25 ranking positions and calculated what percentage of apps had the keyword in the title vs. those that did not. This provided a total aggregate score for the apps with the keyword in the title and the apps without the keyword in the title.

Based on this test, apps with keywords in the title ranked on average 10.3% higher than those without a keyword in the title.

So, is a keyword worth placing in your title? Yes.

This test was done by taking a random sampling of keywords and categorizing them by difficulty as related to result count. An “easy” keyword results in fewer than 25 apps trying to rank for that keyword. “Medium” keywords are those that are included in 25-100 apps, and “competitive” keywords are those in 100+ apps.

Based on this test, there is a clear trend showing that apps with higher ratings also rank higher for keyword difficulty.

Do apps with better ratings rank higher? Yes.

(But don’t beg for them; earn better ratings for your apps the right way.)

Only the developer and the app store know the number of times an app has been downloaded. Since we do not know the number of downloads, we took the number of ratings instead. The belief here is that, averaged out, the download-to-rating conversion rate is more or less similar across most apps. Therefore, it is fairly accurate to look at the number of ratings as a proxy for the number of downloads.

Again, the results of the test are clear. The trend, regardless of difficulty, showed that apps with more downloads also rank higher.

Do apps with more downloads rank higher? Yes.

It is important to notice the difference between “competitive” keywords and the other difficulties. If your keyword falls into the “competitive” category, you need a significantly larger number of downloads to rank higher.

ASO is a process that needs to be monitored and constantly tweaked over a period of time. Your optimal set of keywords rarely is the set that you first opt to put in the app store.

Today, the most common approach to ASO is no approach at all. Developers often pick keywords and write descriptions at the last second during an app’s submission process. In most cases, little or no research on keyword searches occurs before the app submission, leaving most apps hidden and the likelihood of discovery quite low.

We had a moment to sit down with Ian Sefferman, the CEO of MobileDevHQ, and he told us how investing time in ASO has affected their customers. He said:

“ASO is having dramatic effects on our client apps. For those who put the time in to understand, iterate, and test, we’ve seen many apps increase their downloads by a factor of 2x-10x, and an increase of revenue by a similar, or bigger, rate due to the increase in engagement of users earned by ASO. ASO is not a simple process, and you might not see the impact overnight, but if you’re willing to invest in it, the outcome can be incredibly worthwhile.”

App developers need to consistently track their own rankings and the rankings of their competitors over time. More apps are published every day, and the constant stream of new ratings, reviews, and downloads can affect your search rankings. Keep testing and experimenting with your keywords in order to consistently rank well and drive more traffic to your download page.

To recap, let’s look at the ASO factors and the methods you can use to improve in those areas.

Title – Having a keyword in your title can improve your app’s search ranking for that keyword by an average of 10.3%. As a best practice, you want to place your most relevant keyword, regardless of the keyword difficulty, in the title.Keywords – Constantly tracking your own keywords and the movement of your competitors takes time and effort. In order to have the time to focus on your app and not solely on ASO, use a service such as MobileDevHQ to track your search rankings, analyze your keywords, choose better keywords, and get updates about your competitors.

To reap the rewards of ASO, you need to invest time and effort. If you do, you’ll have a consistent channel driving traffic to your app. Being found is one of the most difficult challenges for mobile apps, but it is a problem you can actively solve.

About the Author: Robi Ganguly is the CEO of Apptentive, the easiest way for every company with an app to talk with their customers. When he’s not at the office, you can find him running, reading, cooking, spending time with friends, or hanging out on Twitter (@rganguly).

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