Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO): Best Approach/Plan Documentation

[kchandler]

Hey Mozzers -

First off, I am well aware of what CRO is, its benefits, and why it is essential for any inbound or performance marketing campaigns. However i am a total newbie at the actual planning and implementation of CRO, so any advice/feedback on the questions below are much appreciated!

• When planning a CRO experiment/test what is the best way to document it? Should i develop the full plan ahead of time laying out each element?
• If so, what elements should i include in this plan?
• What are the KPIs i should report on?
• What tools should i use for reporting (i was thinking a blend of Google and Clicktale)?
• Any lessons learned through out your campaigns?

Thank you all so much for your input!

Regards - Kyle

[SEODinosaur]

Depending on what you are selling and how your users interact on your page. many factors are involved here, color schemes, navigation layout, and content.

In my experience it is best to experiment:

Here is a good site for ya: http://visualwebsiteoptimizer.com/

[kchandler]

I understand the ideas behind testing but what about documentation? Do you supply a written plan with goals & outcomes ahead of time or just guess and test along the way?

I guess to help clarify I work for an agency and would need to present the approach to a client for approval rather than working in house.

[SEODinosaur]

If this is something you want to present to your client, it's probably best to explain the procedures of A/B testing.

"Hi [customer],

You are finally getting traffic to your site, however we want to run some A/B testings to maximize conversions on your website. We plan on running these tests and will only have results after 30 days (or more). "

The site I mentioned above will give you reports that you will be able to present to your customer after experimenting: http://visualwebsiteoptimizer.com/features.php#revenue-tracking