Optimize your "landing page" with Google

A lot of services are launched regularly on Internet. Some of those catch our attention while others are easily forgotten before having stood out. A free service is newly available by Google for any company with an Adwords account and it will revolutionize the way small and medium size companies optimize their web sites. While, in the past, only big companies where able to afford some comparable tools, any company can now have access to this powerful tool to optimize their “landing page”. This tool is no other than Google Website Optimizer.

Why use it? The reason is extremely simple…to increase your conversion rate. This tool answers all the questions a person in charge of marketing department may have: “If I would use this term instead of that one, would my sales increase?” A while ago, it was a head ache to answer those type of interrogations. Of course, A/B tests could help to get a clue and keep track of the situation but they were not as interesting as the techniques now available.

Indeed, instead of creating 2 or 3 versions of a page, the Google tool creates by itself different combinations using all the sections to test and detects the best combination. In a test that we have just started, we have defined 2 elements to test: The title and the use of an image vs. using a testimony. Google will be in charge to reveal to 1 visitor out of 4 each combination.

• Title 1 with image
• Title 2 with image
• Title 1 with testimony
• Title 2 with testimony

Most of you will want to test many combinations but it is important to remember than to make good conclusions you have to have a representative number of “testers”. Thus, if you want to test 3 elements from your page and you make 5 different versions of those elements, you now have 125 possible combinations. It could take several months to get concluding results! Google has developed a calculator that will help you define the number of optimal combinations witch is available here.

How to implement? This new tool is really simple to use. In order to use it, you need to have a Google Adwords account and to be able to insert a couple of Javascript code lines on you web site. If you do not have the qualifications to insert those code lines, it is possible for you to give to you Webmaster an Internet address where he can find a special implementation guide personalized for your project. Once you are done with the code lines, you get to choose your variables and see your results right on the Google Adwords interface.

Do not wait any longer… If you company is currently not using analyzing tools to optimize conversion on you web site or if you want to push your tests a little further, we strongly recommend that you use Google’s Website Optimizer. On the other hand, a tool will always be a tool…if you do not use it properly, you will get the disappointing results that goes with it.