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"You Imbecile!" My $7,500.00 Marketing Mistake, Revealed
© 2003 Harmony Major
No, not you -- me.
I'M the one who recently lost thousands due to...
:: THE STUPIDEST $7,500 MISTAKE OF MY MARKETING CAREER ::
Not long ago, I put my old membership site on the market due to several family crises that hit me in 2002, the worst year of my life.
The site had over 400 pages, had been around for about a year, had a database of over a hundred past members, and came complete with design, including $200 worth of very professional images.
It even had a handful of members joining each month due to joint ventures that had been arranged and were still quietly chugging along.
The site was ready to go.
All it needed was to be updated a little within the members area, rearranged a little (to cleanly switch ownership), and the formulation of a powerful "re-launch" marketing campaign ... and it really could've gone places.
BUT IT DIDN'T.
I was asking $7,500 for it. Considering the number of past members and the completeness of the site (400+ pages, for goodness sake!), I didn't think that was a lot at all. My researchers and I had spent several hours per WEEK for over a year continually adding content to that site.
Regardless, buyers would always counter with, "So ... what was the site's conversion ratio when it was up?"
And I'd stutter.
You see, I HADN'T BEEN TRACKING IT, and it was costing me a fortune.
I had several people approach me, ready to buy, credit cards literally in hand ... but they just weren't paying that kind of money for an inactive member's site lacking comprehensive conversion rate statistics.
"You imbecile!"
Yeah, yeah, I know. Quit rubbing it in, okay? I've learned my lesson. (And hopefully YOU'VE learned MY lesson, too.)
If you're not testing AND tracking your ads, you're going out of business...
Eventually.
So now, you need to know:
:: WHAT TO *USE* TO TEST ::
I'm not going to waste your time by telling you TO test, as you've heard it a zillion times before (probably from people who don't do it themselves). But I'll give you some ideas of WHAT to test to increase your marketing results.
First, get yourself an easy-to-use split testing script like the free Scientific Internet Marketing Assistant (SIMA). I've used several scripts, but this one *really* reduces your workload.
Ex: You can set the number of unique visitors you want to see each of your test pages before the end of a test. The script can then start automatically sending users to your most successful test page at the test's end. No switching out pages any more. And now, some ideas on:
:: *WHAT* COMPONENTS TO TEST ::
The script you choose doesn't matter. Just use SOMETHING, why don't ya.
But whatever you decide to test first, remember a test is only 100% accurate if it's isolated to ONE *type* of variable (i.e. headline, money-back guarantee, etc.). Meaning, test ONE of the below components at a time, or you're back to guessing.
Whatever script you choose, you could try split testing:
* different headlines
* different color schemes
* headline colors (blue vs black)
* long sales copy vs short sales copy
* time period of a money-back guarantee
* courtesy payment plan vs no payment plan
* product/service pricing points (high or low?)
* money-back guarantee vs NO money back guarantee
* offering a sample copy of a product vs no sample
* sales letter header graphic vs. NO header graphic
* "article style" sales letter vs direct sales letter
* the opener (first few paragraphs) of your sales copy
* ending digits of product prices (Ex: $29.97 vs $29.95)
* representative e-book cover image(s) vs NO cover images
* testimonials throughout sales copy vs on their own page
* an on-entry pop-up vs. an on-exit pop for building a list
* testimonial before headline or headline before testimonial
* ... and more.
The possibilities are truly endless. Have some FUN with it.
:: WHAT TO DO WITH THE RESULTS ::
First, let me remind you that you can have more than one version of the same variable (i.e. SEVEN different headlines, THREE different money-back guarantees, etc.).
I just finished testing *seven different headlines* for WebsiteMarketingForCheapskates.com, for example. Actually, I *recommend* having more than one version of your variable per test so you'll get results a little faster.
TIP: For the scientifically challenged people out there, the "variable" is the component of whatever subject you're changing. The "control" is the ONE component that stays the same throughout the test. At the end of a test, you'll use the version of your sales page (or whatever subject you're experimenting with) that got the highest response in the LAST test as your *control* page in the NEXT one.
:: HOW LONG A MARKETING TEST SHOULD RUN ::
The longer it runs, the more accurate your results become.
A test involving just 50 unique visitors per subject won't likely be telling you much. I suggest sending *no less than 200 unique visitors* to every variable page you're testing, though exact numbers can vary.
In the headline test I mentioned above, I originally intended to send just 100 to each page, but chose to extend it to 200+ because the results hadn't yet stabilized at 100.
How long YOUR test should run might be different for your particular business, and it could even be different for each test you run. Just be sure to only end a test when results STOP SHIFTING:
In other words, when a recognizable trend toward just ONE of your test subjects has *clearly* established itself.
:: SO ... JUST *DO* IT! ::
I used to dread testing. Probably because it was so tedious and time-consuming. (You had to do everything by hand a few years back!)
But now, it's FUN.
I can't wait to get the designated amount of unique visitors to all of my test pages so I can move on to the next test, because I know that with each new testing phase, I'll find a way to increase my profit.
Even if I don't increase it directly (for instance, if the changes I make *decrease* my response), I'm still learning what works best and what bombs for MY particular business...
And that kind of knowledge is priceless.
So ... just DO it, m'kay? If not, you could end up like me, learning a painfully expensive marketing mistake the hard way. Instead, be smart...
And get your "test" on.
Article by ... well, Harmony Major, of course. ;-) Join her ezine, Straight from the Horse's Mouth, to learn exactly how to make your monthly e-biz income more predictable, how to avoid wasteful spending, and to discover ways to drive more traffic and PAYING customers to your website or affiliate site. It's free! Click here.
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