Our marketing budgets are precious. It seems like most initiatives we marketers take are on expensive, scrutinized and sometimes, even tough to prove immediate ROI. But they are necessary to growing businesses, market share and brand awareness, and for most of us, our website, online e-commerce efforts sit at the heart of our marketing performance.
The truth is we could spend all day working on traffic acquisition strategies, spend thousands (even millions) of dollars on PPC, SEO and ad targeting, and launch the most advanced email marketing system fully integrated with our POS systems to drive people back to our website. Heck, some of us are still throwing a lot of budget and resources into direct mail and couponing. But, while all of these strategies may work, the puck does not stop there. Your marketing dollars must reach far beyond “more eyes on your website” and ensure conversion rates that turn those browsers into buyers, and turn your marketing dollars into revenue. And it starts with CXO.
CXO Defined
Customer Experience Optimization (CXO) is about making every experience with your brand matter. (Yes, I definitely want to do that!) CXO is dynamic, adaptive and specific to each customer’s interaction with your brand, while... Read more
Archive for Mark Simpson 
How Customer Experience Optimization (CXO) Can Stretch Your Marketing Dollars
Five Steps to Multivariate Testing (The Right Way) for Improving Online Customer Experiences
Multivariate testing—no longer a new buzz term, but now a bona fide ecommerce industry must have.
Yep, it’s been proven to lead to higher conversion rates, more product purchases, more newsletter signups, more news feed subscriptions, or any other elements that are important to business goals and as such, are defined as a “conversion”. So, whether you’re new to multivariate testing or have been testing for years, follow these five steps to get the conversion rates—and online customer experiences—you’re looking for.
1. Lay Out Clear Business Goals and Objective Planning
Before you dive into multivariate testing, it’s best to establish a plan that will outline the business goals you and your team are looking to achieve. Don’t worry, if you are already testing, it’s never too late. Let’s be real, you can’t expect measurable results until you’ve identified issues that need resolved, and the brand goals you are trying to meet.
Take call-to-actions (CTAs) for example: They are typically a main driver in the conversion puzzle, and you could spend all day figuring out which one “works” and which one doesn’t. But when it comes to test planning, think big(ger) picture: don’t get drowned by simple page elements, but rather focus on funnel goals... Read more
Why marketers who engage external experts gain more from testing and optimization programs
Well, another year has come to a close. And in terms of the technology and marketing world it’s been a big one: we’ve seen mobile and tablet shopping take a huge jump, mourned the loss of Steve Jobs, embraced another new Google invention: Google+, made way for QR codes in many marketing and merchandising assets, and the list goes on.
From my seat, I’ve also seen more and more marketers embrace A/B and multivariate testing as a must-have in their ecommerce tool kit (Yay!). With DIY tools like Google Website Optimizer, almost anyone who has time, a little patience and bit of knowledge, can start to test various customer experiences on their website. Website Magazine even released a comprehensive list of tools and vendors who provide such services.
In a recent Wall Street Journal article, Forrester Research analyst Sucharita Mulpuru said such website "optimization" is growing as Web retailers try and emulate the likes of Amazon.com Inc., which does "a/b" testing to compare which website layout works better. Earlier this year, Amazon tested a new home page that is less cluttered than its old one, with fewer buttons, more white space and a bigger search box; the page also emphasized digital goods over physical... Read more
10 Retail Tips for Improving 2011 Online Holiday Sales
Well, it’s arrived: the holiday shopping season. Black Friday, Cyber Monday, December sales, January promotions…you get it. This year, the Associated Press says, retailers are focused on price in hopes to counter the (still) worn down economy, while the National Retail Federation claims that shopper’s shouldn’t expect lower prices than any other year, but rather free shipping, deals and giveaways.
Any way you look at, the competition, both online and offline, will likely be cut-throat, yet again. As consumers becoming more shopping savvy and consult your website for their gift-buying tasks, it’s important you make sure you’re ready to serve them the best performing content, offers and online experience that turns them from browsers and bargain-hunters into paying customers.
1. Get in the holiday spirit. #Obvious
Hopefully you’re already on this one, but customizing your website with a festive look and feel lets people know your holiday sales have started. Clearly display the items most likely to sell during the holiday season on the most popular pages.
2. Don’t Overdo Dynamic Elements
Resist the urge to have snow falling, lights flashing and stars sparkling all over home page. Video, banner ads and flash can be great elements to enhance the online customer experience, but only... Read more
