5 Strategies to Entice Consumers to Binge-Watch Your Product Videos

Continue watching.

These two words are infamous in the world of video streaming. When consumers are hooked, they want more to watch.

“Content marketers should consider the binging trend a sort of case study. All of the elements that make us binge are lessons,” says Kari Matthews, a content writer for technology companies.

“We can do what these [television] shows do, in our own way, in our own industries, to make the most of our content and build our brands.”

Work with your team to engage customers with binge-worthy product videos. Get them excited about your brand and ecommerce services.

Try these five strategies below to entice your consumers.

1. Cater to Diverse Audiences

Normally, experts suggest creating content to serve a select group of people. But when it comes to product videos, you may want to take a different approach.

You want your content to be shareable. So, it must serve several different audiences. And that includes people who will never purchase your product.

“Remember that not everybody who buys, buys today, not everybody who consumes content shares it, and not everybody who shares content buys,” states Scott Allan, chief marketing officer at AddThis.

“Instead of focusing on capturing leads, create memorable content that customers will draw on when they or their friends are ready to make a purchase.”

So, produce content that people can share with their family and friends. Focus on moments that everyone can relate to, like laughing with friends, hosting a summer barbeque, or attending a college football game.

Below is the noteworthy Dollar Shave Club product video. Not everyone who shared this content bought the shavers, but it did go viral and reached their target audience.

If your company wants avoid vulgar language, think of your product video like a PG-rated film. For instance, most Disney movies are meant for kids to enjoy, but they have enough common themes to engage the parent.

Don't be afraid to serve more people with your videos. The goal is to spread the word.

2. Develop A Backstory

For product videos to gain your audience's attention, the content must discuss more than the product. Yes, content must go beyond talking about your company.

In other words: Tell a story that emotionally attaches people. It's all about showing your audience a new perspective. And giving them a different insight that humanizes your brand.

Studies show that “Americans alone consume over 100,000 digital words every single day, but 92% say they want brands to tell stories amongst all those words.”

The same holds true in the world of video. A written product description isn't good enough. And a video regurgitating similar information is just awful.

According to For Dummies, a “backstory refers to everything that occurred in your story's past. A character's backstory may include family background, job history, psychological condition, and any memories you create for that person from childhood on.”

Instead, bring your videos to life with characters and a plot. Give the actors names and set up an environment where the product is being used, not displayed.

That's what Amazon did when they introduced its Echo. Rather than giving consumers a run down of the product features, the eCommerce giant showcased the product's value in a simulated setting.

Get creative. Show, don't just tell consumers about your products.

3. Create Episodic Content

According to Netflix, the network's 83 million members watch more than 125 million hours of TV shows and movies every day. That's a lot of time in front of a screen.

But what keeps viewers coming back for more?

One reason is access to uninterrupted content. Consumers don't need to worry about commercials. Advertisements don't get in the way of their favorite shows. Therefore, they can focus on viewing what they love the most.

Another reason is the addicting show plots. A great television show contains episodes that leave the audience wanting more. People constantly want to know what's going to happen next.

Will the main character finally locate the killer? Or will the antagonist prevail and destroy his enemies?

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Episodic content has people on the edge of their seats. And that's how your team should set up product videos.

Shoot multiple videos with cliffhangers. Get consumers intrigued about your brand culture and latest product benefits.

“Episodic content enhances the credibility of your brand as people become more and more familiar with you and what you are about. This builds trust and value with your target audience,” says Kerri Ponder, a writer at Crowd Content.

One product video is fine. But a bunch can get customers hooked on your ecommerce brand.

4. Notify Customers of Updates

Your customers are busy. They have to manage both their work and home schedules.

So, sometimes certain things get forgotten. And that's perfectly fine.

That's where are your team steps in. Remind your customers of your new product videos.

There's an old marketing adage: The Rule of Seven. It says that a “prospect needs to see or hear your marketing message at least seven times before they take action and buy from you.”

Create a special website pop-up telling them about new videos. Keep customers informed by sending notification emails leading up to the launch.

Your business already sends updates about new terms and conditions. Mimic the technique for product videos.

“Getting people excited about content that is perhaps not yet fully done whets their appetite and keeps them talking about you and your brand, days ahead of when your campaign or content actually is released,” writes Shanna Cook, senior social media manager at Nokia.

Like any marketing tactic, don't over do it. Reminders can become nuisances if they are sent every single day. Take a look at your internal data and set times best suited for your target audience.

Ask customers to sign up for your email list for product video announcements. There's power in notifications.

5. Offer an Instant Reward

Everyone enjoys special gifts for their efforts. Reward customers for taking the time to watch or share your video.

Customers want to be delighted. They desire instant rewards that help them today, not tomorrow. So, stay away from mail-in rebates or points that can't be redeemed today.

For example, at the end of a product video, offer a 10% promo code. And think beyond discounts. Give away exclusive access to a webinar or a free eBook.

Christian Karasiewicz, a social media marketing professional, suggests the following:

“Develop a video to showcase your expertise or further educate your viewers, then include a YouTube card that leads your audience to related material. This can be a transcription, checklist, infographic, SlideShare or downloadable PDF…”

YouTube cards are notifications that appear in your video. It's a small rectangular box at the top right corner. It gives your viewers a preview of the message. Check out the video below on how to add cards to YouTube videos.

Analyze which rewards consumers like the most. Then, start offering instant rewards for watching your product videos.

Binge-Worthy Content

On-demand video is attracting consumers to brands. The best ones hold the audience's attention and keep them engaged.

Aim to create product videos for a diverse audience. Give your videos a backstory. And notify customers of new releases.

Produce captivating product videos. Let consumers continue watching.

About the Author: Shayla Price lives at the intersection of digital marketing, technology and social responsibility. Connect with her on Twitter @shaylaprice.

Could Your 'Facebookonality' Be Hurting Your Business?

By the Urban Dictionary's definition, the term “Facebookonality” refers to your personality as others perceive it from your Facebook posts, likes, comments, emojis, and other online activity. Despite the platform-specific term, the concept of Facebookonality applies to all social media. With the lines blurred between personal and professional on all platforms, your individual self and your business are likely to be considered one in the same.

What's the significance of this? It means what you post personally, and how it affects others, will influence what people believe you stand for in your business.

Your actions and interactions on your personal social media accounts can work for your business and your professional reputation. Or they can work against you.

According to Rachel Strella, nationally known social media consultant and founder of Strella Social Media, “People often believe their business accounts and personal accounts are separate, but in today's world your business brand is only as strong as your personal brand.”

Faux Pas That Can Damage Your Business Reputation

I would never tell you what you should or should not post on your social media platforms; that's for you to decide. But I will advise you to be careful. A negatively perceived Facebookonality could drive customers-and revenue-away. It pays to exercise some caution and pause to think before you post, comment, share, etc. Even “liking” certain pages or following certain accounts can make a bad impression.

For the sake of your business, some specific issues and habits to consider avoiding or overdoing on social media include:

• TMI about relationships


• TMI about health issues (ick!)


• Boozing and debauchery


• Religion


• Race issues


• Gender issues


• Social issues


• Politics

With the quite heated U.S. presidential election happening in a few months, I think it's appropriate and important to call out that particular point.

“It's not uncommon for those who are strongly in favor of-or opposed to-a candidate to offend others with polarizing remarks. Potential and current customers may respect the work of a business owner, but find their political stance in opposition with their own,” explains Strella. “This is not necessarily troublesome when done respectfully, but I often witness those who take their political commentary too far-and to a point when it's downright inappropriate. Abrasive or hot-headed remarks show a lack of self-management, which is potentially damaging to a business leader.”

Think Before You Post, Tweet, Share, or Like

As Strella mentioned, self-management is the key to keeping your Facebookonality from burning bridges and damaging your business. Here are some general rules-of-thumb:

• Know your audience.


• Be sensitive to other viewpoints.


• Don't jump to conclusions about others' intentions.


• Watch your language.


• Be respectful.

And, above all, think about and anticipate the possible ramifications a rant or raucous post or comment might have, not only in the short term but in the long term as well.

“While you may have more liberty to showcase your life on your personal social media, it's important to be aware that somebody is always watching, and it could affect your online reputation,” reminds Strella.

I couldn't agree more. While it may be fun to have a free-spirited or controversial Facebookonality, we need to realize that what we put out there personally on social media will, without a doubt, affect how we're perceived professionally. As entrepreneurs, we need to exercise self-control or face the consequences.

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7 Reasons Your Site Isn't Ready for A/B Testing

You've invested a lot of time and effort into perfecting your website and you want to get the maximum return from that investment. To achieve that goal, you've studied dozens of blogs on conversion optimization techniques. You've poured over countless CRO case studies, and you have a few tools to help you run A/B tests.

Before you start split testing to get those conversion gains, pause for a second. I don't think you're quite ready yet.

There are plenty of free tools to help you test your optimization – not to mention paid options from Optimizely to OptinMonster that'll help you explore different facets of your site's performance – so just about anyone can run A/B tests. But it's not a matter of simply understanding how to do it.

The problem is that your site just isn't there yet. A/B testing isn't for everyone, and if it's not done at the right time with the right conditions, you might end up accumulating a lot of false data that does more harm than good. Before you invest anything in testing and extensive optimization, consider these seven points:

1. The Traffic Volume Isn't There

If this is what your traffic numbers look like, don't bother A/B testing

There's no doubt that A/B testing can be highly useful for businesses that want to improve their conversion rates. Having said that however, a lot of businesses shouldn't bother with A/B testing.

Small businesses that are trying to grow, startups, e-commerce businesses in their early years and other micro businesses simply don't have the traffic and transactions to accurately perform A/B tests. It takes a significant amount of traffic to provide accurate, measurable results.

In a post from Peep Laja of ConversionXL, he provided an example using a sample size calculator from Evan Miller, where the baseline conversion rate is entered. He then entered the desired lift.

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You can see from this image that in order to detect a 10% lift, the tool recommends at least 51,486 visitors per variation.

If the traffic isn't there yet, you can still optimize your site based on audience data you've gathered, but A/B tests won't be helpful for a while and they might produce false information.

2. You Don't Have Anything to Test

A lot of websites function as a general brochure for a company with minimal conversion points. If you run a B2B site or you have a freshly-created site with little more than a contact form and an opt-in, then it's too early in the game to start running concurrent A/B tests.

If your site is content-lite then it's probably too soon to start running tests.

Even if the volume of traffic is adequate to run accurate tests, you may not see a significant lift from a general opt-in or estimate request form. For most businesses, the amount of effort and cost that would go into designing variations for the tests just to get a small lift around micro conversions isn't worth it.

The same applies to newer e-commerce stores.

Your time would be better spent with your analytics, where you can set up goal tracking, creating marketing campaigns, and developing your content offers and resources. The A/B testing can come later once you have more to offer and traffic has grown substantially.

3. You're Not Sure What Matters

Do you know what the choke points, leaks, and sticking points are in your funnel? I'm referring to the places where you're losing prospective customers, as well as where you're gaining the most.

Before you can run any kind of tests, you have to understand what matters, because some elements are more important than others.

For example: a marketing agency is driving visitors to their estimate request page. They spend a significant amount of time optimizing that page with A/B testing variations and micro changes. After extensive testing, they find that their efforts made very little difference with virtually no impact on their conversions.

Instead, they should have looked for mistakes in their funnel leading up to that page. Maybe the content that led the visitor to that point was where the changes needed to be made. Maybe the search intent of the customer didn't match the content they found.

Another example: a brand selling shoes online puts a great deal of effort into optimizing and testing product pages, only to realize that the lift in conversion was insignificant. Instead, they could find ways to improve the average order value or review their funnel in Kissmetrics to find the biggest leaks where customers are dropping off and fix those problems instead.

Don't know where to test? Find where you're losing customers (and money) with the Kissmetrics Funnel Report.

If you randomly try to test what you think matters, then you'll only be wasting time.

One study from Forrester showed that 60% of firms surveyed saw improvements in their website when they used a data-driven approach to design. It's important to take the time to research what really matters to your business so you know what to optimize and where to make changes.

4. You're Copying Content

While a competitor site (or any site for that matter) might look like an attractive design that your customers will probably engage with, you can't waste time testing if you've played copycat.

Any tests you run after replicating their design and content will only be wasted. If the solution was as simple as copying what we thought worked well for our competitors (or even conversion case studies) then every e-commerce website would function exactly like Amazon.

The fact is, websites are highly contextual and they should relate to both the audience and what you're promoting. Wal-Mart and Whole Foods are in the same business of selling food products, but they cater to completely different audiences and sell vastly different products.

If I stacked up my own services against another marketing agency offering identical services, there would still be contextual differences in how we market, how we service customers, the channels we use to engage them, and how we direct traffic to our sites.

You need to make sure your website is designed specifically for you, your channels, your audience, etc. before investing in testing.

5. The Data Isn't There

The more capable you are with analytics tools like Kissmetrics or Google Analytics, the better off you'll be. But, if the extent of your knowledge consists of checking traffic quantities, referral sources, time on page and bounce rates, then you're only scraping the surface.

If you don't know what data you need to monitor while A/B testing, then testing is a waste of time.

You have to approach your testing and analytics with a problem so you can find an answer in the data. That way, you can identify issues and confirm what aspects you need to change.

Learning a bit more about your analytics can tune you into:

• How site elements or offers are performing


• How your content is performing and whether it is keeping people engaged


• What people are doing on your site and the routes they typically take


• Where people are landing, as well as where they're leaving


• Where your funnel is losing money

The data won't specifically tell you how to fix problems; it's just a starting point where you can discover actionable insights. Without that data, and without the ability to interpret it, A/B testing is pointless.

6. Your Site Has Usability Issues

When was the last time you tested your website in a browser other than the one you typically use? Have you tried going through your entire site on a mobile device?

Have you ever performed a full usability test with a variety of browsers and devices?

This is something a lot of marketers don't consider when they start A/B tests. Ignoring usability issues, tech problems, and bugs is a huge mistake, though. Even minor bugs and slow load times can dramatically impact your conversion rates.

Just a one second delay in load time can drop conversion rates by as much as 7%.

You won't get accurate results from A/B testing if segments of your audience are bailing due to usability issues. Some of your audience may never make it to your conversion point, and even if they do, their progress could be hindered by bugs or load times that will ultimately skew your results.

This misinterpretation could lead to changes and further variations of elements that are actually part of your winning, optimized design.

7. You Don't Know Your Audience

Audience research should be one of the first steps of any marketing strategy. If your goal is to drive lots of traffic to your site with content marketing and paid advertising, I would hope you've done some measure of audience research.

Without it, you're shooting blindly into the darkness and hoping to score a bullseye.

Researching and defining your target audience gives you in-depth information about who you're targeting, such as their pain points, interests, behaviors, demographics info, and more. That information helps you craft compelling copy, winning headlines, and attention-grabbing offers.

A target customer profile. How well do you know your target market?

Without it, you'll resort to guessing what to change about your copy, headlines, offers, and calls-to-action. Every variation you test will be just as random as the one before it, and you likely won't see any significant change in performance.

Know who you're marketing to before you make a large investment in A/B testing.

Testing isn't for Everyone

While there's a wealth of articles and advice online telling you test everything you do and to A/B test every variation, you don't have to. For many statups and growing online businesses there just isn't enough traffic early on to create an accurate sampling with measurable results.

Focus on growing your business for now. As you grow traffic levels, learn more about your customers, and targeted traffic increases you can start testing variations to go after those micro wins.

Do you use A/B testing on your site or landing pages right now? Have you found issues with the quality of your results? Share your thoughts with me in the comments below.

About the Author: Aaron Agius is an experienced search, content and social marketer. He has worked with some of the world's largest and most recognized brands to build their online presence. See more from Aaron at Louder Online, their Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.

How to Make Your Business Credit Card Work Harder for Your Business

Many small business owners consciously work to keep their business credit card spending and payments on the up and up-and rightly so. It's an important tool for building a business credit history, increasing your business credit score, and preserving cash flow.

But what you may not be fully focusing on is the idea that your business credit card can also be working for you. After all, you are the consumer in the lender-borrower relationship. It makes sense for you to make sure that you are getting the most value from your relationship, whether it's getting the most cash back possible, building up rewards points to taking advantage of offers that come with the card, and more.

Here are some key ways to make sure you are maximizing your plastic assets.

Free Balance Transfers

Sometimes, switching to a new card can come with offers for a free balance transfer, which can yield you a lower interest rate on existing debt. Your existing card may also run occasional deals for promotional balance transfers.

Be aware, though, that not all balance transfers to lower interest rates will save you money. Sometimes the balance transfer fees outweigh the savings you'd gain by switching to a card with a lower interest rate, so do the math to make sure you're actually getting a better deal.

Rewards That Matter to You

Racking up airline miles or free hotel nights can be sexy and alluring, but if you're someone who never leaves your state line, you'd be saving for a rainy day that never comes. Or, based on your spending, if the card's points system will take you 10 years to earn a single round trip flight, there may be a better solution for you.

Rewards programs come in all shapes and sizes, from earning cash back, to points for retail purchases, to travel and VIP airline lounge awards. Assess what you really spend money or resources on. Then do your homework – fun homework! – on the broad range of options out there for you to find a program that will truly be a reward for all your hard work. After all, you've earned it!

Cold, Hard, Cash Back

Many small business credit cards offer more generous sign-up bonuses and reward rates than consumer cards. For example, NerdWallet.com ranks Chase's Ink Cash Business Card as its top pick for a cash-back card.

The card offers a $0 annual fee and a $200 bonus cash back if you spend $3,000 in the first three months after opening the account, plus 5% back on office supplies, phone, internet, and cable services, 2% at gas stations, and a $1750 bonus if you meet certain spending thresholds in a given year.

The main benefit of getting this card, though, is the 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 months. However, if the 0% APR on balance transfers is not something you'd use, you will likely find a better program out there for you.

See? It pays to do your homework.

Evaluating Your Spending and Payment Habits

If you pay your balance in full every month, you are also likely to benefit from credit cards that offer rewards for spending, such as cash back rewards or other bonuses.

On the other hand, if you use your credit card to finance unexpected large orders or operational expenses due to a late-paying client-and therefore keep a balance of debt-you may want to look for the lowest available interest rate to provide a cheaper way of floating your debt.

Finding the right card for you and your business can offer some cool benefits. To find the right card for you, do a soft search (which won't affect your credit) to find out which cards you qualify for and what they can offer you. To make sure you're getting the most out of your current card, take a look at your purchases and see what's on offer. There's lots available to you!

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From Campaigns to Conversions – How to Make Sense of the Data You're Presented With

It's the question on every marketer's mind – “How do we turn these impressions, clicks and conversions into something that drives results for our company?”

The fact is, you have a lot on your plate. From new product launches to generating interest to reaching new markets and paying attention to customer sentiment, there's a lot to juggle. Being able to not just make sense of the data you're gathering, but also turn that information into actionable insights is a must-have skill in today's competitive markets.

The good news is, it can be learned – easily.

The Problem with Reach

When everything is measured in terms of reach and impressions, we start creating goals that don't really measure the results we want

In many cases, campaigns are founded with the wrong goal in mind. Everything is measured in “reach”. We look at impressions as the de facto measurement standard when it barely scratches the surface of measuring a consumer's true interest and intent.

The end result, when focusing too much on reach and impressions, is that you might make a boatload of sales, but not be able to map them definitively to any specific campaign or strategy. Even if people first hear about your product through traditional media (TV, print, newspaper), they're very likely to go online and do some more research – and that's where things like reviews, ratings and testimonials can make a significant impact.

Another issue is that most advertising programs assume a straight path to conversions, when the result is anything but. The customer could go from print awareness to online research at your website, but then go offsite to look up user reviews, do some comparison shopping, seek out coupons, watch a product unboxing video, look over the company's Facebook page to see what people are saying, double-back on the comparison shopping engine to find the best deal, and so forth.

The fact is, the conversion path isn't pretty and that's because it's too often tied to wisps of numbers that don't make any meaningful and measurable impact on the bottom line.

Mapping Campaigns to Results

Changing techniques to focus on revenues and relationships requires a change in how we think about campaigns

So how do you tie your campaigns into the kind of insights that deliver the results you need? Let's take a look at some common types of campaigns and how they can be adjusted:

E-Commerce Sales

E-Commerce relies heavily on the power of reviews, testimonials and coupons – so combining these in a way that makes sense (such as putting reviews of that particular product below the customer's item when they go to view their cart) will help reduce cart abandonment rates and seal the deal.

Automatically adding in a coupon (especially for free shipping) only serves to sweeten the deal, and greatly reduces the risk that the customer will go offsite to search for coupons – and potentially to a competitor.

Don't forget the service after the sale either. Following up to inquire about how the customer likes the product, if they've used it yet or have any questions are crucial for keeping your brand front-of-mind in a way that's helpful, not intrusive.

New Product Launch

New product launches are by far the easiest processes to map. Since initiatives are just getting off the ground, you can more easily segment and monitor them across all channels. But even with that kind of segmentation in place, it's worth noting that few customers who “Like” a particular brand (for a discount, sample or whatever) seldom return to that page.

Your main goal in measuring results with new product launches should be to get customers to visualize their lives made better as a result of having your product in it. Your best customer may not say a lot or interact a lot on social media, but they will tell friends and family about you – and that speaks volumes more than any advertising can.

Brick and Mortar Sales

If your product is featured in traditional storefronts, there's a lot you can do to help increase conversions. Create a coupon code for a specific retail chain or even a specific locale so that you can tie results directly to that specific campaign.

Help thwart showrooming (where customers browse in store but buy online) by price matching. Don't force customers to jump through hoops to get the advertised price, either. Move the conversion needle even more by offering users a social coupon. This is one that can be shared with friends, but must be printed and brought to the store to redeem. You can track the success of the campaign through social analytics or the number of coupons redeemed.

There Is No Best Choice

One of the most common questions from the C-Suite with regard to conversions is “which channel drives the most?” Here again, there's too much of a focus hinging on pure numbers and not more valuable (but intangible) things like customer sentiment, recommendations, brand awareness and so on. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to discovering which channel brings the greatest ROI – because there isn't a single channel that does this all the time, for everyone, with every product.

Oftentimes, it's a mix of initiatives that drive the best results. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Look at the mixes of what's driving the most engagement or converting the most first-time users into paying customers – that's the avenue you want to improve conversions on.

How Kissmetrics Can Help

If you're using Kissmetrics, we've made it incredibly easy to see which marketing channels are sending the most profitable visitors.

We do this by using different channels. These channels include visitors who are referred directly to your site, who come by way of a third party, by email, and much more. But simply knowing where they come from is only part of the equation.

What you really want to know is - which visitors are bringing in the revenue?

And because Kissmetrics tracks users, not sessions, you can easily tie revenues to people. This is done by setting up the Revenue Report. Set it up once and let it start tackling the data effortlessly. You can even import your existing sales data if you wish.

An example of a Kissmetrics revenue report segmenting revenue by product category

The most valuable aspect of the Revenue Report is seeing which channels drive your biggest profits - not necessarily the most traffic or even the highest quality traffic - but pure revenues. As stated, you can even segment by marketing channel, so you'll learn not only which campaigns resonate with your target audience, but what that means in terms of your bottom line.

Map It Out

Always look at strategy from a point of constant improvement rather than a “once and done” campaign

Some of us marketers are just visual learners who perform best when an idea is fully mapped out – so don't hesitate to do this if you feel it will give you a better idea of how to move forward. Draw a horizontal “timeline” showing the different touch points where your customer interacts with your product or service in any way. Then, draw a vertical line showing the stages of the sales funnel.

Now look at it carefully and see where and how the different areas intersect and mingle with each other. Are there areas where customers are dropping off considerably? Are there touch points where the customer isn't getting the help or clarification they need? When you map out the process, it's amazing the findings that will suddenly come to light!

No matter what, going from campaigns to conversions isn't about looking at the raw data as win or lose. It's about looking at the big picture of which campaigns cultivated the kind of customer sentiment and brand awareness you want while minimizing friction or cart abandonment. And more often than not, these kinds of results will come from many different campaigns and channels.

It requires a shift in how you think about conversions and how they tie into overall customer retention, to be sure, but making that shift and looking at initiatives in terms of wide-reaching strategies rather than one-off campaigns can make a significant difference in all areas of business.

Have you integrated any of these ideas into your own campaigns? What kind of results have you gotten? Share your thoughts and comments with us below!

About the Author: Sherice Jacob helps business owners improve website design and increase conversion rates through compelling copywriting, user-friendly design and smart analytics analysis. Learn more at iElectrify.com and download your free web copy tune-up and conversion checklist today!

The Three Metrics You Need to Know Before You Waste Any Time on A/B Tests

It's hard to argue that split testing (also know as A/B testing) is changing the face of marketing. According to Unbounce, 44% of online businesses are using split test software. And software products like Unbounce and Visual Website Optimizer are making it ever easier. Split testing, done right, with good context, can put a stop to all the guesswork, anecdotal conclusions, and correlation/causation errors that can abound in marketing circles.

But it's not without risks: split tests are expensive to run, requiring investment for both software, and staff/consultants to run the tests. Not to mention the opportunity cost of lost time exploiting other profit levers in your business.

All of which underscores the importance of testing the right metrics in your business, and the potential cost in time and resources of testing the wrong ones.

While I can't speak for all businesses, what I've seen again-and-again with clients and peers is businesses gravitating toward what's easy to test – landing pages, checkout pages, email subject lines, and sales pages (all of which can be extremely important in the right context) – rather than what's important.

That's why one of the most meaningful changes you can make in your business is to implement a process for identifying which parameters to test and optimize. Below are 3 metrics you need to know before you spend one more minute split testing.

1. List-to-Sale Conversion Rate

What if I told you one simple calculation would tell you whether to optimize any conversion metrics between an opt-in and a sale, or to look elsewhere? That's what the list-to-sale benchmark gives you. “List-to-sale” is the percentage of buyers of your product or service over a given time period relative to the number of opt-ins to your email list for the same period.

Say in a given month you get 1,000 opt-ins to your email list, and in that same month, you make 55 sales of your flagship product. Wondering whether you should go with a webinar funnel instead of an email onboarding sequence? Whether to incorporate video into your sales page? Whether to change the color of your “buy now” button?

The answer to all of them is “no”, and I didn't even need to take a look inside your funnel. Why? With 55 sales, you're converting at a staggering 5% list-to-sale.

To calculate, just take the sales in the last 30 days and divide those by opt-ins over the same time period.

Some readers will be noticing the absence of a sales cycle in that calculation (i.e. since it takes days-to-weeks and several touch points to make a sale. We should be comparing this month's buyers to last month's opt-ins). You can control for this with a simple average:

• Take the last 4 months, and average the opt-ins over the first 3


• Then average the sales over the last 3.


• Then perform the same percentage calculation. (Sales divided by opt-ins)

For example, say you're calculating in August:

• First you'd average the monthly opt-ins for April, May, and June. Let's just say the average is 1500.


• Then you'd average the sales from May, June, and July, in order to leave a 30-day lag. Let's say that average came out to 75.


• Dividing the sales by the opt-ins, and you'd get 5%.

The benchmark you should be aiming for? 1-2%. Below that, go nuts with split testing parts of your funnel. Above 1%, look elsewhere.

Above 2%, and I'd seriously consider raising your prices. In the hypothetical case of the 5% from above, I'd immediately double the price.

Next, and especially if your list-to-sale conversion is at-or-above the 1-2% benchmark, it's time to look at your traffic.

2. Opt-in Conversion Rate

The vast majority of businesses I work with have list-to-sale conversion rates closer to benchmarks than their opt-in conversion rates. Put another way, if they're wasting any resources split-testing their funnel or sales copy, they're completely ignoring the sizable cohort of website visitors who never even see the offer because they bounce off the site.

As with list-to-sale conversions, you can do a back-of-the-napkin calculation for opt-ins. Just count your new subscribes from the last 30 days and divide it by total website visitors during that same 30 days.

The benchmark to aim at for opt-in conversion is 10%.

If you haven't ever found your opt-in rate before, my guess is you'll be astonished how low it is. I've seen it as low as 1-2%.

Luckily, there's a simple strategy to improve it:

• Find the individual opt-in rates of your biggest webpages and your 10 most popular content pieces. (If you're using a plugin like SumoMe or OptinMonster, you can set up the software to tell you your opt-ins for each page.)


• Look for the “outliers” – content pages often perform worse than home and about pages.

Once you've identified the worst-performers, perform this simple checklist (from lowest-hanging-fruit to more subtle)

1. Can readers find your opt-in offer, or is it buried below the fold or ¾ of the way down a blog post?


2. Are you giving your visitors only one thing to do on each page or post, or are you offering 3 different giveaways on various parts of your page?



This is not the type of page you want to create if you're looking to increase opt-ins.



Don't give your readers more than one choice when optimizing for opt-ins


3. Is your opt-in offer not just well written, but well copywritten? Does it specify exactly who it's for, describe a clear, specific benefit, and emphasize the urgency for opting in? (Even high performing opt-ins can usually be improved).


4. Are you requiring your subscribers to double-opt-in? This will lower your opt-in conversions. Many founders I've talked to like to use a double-opt-in because it seems more “polite”. In my opinion, making somebody go off the page to get the freebie they just gave your email address for, let-alone to wait up to 20 minutes for it to arrive in their mailbox isn't particularly polite. When I give my email address to get a lead magnet, I want it now – not after reconfirming my email address and waiting 20 minutes for the email.

Split-test ninjas take-note: if you've read this far, and your opt-in rate is indeed garbage, there's ample opportunity to split test:

• Two versions of a homepage with different opt-in copy/design.


• Two versions of an exit-pop on a popular content piece.

Go nuts.

3. Traffic

If you're among the extremely lucky minority with list-to-sale conversions at-or-above 2%, and opt-in conversions at-or-above 10%, and you've raised your prices, I have some disappointing (although kind of good) news: split testing is not a good fit for your business.

Here's the question to ask: Are your monthly sessions at least 50% of your list size? (i.e. if your list has 2,000 subscribers, are you getting at least 1,000 uniques per month?) If not, you need a traffic strategy. Don't waste your time A/B testing anything.

While I'm a conversions expert and not a traffic expert, here's a quick decision tree:

• Determine your market size. If you could 5x your traffic, are there enough people in your market to support it?


• Implement a content/syndication/guest-post strategy ASAP. It's practically the only guaranteed winner across all verticals, but it can take up to a year to bear fruit.


• Consider hiring a paid traffic expert for one month to test customer acquisition costs from various paid sources. Choose the most profitable and double down while you wait for organic traffic to grow.

Bottom line: the same month spent split testing two opt-in offers on a homepage, landing page, or content page, could provide a 2-4x increase in revenue (by, say, improving an opt-in conversion rate from 1% to 4%), while the same time and money spent trying to boost an already maxed-out sales conversion rate would have a much smaller return.

That's why a little context can save you thousands.

About the Author: Nate Smith is a direct-response copywriter and funnel expert who helps businesses scale by exploiting their most powerful profit levers. Nate is founder of 8020MarketingGuy.com.

5 Ways to Network for Success at a Conference

It's only awkward if you make it awkward. Effective networking at conferences can be both helpful for your business and even a little fun. Especially these days when we are wired to the hilt for digital interactions, it's easy to lose sight of the nuances of in-person meetings.

If you feel self-conscious meeting with people, remember to emphasize the person you are connecting with rather than yourself; make an honest effort to learn about them in an authentic, meaningful way. With some strong preparation, the right set of supports, and an eye for follow-up, making face-to-face connections can be an effective way to grow your business.

Here are a few handy tips to help you network for success at conferences:

Make a List, Check it Twice

As the saying goes, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Before you head into the thick of it, make sure you've looked at the list of attendees and developed a networking short list of those you want to connect with. Your short list should support your clearly stated business goals for attending the conference.

Do you need more leads for a particular product? Are you looking to hire strong talent for a key role? Is there an influencer out there in the crowd who could bring your project significant exposure? Figure out your reasons for attending the conference and craft your list accordingly. Intentionality breeds confidence and having a game plan ahead of time will make networking less intimidating.

Bring the Merch

Having a well-designed, branded image that you can share with people at conferences will help them remember you and connect with your business. The general rule here: the more creative and colorful, the better. Every company has the same run-of-the-mill pens, memo pads, and key rings. Think outside the box with your giveaways.

Bring a flash drive with your company's logo emblazoned on it with some preloaded decks that share your organization's key business insights. Give your fellow attendees specially-made business cards that offer discounts or trial access to your product or service as a way to introduce your business. If you're a more introverted business leader, this is a fantastic way to let your content do the talking for you while sharing items of value that get people engaged with your business.

If You Feed Them, They Will Come

Wining and dining often leads to successful networking. Remember that targeted short list of people to meet we mentioned earlier? Here's a great way to put that list to good use. Pick one or two especially important people from that list and treat them to a nice meal. Meals are opportunities to build a strong rapport with a captive audience and offer focused time for more serious discussions.

If an intimate dinner doesn't work for your situation and you need to appeal to a broader audience, sponsor a breakfast at the conference where you can discuss issues of importance in your industry. While everyone is munching and discussing the topic at hand, provide everyone with a clever hashtag that will get your company's message out there. You'll have attendees tweeting and posting pictures of what they loved about the event, and your company's role will be highlighted as well.

Come With Backup

It's virtually impossible to fluidly connect with every person you encounter. Your best bet to maximize exposure is to bring support with you and always pair up when networking in large groups. If you and your partner are working multiple rooms, you'll get a feel for each other's style over time and will be able to play off each other's unique skills and quirks seamlessly.

Also, networking can get tiring, so simply being able to check out for a few minutes to make a call or grab some coffee will help you keep your energy up while your partner continues to make the necessary connections. Lastly, having someone there to help you synthesize all of the new information you've learned and plan next steps can be incredibly helpful to taking advantage of the networking you accomplished that day and leveraging it for your business's gain.

Follow-Up Is Everything

Arguably the most important part of networking comes after the initial interaction: following up. This key next step is essentially the whole point of making those connections in the first place–to connect later on and support each other's business goals in some way. A few smart practices for following up include:

• Send a quick email to establish contact. That way, you're in each other's queue for connecting again in the near future.


• Offer some support right off the bat. Figure out what they're looking for (a lead, job opportunities, connections to people in your network, etc.) and provide what seems reasonable.


• Use tools like LinkedIn to formally place people you meet in your network and to get a better understanding of their professional circle.


• Schedule a follow-up call. Sometimes you can't go that deep in the midst of a busy conference, so throw something on the calendar in the following weeks to ensure that time is allocated to discuss next steps.

While networking can feel overwhelming, simply being prepared, leveraging the right tools, and prioritizing follow-up can go a long way towards ensuring that your time at conferences is well spent. Follow these tips and you'll be able to maximize your efforts in building the right connections necessary to grow your business.

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