Maximizing Campaign ROICase Study: Doubling Toolbar Install Conversion Rate with Multivariate Optimization

Sam Ee, MIVARobert Bergquist, Widemile

April 25, 2008

Today’s FacilitatorsSam Ee, MIVA Direct‣ MIVA Direct delivers on it's vision of "Making the Internet

easy" by developing and distributing category-specific toolbars and a proprietary home page solution, powered by Google search.

‣ Two core business:

‣ Vertical affinity ALOT Toolbars and ALOT Home

‣ Screensavers.com for free screensavers and wallpapers

Robert Bergquist, CEO, Widemile‣ Leading provider of multivariate testing and optimization

technologies and services for online agencies and advertisers

‣ Landing pages, microsites, sales funnels, registration pages

‣ Interactive ad campaigns and customer segment testing

Two Questions:

‣ Ad campaign costs rising?

‣ Satisfied with performance?

Test for Better Returns on Ad Spend

3%

21%

20%

16%

14%

27%

26%

43%

43%

67%

6%

22%

28%

29%

33%

38%

51%

56%

61%

62%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Integrate bid management and CRM

Add new engines

Integrate bid management and analytics

Integrate online/off-line campaigns

Local search

Add keyword match types

Target

Test landing pages

Test creative

Add new keywords

AgenciesAdvertisers

Question: Which tactics have had the most positive impact on your search marketing campaigns? (Select all that apply.)

Are You Optimizing for Better ROAS?

‣ Little experience with content or creative testing

‣ Done some A/B split testing

‣ Done some multivariate testing

‣ Managing MVT projects now

You are not alone

‣ 87% not satisfied with their campaign conversion rates

‣ 60% doing no testing or optimization of any kind

‣ Majority of those testing use just A/B

n=540, 9/6/07, Widemile webinar with SMN and Jupiter Research

Key Steps to Optimized Campaigns

‣ Know your audience

‣ Embrace design best practices

‣ Test marketing assumptions

What is Multivariate Optimization?

‣ Test multiple element variations quickly

‣ Learn how each influences performance

‣ Determine the optimal page configuration

‣ Tailor pages for traffic source and other customer segments

Sample Landing Page

MIVA Case Study: Weather Toolbar‣ Downloadable browser add-on toolbar shows various links to online weather sources

‣ Paid search campaigns deliver traffic

‣ Business objective is higher download and install rate

Marketing Questions:‣ What is the best type of hero shot?

‣ What is the impact of the TRUSTe logo?

‣ Are people worried about spyware?

‣ Do people prefer specific toolbar features over lifestyle/benefits statements?

‣ Are people confused by the Google feature list?

‣ How much should we highlight the toolbar?

Optimization ProcessAnalysis‣ Understand audience and value

proposition

‣ Review existing conversion process

Action‣ Develop testing plan (new templates,

recipe matrix, and content variables)

‣ Execute tests

‣ Report and analyze results

‣ Deploy optimal pages

‣ Leverage lessons learned

Baseline Page

Assessment and Redesign - Wireframe

Google Product Information

Header

TRUSTeSpyware FREE

Hero Shot

Call To Action Button

Product Description

Headline

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

1

Defining Test Matrix

No. Factor (Variable)Levels

(versions)

1 Header 4

2 Hero shot 4

3 TRUSTe logo 4

4 Headline 2

5 Call-to-action 2

6 Product description 2

7 Spyware-free message 2

8 Google info 2

2048 potential combinations tested with 16 experiments

Example: Header - which one works best?

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 1

MVT Determines What Works Best

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

1

Which TRUSTe logo works best?

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 1

OFF

Test Complete in Two Weeks

Copyright 2007 – 2008 Widemile Inc. All Rights Reserved. Confidential Slide 17

Test Duration

Test Data Stabilization

Convers

ion R

ate

And the Winner is…

And the Winner is…Header

Hero Shot

Google Product Information

TRUSTe

Spyware FREE

Call To Action Button

Product Description

Headline

0 10 20 30 40 50

Factor 2

Factor 6

Factor 1

Factor 5

Factor 3

Factor 7

Factor 4

Factor 8

What’s Most Important?

Google Info

Headline

Spyware

TRUSTe

Call-to-action

Header

Product Description

Hero shot

HIG

HM

ED

IUM

LO

W

Influence Index

Analysis‣ Spyware, TRUSTe, Headline, and Google information

factors had the greatest influence on performance

‣ All references to the toolbar and specific features lost to lifestyle descriptions

‣ De-emphasizing the Google product features increased conversions

‣ People favored toolbar benefits over features

1

2

3

4OFF

Factor Analysis: TRUSTe logo

‣ Two new TRUSTe logos beat the old logo (and the logo turned off) – 8% lift delta

‣ Tested redesigned logos to reduce call-to-action confusion

‣ Recommend seals of approval with a small text link below to avoid competition with primary call-to-action objective

Rela

tive C

onvers

ion

Rate

Greater Campaign Efficiency

Twice the number of toolbar installs for the same ad spend

10

0%

21

5%

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

Baseline Optimized

100

200

Ind

ex:

Convers

ions

/ A

d S

pend

The Three Steps - Recap

‣ Know your audience‣ Leverage your SEM and analytics resources

‣ Refine your value proposition

‣ Embrace design best practices‣ Simplify the page and remove distractions

‣ Educate yourself

‣ Test your marketing assumptions‣ Value proposition and incentives

‣ Traffic characteristics

Helpful Resources

Conversational Marketingby Ian Lurie

Portent Interactive

Web Design for ROIby Lance Loveday & Sandra Niehaus

Closed Loop Marketing

Next Step

Test current optimal page

versus

New creative design using optimal content

Thank You

Sam Ee – sam.ee@miva.com Robert Bergquist – robert@widemile.com

Content Informationwww.widemile.com

www.miva.com