Website Usability: Google Website Optimizer

Sunday, March 27, 2011

The Google Website Optimizer is a great tool that can tell you what images, headlines or website copy is most effective for getting your visitors to convert on your web pages.

Used properly, it can help keep visitors from leaving your site by identifying keywords and images that visitors focus on. 

Google Website Optimizer will help you entice visitors to stay on your site and become paying customers.

The free multi-testing tool allows users to test variations of their web pages and virtually eliminates any guesswork about website design. 

First you must choose a web page that you want to test and a conversion goal you expect to achieve.
 
Your conversion goal can be having visitors click on a particular page on your website that you feel is important. 

Getting customers to click on a receipt page after a sale is made, is a good example of a conversion goal.

Another conversion goal could be something like getting visitors to click on a squeeze page, getting visitors to submit a form, or spending a set amout of time on a particular "test" page.

Next, you need to provide alternate content of some sort on your web page.  This can be a new headline, an alternate image, a video, additonal text, or even a new layout or page design.

Once your changes are accomplished, Google Website Optimizer will do the rest for you in the background as visitors come to your website.

Visitors to your website are divided into groups by Google Website Optimizer and each group of visitors is presented with a different webpage scenario.

Google Website Optimizer tracks each group of visitors to see how they interact with your site and your conversion goal.  It then figures out which pages or elements of each page will give you the best results for the goal you have chosen.

Users can run simple tests that compare only a couple of web pages or more complex experiments that test many different headlines combinations, images, copy and design variations at the same time.

Google Website Optimizer is free, easy to set up and once you have some alternate content to plug in; you can set up a simple test in under ten minutes.

To begin testing, all you need is an AdWords account, a website and a browser.  Sign in to your AdWords account; Click on the Website Optimizer tab and follow the simple instructions.

If you do not have an AdWords account, just sign in to any Google related log in like Gmail, Google Analytics or your Google Account. 

You can also just click on the sign up tab for the free Website Optimizer using your email address and setting up a password.

The free website testing and optimization tool from Google, allows webmasters to increase the value of their existing websites and traffic without spending one red cent.


Google Website Optimizer is definitely a tool you will want to keep in your marketing arsenal if you plan on remaining on top of the competition.

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