the conversion maturity model: a roadmap to profitability

The Conversion Maturity Model A Roadmap to Profitability

Tim Ash CEO

SiteTuners @>m_ash

Copyright © 2014, SiteTuners – All Rights Reserved. #Op$Con2014 @$m_ash

About SiteTuners •  San Diego based conversion rate optimization agency

•  Large and small company clients worldwide

Practice areas:

–  Conversion-focused website blueprints (full redesigns & quick facelifts)

–  Landing page test plans & testing strategy development

–  Conversion management, team mentoring & training


M O R E T H A N

s i n c e 2 0 0 2

1200 CLIENTS

Copyright © 2014, SiteTuners – All Rights Reserved. #Op$Con2014 @$m_ash Copyright © 2013, SiteTuners - All Rights Reserved. @tim_ash

The Conversion Maturity Model


The Four Dimensions

Who -‐ People & Structure

How – Tools & Technology

What – Measurement & Accountability

Why – Process & Culture


The Four Stages

IV – Advanced III -‐ Intermediate II -‐ Basic I -‐ Unop$mized


Who – People & Structure


GeRng a seat at the grown-‐up table


Unop$mized

•  There are no full-‐$me formal posi$ons devoted to CRO •  Employees have no training of any kind in CRO •  CRO is not on the organiza>onal chart •  Marke>ng focus is on traffic acquisi$on volumes •  Most website changes need assistance & approval from IT



Basic

•  Some full-‐$me non-‐management posi$ons are devoted to CRO within certain departments •  A few addi>onal employees have some informal training in CRO •  Marke>ng focus is on profitable traffic acquisi$on •  Basic website content changes can be made without IT involvement •  Some landing pages and microsites are under control of online marke$ng •  Main site design, messaging, and structure are s>ll largely under control of brand/marke>ng

(with support from IT)



Intermediate

•  There is a formal CRO team with full-‐$me posi$ons and a manager within a specific department (not strategic)

•  CRO team members have periodic formal training in CRO and are given the opportunity to get addi>onal informal training

•  CRO team periodically conducts informal training for a wider internal audience •  Marke>ng focus is on profitable traffic acquisi$on and conversion •  Website content and many structural (page-‐flow and func>onality) changes can be made

without IT involvement •  All landing pages and microsites are under control of online marke>ng •  Some parts of the main website are under the control of online marke>ng



Advanced

•  There is a formal stand-‐alone CRO team with full-‐>me posi>ons and a manager which reports to the CMO (or higher)

•  CRO team sets strategic priori$es company-‐wide via a formal intake process •  CRO team members have regular formal training in CRO •  CRO team regularly conducts informal training for a wider internal audience •  Marke>ng focus is on increasing profits over the life$me of the customer •  Almost all website content and structural changes can be made without IT involvement •  All landing pages and microsites are under control of online marke>ng •  Most parts of the main website are under the control of online marke>ng



Having the right tools to go faster


•  Websites are mostly sta$c content •  Proprietary content management systems (CMS) are difficult to maintain •  Different technology plaYorms exist across divisions •  Few qualita$ve or quan$ta$ve diagnos$c tools are used anywhere to uncover conversion

issues •  When diagnos>c tools are available, they are not applied consistently


Unop$mized


•  Websites are mostly in commercial content management systems •  More standardized technology plaYorms across divisions •  No qualita>ve or quan>ta>ve diagnos>c tools are used company-‐wide •  Split tes$ng tools are used opportunis$cally by small teams •  Very basic segmenta>on and analysis is done on test results •  No easy way to update web content with test winning content •  Websites changes are frequently made without measuring their impact •  Website redesigns are led by branding and marke$ng (without a deep diagnos>c phase

focused on visitor needs)


Basic


•  All websites are in commercial content management systems •  Technology plaYorms are standardized across divisions •  Some qualita>ve and quan>ta>ve diagnos>c tools are used company-‐wide •  Split and mul>variate tes$ng tools are used rou$nely by small teams •  Some split tests are segmented by traffic source or other single parameters •  Marke$ng automa$on systems and CRM systems are in place but are not integrated into

the tes>ng •  Some longer-‐term prospect and client behaviors (e.g. trial comple>on, re-‐subscrip>on rates,

client surveys and research studies, and life>me value es>mates) are provided to CRO team upon request by other departments


Intermediate


•  All websites are in commercial content management systems and integrated with CRM, marke$ng automa$ng, and traffic acquisi$on

•  Technology plaYorms are standardized across divisions •  Wide variety of qualita>ve and quan>ta>ve diagnos$c tools are used company-‐wide •  Split and mul>variate tes$ng tools are used rou$nely companywide •  Real-‐$me content changes are made on an individual visitor basis using predic>ve analy>cs,

behavioral targe>ng, and lead scoring •  Winning versions of tests are automa$cally deployed (and back-‐tested on a con>nual basis

to ensure sustainable improvements) •  All web-‐facing experiences are easily reconfigurable and can be rapidly tested


Advanced


Tracking the right metrics & reac$ng quickly


•  Repor>ng of key metrics involves manual work and is infrequent •  Web analy>cs does not cover all web proper>es & campaigns •  Campaign-‐level or more granular ROI is not tracked or measured •  Marke$ng budgets are fixed (regardless of outcomes or profitability) •  There is no culture of measurement within the company •  Marke>ng decisions are frequently overruled by execu$ves without a quan>ta>ve basis

Unop$mized



•  Repor>ng of key metrics is done via near-‐real-‐$me dashboards •  Web analy>cs covers all web proper>es & campaigns •  Campaign-‐level or more granular ROI is o]en measured •  Marke$ng budgets are fixed at regular intervals (based on past ROI of similar ac>vi>es) •  There is a culture of measurement within web analy$cs and traffic acquisi>on teams •  There is li_le culture of measurement in the branding, crea>ve, opera>ng divisions, or offline

marke>ng teams

Basic



•  Repor>ng of key metrics is done via near-‐real-‐>me dashboards •  Automa$c alerts are triggered if key metrics are out of line •  Web analy$cs covers all web proper$es & campaigns and is combined with a strong

business intelligence team that all departments and opera>ng divisions have access to •  Campaign-‐level and more granular ROI is always measured •  Marke>ng budgets are flexible and may be periodically repriori$zed depending on the

current mix and profitability of acquisi>on ac>vi>es •  There is a culture of measurement within web analy>cs and traffic acquisi>on teams and the

opera>ng divisions •  There is some culture of measurement in the branding and crea$ve departments (and

changes oaen require a quan>ta>ve proof)

Intermediate



•  Repor>ng of key metrics is done via near-‐real-‐>me dashboards •  Automa$c alerts and correc$ve ac$ons are automa>cally triggered if key metrics are out of

line •  There is an understanding and a tolerance for nega$ve test outcomes •  Web analy>cs team main focus is developing predic>ve analy>cs models and deploying them

in the form of website business rules and triggers to change the site experience on an individual basis

•  There are no fixed marke$ng budgets and spending is quickly repriori>zed depending on the current mix and profitability of acquisi>on ac>vi>es

•  There is a culture of measurement within all departments and opera>ng divisions of the company

Advanced



Who controls your company’s des$ny?


•  There are no formal processes for CRO •  Marke$ng is driven by branding and crea>ve campaigns •  Financial rewards are not >ed to improvements in online efficiencies •  There is no execu$ve management awareness of CRO •  Posi>oning, messaging, product offerings are largely defined by brand/marke>ng •  Offline and broadcast content and messaging is reused without changes for the web

Unop$mized



•  There are formal processes for tac$cal split tes$ng •  Marke>ng is driven by a mix of crea>ve campaigns and high-‐impact CRO ac>vi>es •  Some teams or opera>ng divisions have compensa$on $ed par$ally to improvements in

online efficiencies •  There is some execu$ve management awareness of CRO, but not much ac>ve support

(championing of projects or ini>a>ves) •  There are turf issues between accountability-‐driven teams and brand/marke>ng

Basic



•  There are formal processes for tac$cal split tes$ng and implemen>ng permanent changes based on winning test versions

•  Marke$ng is driven mostly by high-‐impact CRO ac$vi$es •  All opera>ng divisions have compensa>on >ed to improvements in online efficiencies •  There is broad execu$ve management awareness of CRO, and some ac>ve support for

projects or ini>a>ves that are on a long-‐term roadmap created by execu>ve management •  Web visitor behavior and the results of CRO ac>vi>es are informally fed back to marke>ng to

revise value proposi>ons and product offerings

Intermediate



•  There are ongoing and largely automated processes for tac$cal split tes$ng and implemen>ng permanent changes based on winning test versions

•  Marke>ng is driven exclusively by high-‐impact CRO ac$vi$es which are priori>zed via a structured submission and evalua>on process

•  All opera$ng divisions have compensa$on $ed to improvements in online efficiencies •  There is universal execu>ve management awareness of CRO, and ac$ve support for all

projects ini$ated by the CRO group •  There is solid coopera$on among all departments •  Web visitor behavior and the results of CRO ac>vi>es are ac/vely and systema/cally fed back

to marke>ng to create new value proposi>ons and product offerings

Advanced



Final Thoughts


Not all dimensions will be at the same stage


The Keys to Success

•  Dedica$on – Some people in your organiza>on must have CRO as their only job, and have higher-‐level support

•  Honesty – Problems and shortcomings should be addressed directly & openly

•  Focus – Well-‐defined business goals should be set, executed, tracked, and incen>vized

•  Flexibility – Everything should be quickly changed when necessary: business models, branding, allocated resources, and tools

SPECIAL PRICING THROUGH APRIL 22! REGISTER FOR JUST $697

• increase your revenue and profit"• generate more leads"• land more customers"• boost sales and paid memberships"• maximize your marketing ROI""

CHICAGO | June 17-‐19, 2014 – Last U.S. show of the year

Register Now!

USE CODE: OPTICON2014

Join us in Chicago!


Express Review -‐ Special Offer •  45 or 90-‐min interac>ve review of your landing page or website •  Video transcript recorded via GoToMee>ng •  Includes A_en>onWizard “a_en>on heatmap” of page

h_p://ExpressReviewOffer.com – $699 single page, $1099 full website

“Op$Con2014” promo-‐code to get $150 off (must order by 4/22/2014)


Contact Info and Q&A [email protected]

(619) 990-9062 mobile

(619) 223-8020 work PST

twitter @tim_ash

www.linkedin.com/in/timash

facebook.com/tim.ash1

skype tim_ash1


The Conversion Maturity Model A Roadmap to Profitability Tim Ash

CEO SiteTuners @>m_ash

the conversion maturity model: a roadmap to profitability

Marketing

ash unop

ash theconversionmaturitymodel

ash thefourdimensions

ash whopeoplestructure

ash basic somefull

ash aboutsitetuners

n s i n c e

mized therearenofull