Website optimization: an hour a day An Hour a Day

Website optimization is can be an overwhelming endeavor due to the fact that it encompasses so many strategic and technical issues. However, this hands-on, task-based book demystifies this potentially intimidating topic by offering smart, practical, and tested instructions for developing, implementing, managing, and tracking website optimization efforts. After you learn how to establish an optimization framework, you then dive into learning how to develop a plan, test appropriately and accurately, interpret the results, and optimize in order to maximize conversion rates and improve profits.

• Zeroes in on fundamentals such as understanding key metrics, choosing analytics tools, researching visitors and their onsite behavior, and crafting a plan for what to test and optimize
• Walks you through testing and optimizing specific web pages including the homepage, entry and exit pages, product and pricing pages, as well as the shopping cart and check-out process
• Guides you through important optimization areas such as optimizing text and images
• Addresses advanced topics including paid search optimization, Facebook fan page optimization, rich media, and more
• Includes a companion website that features expanded examples, additional resources, tool reviews, and other related information

Full of interesting case studies and helpful examples drawn from the author's own experience, Website Optimization: An Hour a Day is the complete solution for anyone who wants to get the best possible results from their web page.

Foreword xxi

Introduction xxiii

Chapter 1 Setting the Website Optimization Scene 1

Introduction to Website Optimization 2

The Rise of Website Optimization: The Aftermath of the Dot-com Bubble Bursting 4

The Differences between Landing Page Optimization, Conversion Rate Optimization, Website Testing, and Website Optimization 6

The Difference between Website Optimization and Search Engine Optimization (SEO ) 7

Chapter 2 Set Up and Improve Usage of Key Web Analytics and Testing Tools 9

Week 1: Learn the Importance of and Set Up an Analytics Tool 10

Week 2: Find Your Website Conversion Rate, Success Metrics, Benchmark, and Set Targets 23

Week 3: Learn the Importance of and Set Up a Website Testing Tool 31

Chapter 3 Lay the Foundations for Optimization Success 47

Week 4: Learn Key Optimization Fundamentals to Help You Succeed 48

Week 5: Understand and Create an Optimization Organization 61

Week 6: Learn Testing Best Practices to Improve Your Success 75

Chapter 4 Understand Your Visitors and Their Needs—the Keys to Website Optimization 95

Week 7: Create Personas and Use Cases for Your Main Visitor Needs 96

Week 8: Create a Unique Value Proposition and Clearly Promote It 103

Week 9: Understand Your Visitors' Intent by Visually Analyzing Them 109

Week 10: Generate Insights from Visitor Satisfaction and Feedback Tools 117

Chapter 5 Build the Foundation of a Better Converting Website 131

Week 11: Understand and Improve Your Website's Layout 132

Week 12: Improve Page Load Speed 139

Week 13: Optimize Your Navigation Menus and Links 144

Week 14: Optimize and Learn from Your Internal Site Search 153

Chapter 6 Learn the Power of Influence and Persuasion on Visitors and Conversions 165

Week 15: Influence Your Visitors by Optimizing Your Calls-to-Action, Headlines, and Text 166

Week 16: Influence by Optimizing Your Images, Promotions, Videos, Rich Media, and Advertising 178

Week 17: Harness the Power of Social Proof, Reciprocity, and Scarcity 193

Week 18: Influence by Making Your Visitors Feel Safer and Building Trust 206

Chapter 7 Optimization Best Practices and Test Ideas for Different Page Types and Flows 219

Week 19: Focus On and Optimize Your Home Page 220

Week 20: Optimize Your Product, Service, Lead Generation, and Other Key Pages 228

Week 21: Optimize Your Shopping Cart and Checkout Flow 246

Week 22: Identify Other Key Pages and Flows for Optimization 259

Week 23: Optimize Your Website’s Mobile Experience 265

Chapter 8 Keep Them Coming Back—Optimize for Repeat Visits 275

Week 24: Focus on and Generate More Repeat Visits 276

Week 25: Optimize Your Registration or Sign-Up Pages to Get More Repeat Visits 282

Week 26: Optimize Your Email Marketing Efforts to Get More Repeat Visits 290

Chapter 9 Review and Learn from Your Results, and Keep Testing and Optimizing 301

Week 27: Review and Learn from Your Optimization Efforts So Far 302

Keep Optimizing and Testing: Your Website Is Never Perfect! 307

Appendix A Website Optimization and Testing Tools 309

Appendix B Test Idea Tracker 313

Appendix C Test Results Tracker 315

Index 317

Rich Page is a Conversion Specialist at Adobe, working with Fortune 500 clients to help improve their website optimization strategies. Rich has been analyzing, testing, and improving websites for over 10 years and has previously worked for Disney Online in their web analytics and optimization team. He has a unique background of online marketing, web usability, and analytics, and has a popular web analytics and optimization blog at rich-page.com. He is also a regular speaker at industry conferences and the coauthor of Landing Page Optimization, Second Edition.