One of the biggest mistakes any website owner can make is putting up a site and walking away. Websites are not static. That’s because, even if you’ve gotten good results from your existing copy, there are always gains to be had.
“But how do I test my copy?” people ask. It’s actually very easy, thanks to some free tools provided by Google. Install Google Analytics, or have your web designer install it, and add the tracking code to every page of your site. Then start testing. You can do this by either comparing data in Analytics or by using Google’s free Website Optimizer to conduct A/B tests.
Website tests can get very elaborate, but they don’t have to be. Simple A/B tests (where you make one change and then compare the results between version A and version B) are the basis for most online testing. Set up two versions of the same page. Make a single change to one of the versions, then track the results.
It isn’t surprising to find that the slightest changes can pull the biggest lifts in conversion rate.
What You Should Test
Where do you start? At the beginning. There are numerous areas of any given page that can (and should) be tested. Let’s go over a few of them.
