Comments on: Emetrics: The Big Picture – report from Day 1 http://www.foviance.com/what-we-think/emetrics-day-1/ Foviance is a ground-breaking customer experience consultancy, providing usability consulting services, web analytics, user experience and accessibility consultancy in London, UK. Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:29:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Neil Mason http://www.foviance.com/what-we-think/emetrics-day-1/comment-page-1/#comment-437 Neil Mason Wed, 18 Oct 2006 14:25:38 +0000 http://www.applied-insights.co.uk/news/2006/10/17/emetrics-the-big-picture-report-from-day-1/#comment-437 I agree with both comments - I'm a firm believer in the testing ethos. My comments about the UK were more about getting the business case together for starting a testing programme and one of the challanges is the difference in poential ROI. This of course was yesterday. With Google's announcement today (just now) of the launch of their multi-variate testing product Website Optimizer, the dynamics have now changed! Fast moving world isn't it! Neil I agree with both comments – I’m a firm believer in the testing ethos. My comments about the UK were more about getting the business case together for starting a testing programme and one of the challanges is the difference in poential ROI.

This of course was yesterday. With Google’s announcement today (just now) of the launch of their multi-variate testing product Website Optimizer, the dynamics have now changed!

Fast moving world isn’t it!

Neil

]]> By: Jim Newsome http://www.foviance.com/what-we-think/emetrics-day-1/comment-page-1/#comment-436 Jim Newsome Wed, 18 Oct 2006 09:58:07 +0000 http://www.applied-insights.co.uk/news/2006/10/17/emetrics-the-big-picture-report-from-day-1/#comment-436 Hi Neil, Thanks for the post, it's great to hear a UK perspective on Emetrics - especially for those of us who couldn't make it:(. It's a trend we've all seen repeated time and time again - where the US internet industry leads, the UK & Europe will follow and we can gain useful insights from looking at their experiences - tempered, as you point out, by the fact that the US benefits from economies of scale of which we can only dream... However, when you mention the issue of whether testing is relevant in a market such as the UK that lacks the size of the US then I worry that you have been seduced by your time in DC;). I believe there are measurable benefits (and as Eric points out, not just in terms of conversion rates, although I guess that depends on how you define a conversion) to be gained at every level of business from a refined testing process, although admittedly getting solid, actionable data is always the tough part. In the UK there is a place for testing in every business model, the trick is to tailor the testing to the resources available. Look forward to reading Day 2. Jim __________________________________ Google Analytics Authorised Consultants http://www.ga-experts.co.uk/?utm_id=9 Hi Neil,

Thanks for the post, it’s great to hear a UK perspective on Emetrics – especially for those of us who couldn’t make it:(. It’s a trend we’ve all seen repeated time and time again – where the US internet industry leads, the UK & Europe will follow and we can gain useful insights from looking at their experiences – tempered, as you point out, by the fact that the US benefits from economies of scale of which we can only dream…

However, when you mention the issue of whether testing is relevant in a market such as the UK that lacks the size of the US then I worry that you have been seduced by your time in DC;). I believe there are measurable benefits (and as Eric points out, not just in terms of conversion rates, although I guess that depends on how you define a conversion) to be gained at every level of business from a refined testing process, although admittedly getting solid, actionable data is always the tough part. In the UK there is a place for testing in every business model, the trick is to tailor the testing to the resources available.

Look forward to reading Day 2.

Jim
__________________________________
Google Analytics Authorised Consultants
http://www.ga-experts.co.uk/?utm_id=9

]]> By: Eric Hansen http://www.foviance.com/what-we-think/emetrics-day-1/comment-page-1/#comment-435 Eric Hansen Wed, 18 Oct 2006 01:03:21 +0000 http://www.applied-insights.co.uk/news/2006/10/17/emetrics-the-big-picture-report-from-day-1/#comment-435 Hi Neil, Re: testing as a means to "significant gains in conversion"... let me dispel a myth about this, as presented in my eMetrics Success Tactics session on Day 2: Myth: testing is all about improving conversion rates Reality: testing is about: - answering a question - increasing desirable behavior (e.g. purchases, registrations, self-service, etc.) - decreasing undesirable behavior (e.g. returns, cancellations, etc.) - making ongoing improvements - avoiding mistakes When assessing potential ROI of a testing program, don't just think about "how many more conversions do we need to justify the cost of testing"... think about "what is the value of being able to quickly try new ideas, learn from them, apply what works, and avoid what doesn't". -Eric SiteSpect, Inc. Hi Neil,

Re: testing as a means to “significant gains in conversion”… let me dispel a myth about this, as presented in my eMetrics Success Tactics session on Day 2:

Myth: testing is all about improving conversion rates

Reality: testing is about:
- answering a question
- increasing desirable behavior (e.g. purchases, registrations, self-service, etc.)
- decreasing undesirable behavior (e.g. returns, cancellations, etc.)
- making ongoing improvements
- avoiding mistakes

When assessing potential ROI of a testing program, don’t just think about “how many more conversions do we need to justify the cost of testing”… think about “what is the value of being able to quickly try new ideas, learn from them, apply what works, and avoid what doesn’t”.

-Eric
SiteSpect, Inc.

]]>