Champlain College Online Marketing Bootcamp Day 2: Google Website Optimizer

Another whirlwind day has wrapped up here at the Online Marketing Bootcamp. Today's focus was on the new Google tool: Alex Broussard with EpikOne, who is the VP for Technology and Co-Founder of this local company, this session was beyond thorough. While it ranged into the far too technical around some of the CSS work, the walk through of the Optimizer appliance using a testing ground for one of Epik's clients was incredibly valuable. It's fairly simple to implement as long as you know a little html and have some design skills -- or if you have a good team of people to work with.

Basically you need to have a plan -- take a look at your site funnel analysis and see where your problem area is -- the area where you want to enhance conversions -- then select a few items you might want to change. If they are images, come up with the variations, if it is text do the same thing. Then walk through the optimizer, put the right code on your testing and conversion pages, insert the variations into the tool and then launch. Wait. Wait. Wait.

The length of time you wait will depend on the amount of traffic to your site. But no worries, the Optimizer tool will tell you when it's done. Then, select the winning combination of changes that increase your conversions.

Implement the changes.

Wa La!

Check out this case study for a client of EpikOne.

Now the big challenge -- how does this fit in the classroom? Does it fit in the Internet-marketing class...or is it for the Web Developers? Or BOTH? Lot's to consider.

Tomorrow is Web Analytics Wednesday. We'll see how that one goes!