Don’t leave your money on the table!

Published: June 20, 2008

The scientific testing of advertising copy is probably one of the oldest marketing “secrets”. Split run testing has probably been in use at least since Claude Hopkins wrote “Scientific Advertising” back in 1923. The most successful marketers set themselves apart by their use of various testing methods to tweak, adjust and refine offline marketing campaigns to achieve huge profits.

Split-run testing (also known as A/B Testing) in particular is the most scientifically accurate advertising testing method known within the advertising and marketing industry. Let me explain how split run testing operates.

Split run testing originated in the traditional print advertising and direct mail industry. To conduct a split run test in a print publication (usually a newspaper or magazine), half the circulation of an issue is printed with one version of an advert and the other half is printed with an alternative version of the advert.

It is important to note that the adverts would be almost identical apart from just one element such as the headline. This allowed the advertiser to identify what the effects were of changing each element. Otherwise it would be impossible to identify which specific element was responsible for the difference in response.

By adding a unique tracking code to each of the two alternative adverts such as a different contact telephone number or reference number, so the response to each advertisement can be measured and evaluated.

After each campaign, the total responses are analysed and compared. The best performing advert becomes the “control” which future test adverts compete against, until another advert outperforms it.

Split run testing can also used be in direct mail. A mailing list is divided into two or more identical segments, a different version of a mailing piece is sent to each, and responses are analysed and compared. The mailing piece that generates the optimum response the becomes the benchmark against which potential alternatives are evaluated.

And, although offline split run testing is costly, when properly implemented it can generate significant increases in profitability. By routinely testing and tweaking advertising copy you can constantly improve the effectiveness of your advertising.

Split run testing can also be used to great effect online. By installing a split run test script on your web site you can serve alternative web pages to your visitors. A split run test script allows for each consecutive unique visitor to be sent to an alternative index page so that visitor one will see index page 1, visitor two will see index page 2, visitor three will see index page 1 and so on.

A good split run test script will provide you with an administration control panel where you can analyse your results. Obviously, the best performing web page will become the standard until your tests confirm an improved version. Again, it is vital that only one element is tested at a time to ensure that improvements can be accurately attributed to a specific change.

By using the split run technique on my web site I have increased my sales conversions by a staggering 366%. Just think about this for a momement… that means that with exactly the same level of traffic I was able to almost quadruple my profits! Can you afford to leave that amount of money on the table?

>—————<

About the Author: John Taylor is the author of “Learn over Twenty ways To Improve Your Conversion Rate and Multiply Your Profits” – A Special Report that contains a wealth of information on professional testing and tracking techniques that can boost your conversion rate and generate increased profits. To learn how testing and tracking can boost your profits click this link now: http://www.test-and-track.com