Most people involved in online rely on gut feeling, opinions, so-called best practices and corporate guidelines. The result: websites that fail (probably without them realizing it). Discover why they fail and what to do about it. With lots of cases from ab-tests based on user research.

1. 5 reasons why you fail as a digital marketer.
And what to do about it!
Karl Gilis
@agconsult

2. Some of our clients

3. @agconsult
I'm ging to show 2 versions of 3 pages.
What do you think was the most succesful version?

7. Part 1
5 reasons why you fail as a digital marketer
(or whatever fancy name is on your business card)

8. @agconsult

9. 1. You don't know the basic principles

10. 83% more requests for quote
44% more dealer searches
@agconsult

11. @agconsult

13. @agconsult

14. Know the facts. Switch off autopilot!
Don't hang on to outdated beliefs. Or what you've learned.

15. 2. You blindly follow so-called best
practices

16. Make forms as short as possible!
Place all fields underneath eachother!
Really?

17. 14,2% more submitted
requests for proposal
@agconsult

18. @agconsult
Instead of gambling, we researched what
the problem fields were.

19. 43,7% more good requests for offer.
@agconsult

20. 52,9% more requests for offer

21. Too many low quality leads @agconsult

22. Make forms as good as possible
Find the balance between quality & quantity.
@agconsult

23. @agconsult

24. 3. You believe what you like to believe

25. The page fold is a myth!
Really?

27. @agconsult

28. Average fold
50% scroll mark
50% scroll mark

29. Yes, people do scroll. But what's above
the fold is extremely important.
PS: I'm not saying that everything should be above the fold.

30. @agconsult

31. 4. You trust your designer or agency

32. Sure that following them is a good idea? @agconsult

33. Most designers are driven by opinions
@agconsult

34. They want to impress other designers
@agconsult

35. They love new things
@agconsult

36. They want to please you
(and you don't know what works and what not)
@agconsult

38. 28% more clicks

39. Sliders suck. Always.
Except when they are just image slides. Without separate messages.
@agconsult

40. 55% more clicks in the same screen real estate,
after reducing the number of messages from 4 to 2.

41. Don't overwhelm your visitors
Less is more.
@agconsult

43. Don't get me wrong
We have to look for new solutions all the time

44. Test.
But do not blindly follow new hypes.

48. Stop designing ghost buttons!
If you want people to click on it, it should draw attention!
.

49. 5. You rely on gut feelings, opinions or
corporate guidelines (which are based
on opinions)

50. Don't rely on gut feelings
@agconsult

51. Don't base decisions on opinions
@agconsult

53. @agconsult

54. That's a sensitive issueNot in line with guidelines
@agconsult

55. @agconsult

56. 48,6% drop in conversions

57. Adapt or die!
Deloitte study from 2014
52% of the Fortune 500 companies
from 2000 don't exist anymore
@agconsult

58. But hey
They buried their brand with pride
Gerry McGovern
@agconsult

59. The outcome of research should dictate
corporate guidelines
Not the other way around
Els Aerts - @agconsult

60. Part 2
How to make sure your site will rock?
5 basic principles

61. 1. Know what works
(and what doesn't)

62. 2. Really care about your users
(so, start with real user research)

63. 80% of companies say they're
customer-centric
Only 8% of their customers agree
@agconsult

64. Do user research

65. You have to find out what works best for
your website

66. You have to find out what works best for
your audience

67. You have to find out what works best for
your product or service

68. @agconsult

69. There are many methods & tools available
@agconsult

70. Targeted surveys
@agconsult

71. Some of my favorite questions
• On website
• What is the purpose of your visit to our website today?
• What are the most important things when buying …?
• What’s keeping you from buying this product right now?
• What’s holding you back from completing your purchase today?
• What convinced you the most to decide to ask a quote?
• Was there something that made you hesitate? If so, what?
• Existing clients
• What convinced you the most to buy this product from us?
• What’s the one thing that nearly stopped you buying from us?
• What would you miss most if your X broke down / if we took away X
• What's the most important thing X helped you to achieve?

72. What is the purpose of your visit to our website today?

74. 23 x more people use the
dealer locator

75. Give people what they want
As long as it helps your business.
. @agconsult

76. What is the purpose of your visit to our website today?

78. 120,4% more dealer searches

79. Top tasks can be different from
device to device
Once again: do your research!
. @agconsult

80. What are the most important things when buying a
used car, besides price and the way it looks?

82. 26% more reservations

83. Know the top decision criteria of
your audience
And put those where most people look at first.
.

84. 3. Stop gambling!

85. Change things without user research = gambling!
@agconsult

86. Change things without testing = gambling!
@agconsult

87. AB-testing without user research = gambling!
@agconsult

88. 4. Understand the power of words
(they have a bigger impact than design)

89. @agconsult

90. 14,3% more searches
@agconsult

91. Use the same words your users do
Not the ones you use.
.

92. What convinced you the most to decide to ask a
quote?
Was there something that made you hesitate?
If so, what?
77,1% more requests for quote

93. Know what your clients & visitors want
And get filthy rich 
. @agconsult

94. Original

95. Variation
• 32,5% more people starting to scroll
• 57,8% more brochure downloads
• 76,2% more requests for quote

96. Know the dreams, hopes, fears, doubts
and barrieres of your audience.
And they will become your clients
. @agconsult

97. Stop selling the way you want to sell
Sell the way people want to buy
Karl Gilis - @agconsult

99. 5,9% more sales on desktop and tablets

100. 61% more sales on smartphones

101. Give compliments. Encourage users.
Conversion optimisation is more than reducing friction!
.

102. 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Design changes Less friction Words & behaviour
Average impact on conversion per type of test
Based on all AB-tests we've done the past few years.

103. 5. Stop being ego-centric
@agconsult

104. Question
Why would you visit the website of a petrol station brand such as Esso,
Total, BP, Lukoil or Q8?
What is your goal?

106. @agconsult

108. @agconsult

110. @agconsult

113. @agconsult

120. @agconsult

121. #greatmarketingstartswithnotsucking
Avinash Kaushik

122. What's the goal of my website
What's the goal of my visitors
Karl Gilis - @agconsult

124. @agconsult

125. Our job?
#makingvisitorshappy
Karl Gilis - @agconsult

126. Get my free ebook now
 10 conversion tips that work on every website
 15 cases from the real world
 6 best practices from leading websites
 www.agconsult.com/ebook.html
 www.slideshare.net/agconsult
Already more than 6.865 downloads

127. That's it!
Thx
@agconsult
karl@agconsult.com
www.agconsult.com
http://www.slideshare.net/agconsult