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FutureNow Post
Friday, Nov. 6, 2009 at 9:01 am

Shopping Cart Optimization: Canned vs. Custom

November 6th, 2009

If you’re selling online, and you’re interested in Optimization, it simply makes sense to spend some time focusing on your shopping cart. It’s a key area of focus for a few reasons:

It’s often where “low-hanging fruit” grows. Conversion obstacles can often be removed quickly, leading to large gains in a short period of time. It’s an area where you’ve already succeeded in persuading the prospect. They are in the Late Stage of their buying process, so a relatively low investment can give you…

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FutureNow Post
Friday, Oct. 30, 2009 at 10:00 am

Myths About Site Traffic and Optimization

October 30th, 2009

Lots of folks have been asking us lately about the connection between site traffic levels and online optimization strategies.  There are definitely some correlations, but there also seem to be some myths or mis-perceptions about those connections.

trafficWe often get asked:

How much traffic do I need before I start optimization?

Do I get enough traffic to my site to even consider optimization?

Will my tests take forever to run if I don’t have a lot of traffic?

How fast can I expect to see…

...continue to read "Myths About Site Traffic and Optimization"

FutureNow Post
Monday, Oct. 19, 2009 at 9:00 am

How Much Pre-Holiday Optimization is Enough?

October 19th, 2009

Lots of our clients and prospects are asking questions along the lines of: I want to optimize before the Holiday rush, but I don’t want to introduce too much change at such a critical time.

A valid question/concern, to be sure.  Our answer is, of course, “It depends.”  However, here are a few approaches that we’ve seen work:

Extreme Effort Until a Certain Datedecision

Look at your previous year’s analytics and the upward trend of conversions closer to the holidays.  …

...continue to read "How Much Pre-Holiday Optimization is Enough?"

FutureNow Post
Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009 at 9:20 am

Keep Them In the Cart this Christmas

October 6th, 2009

OK, Grok faithful, we all know that the Holiday Season is coming fast. Last year was “make or break” for a holidayslot of eTailers, and this season will be critical for many more.

The ones who make it through will be those who are passionate about the customer experience, AND who are able to prioritize their work between now and the “Holiday Crunch” so that the hours expended actually impact the number of sales they make.

Where do you start if you want your…

...continue to read "Keep Them In the Cart this Christmas"

FutureNow Post
Monday, Oct. 5, 2009 at 4:14 pm

Beware of Copycat Credibility

October 5th, 2009

Money Back Guarantee Icon SetI saw something today that disturbed me a bit (see pic). What you see is a free icon set I found with the standard 30, 60 and 90-Day Money Back Guarantee emblazoned in gold. I’ve been seeing similar graphics on websites more and more lately.  We’re partly at fault because FutureNow helps businesses of all sizes by recommending design elements like these be put on their “to-do list.”

The disturbing thought is that if this style of “starburst” guarantee seal has…

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FutureNow Post
Tuesday, Sep. 15, 2009 at 12:59 pm

Cross-post: How to Improve a Product Page, Part 1

September 15th, 2009

Today, Ralph Wilson’s internet marketing resource, Web Marketing Today, posted Part 1 in a two-part video interview with our Bryan about concrete ways to improve product pages for higher conversions.  In it, Bryan explains how FutureNow took on the product page design of eCommerce heavyweight Land’s End, and shows how you can use layout changes to test the buying path on your own product pages.

If you’re interested in improving your product detail/landing pages and cross-selling, this video (and upcoming Part 2 video)…

...continue to read "Cross-post: How to Improve a Product Page, Part 1"

FutureNow Post
Monday, Jun. 22, 2009 at 9:04 am

The Shopping Cart: How to Answer the 5 Unanswered Customer Questions

June 22nd, 2009

The ecommerce shopping cart is a great place to run tests, as simple changes (layout, copy, color, etc.) often yield fantastic results.  There are unanswered questions in the minds of our customers that we think are obviously answered on the page, but they’re not.  If you’re not sure about what those unanswered questions are, you can back up a few steps and use personas or user testing to uncover them.

Here are 5 key, unanswered questions (beyond shipping costs) of the shopping…

...continue to read "The Shopping Cart: How to Answer the 5 Unanswered Customer Questions"

FutureNow Post
Thursday, May. 14, 2009 at 11:08 am

Make Your Web Analytics Actionable in 5 DIY Steps

May 14th, 2009

I’ve written about this before, but new reports keep reinforcing the point that most organizations don’t know what to make of their Web Analytics, meaning they can’t take action to improve their site based on the information they have.  And while the best bet in these situations is simply to hire an expert guide, that may not be an option for you (or maybe you’re just a hard-core DIY-er when it comes to website improvement).  If that’s the case, here…

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FutureNow Post
Wednesday, Mar. 25, 2009 at 7:39 am

Free Optimization Test Recommendation: The SEO Footer

March 25th, 2009

One of the great things about testing and optimization is that you can use it to challenge assumptions and keep your site design’s effectiveness up-to-date.  No website element, no matter how pretty and well-designed, should be excused from an occasional test to make sure it’s giving you ROI.

In our fast-moving industry, what gave ROI six months ago might not today.

Take, for example, the design pattern I like to call the “SEO Footer.”  This design element takes many forms,…

...continue to read "Free Optimization Test Recommendation: The SEO Footer"

FutureNow Post
Wednesday, Mar. 11, 2009 at 9:48 am

3-Steps for Writing (and testing) Great Headlines

March 11th, 2009

According to copywriting legend Eugene Schwartz, a headline’s main job isn’t to sell; it’s to gain the readers attention and compel them to read the ad.  And this is sound advice, but the Internet also requires one other thing in today’s web 2.0 copy world Step 1. Scent: Web copy adds the requirement of scent.  Your headlines and sub headlines have to assure visitors that they’re in the right place.  A compelling headline that doesn’t orient readers…

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