Posted by:
Julie McManus
November 30, 2007
Issue #295
Dear Business Builder,
Happy Friday and welcome back to In the ‘Net Trenches. Have you ever wondered why it is that seemingly similar situations can sometimes have such a tremendous difference in outcome?
Take for instance two men of similar background that attend the same university … both with the exact same major. Both graduate with the same GPA and go on to take the same position with the same Fortune 500 corporation. Over time, one of the men moves up the ranks eventually becoming the CEO. Yet the other man languishes in the same position year after year.
The man that becomes the CEO must have an edge over his counterpart. It’s likely you’ve immediately begun to think of the qualities that make one man succeed over another. Perhaps he is more confident, more driven, smarter, a better communicator, more relevant and more resonant.
On the surface these men appear to be nearly identical … but one ultimately pulls ahead.
What I’ve just described to you is the exact same scenario as a direct response A/B split test. Today’s issue is not about how to move up the corporate ladder. It’s about how to succeed in split testing your web campaigns so you’ll have accurate, measurable results every time.
Give me an A … A!
Give me a B … B!
What’s that spell? A/B!
To start in split testing your web campaigns, you must first understand the fundamentals of an A/B split test. An A/B split test simply takes one list and splits it in half into two test panels. But you don’t just split the list right down the middle.
Let’s take, for example, a list of 100 people. In order to do a proper A/B split, the first, third and fifth record (and so on) would go into list A. And then the second, fourth and sixth record (and so on) would go into list B. By splitting the list by every other record, you get a random sample of potential customers.
By doing that random sample, it cannot be argued that one segment of the list performed better than the other because of similarities in the list segments. So to give another example, in direct mail, lists are typically maintained in zip code order. By splitting the list into A/B segments, you’ll get two lists each with a random sample of people across a whole region. If you just split the list in half, you’d perhaps end up with a list of people living on the east coast of the U.S. and a second list of people living on the west coast.
In the above example, it could be argued that one list performed better than the other due to regional preferences or similarities. So, if you were ultimately testing two different headlines and you didn’t split your list into A/B segments, how could you possibly know whether it was the headline that improved response or a regional preference for your product? In this testing scenario, you’d have to throw the baby out with the bathwater … your test result would be invalid.
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Posted by:
MaryEllen Tribby
November 29, 2007
Issue #294
My son Connor turned seven years old a week ago Sunday. His birthday extravaganza started Friday at his school with a class party. Saturday, the festivities continued with 15 little boys at our local arcade. When he got home Saturday evening, he was surprised with an Xbox 360 from my husband and me. On Sunday, I took Connor down to the beach to experience his first sunrise, which was more of a present (and memory) for me. Later that day, we ended his birthday weekend with a family and friend gathering at our home.
As I tucked Connor in Sunday night, I asked him what his favorite part of his birthday celebration was. Expecting to hear rave reviews about the Xbox, I was astonished when he replied, "Going to the beach with you, Mom." As I held back my tears, I asked him why. His answer was simple and honest: "Because it was just you and me talking."
This got me thinking about all the partnerships and deal making I have done over the past 22 years. The best deals were not made sitting in a boardroom around a huge mahogany table with 10 or 12 people. They were done one-on-one over lunch or dinner with simple and honest communication leading to mutually beneficial agreements.
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Posted by:
Daniel Levis
November 28, 2007
Issue #293
- Why fear and anger are such useful emotions to evoke in your copy …
- How society conditions your customers to respond in automatic, predictable ways to given stimuli that you can use in your marketing …
- How demographics impact human nature, and human nurture …
- Plus more!
Dear Web Business Builder,
Do you want to increase your skill as a copywriter? Do you want to become more capable of consistently putting pen to paper profitably on the web – in niche after niche? Of course you do. Or you wouldn’t be reading this. Well here’s the secret …
Become an intensely curious observer of human nature and human nurture. And apply what you learn to your marketing. That’s precisely the topic of this week’s edition of Web Marketing Advisor.
Shall we begin with some definitions?
Human Nature: Primeval, timeless and immutable, downloaded into our mental firmware at birth. The result of millions of years of evolutionary history, it acts like an unseen hand that leads us inexorably toward predictable habits and innate tendencies.
The fight or flight response, for example, is the survival mechanism that causes us to become fearful or angry when threatened.
Our natural curiosity has its roots in the need to find food and develop new and improved methods of hunting and procuring shelter.
And our self-obsession is the result of the constant fight for self-preservation that took place in the harsh and dangerous pre-civilization environment of our distant forefathers.
The conditions that gave rise to these various survival mechanisms may have long been conquered, but they remain an intrinsic part of our nature and impact our behavior at an unconscious level.
Somebody insults you, and a searing rush of prickly heat races its way from the base of your spine to the top of your head. Your face becomes red with anger, and before you know it, you’ve said something you’ll regret.
You reach into your mailbox and pull out an envelope from the IRS. Immediately, you feel a knot in the pit of your stomach, and your heart starts beating noticeably.
There’s no need to fight or flee, but your physiology pumps adrenaline into your bloodstream just the same, and you’re primed for action. That’s one of the reasons fear and anger are such powerful and useful emotions in copy. They are the emotions of action.
All of the primordial instincts, which comprise our human nature, are similarly useful to the persuader, because they are some of the most involuntary responses impacting human behavior.
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Posted by:
Troy White
November 27, 2007
Issue #292
In this issue:
-
13 take-em-to-the-bank techniques to ensure your customers keep coming back to buy more …
-
The problem with the younger generation – and how it could kill your bottom line profits if you have them working for you …
-
North America’s BIGGEST business problem, and a few timely tips to help you work your way through it …
- 4 fast ways to show them you care …
- And Much More!
Fellow business builder,
I’ll warn you now … this is not going to be a pleasant article.
I try and give upbeat, positive tips and advice on improving your marketing and advertising.
This time I am going to rant and review.
A leading question for you … have you noticed that service SUCKS everywhere you go these days?
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Posted by:
Clayton Makepeace
November 26, 2007
Do you have what it takes to make millions
as a direct response entrepreneur?
Take this simple 5-question test and see …
Dear Business-Builder,
Have you ever thought about winning millions of dollars in the lottery?
I think about the freedom that kind of money would bring with it … the choices it would give my family … the adventures we could have.
And then I think, "Hey, hold on just a minute …
"This doesn't have to be just a fantasy!"
The truth is, there are more ways to get rich today than any of us can possibly imagine. And you don't have to accept lottery odds (one in 175 million against you) to do it!
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