Testing and Tracking Your Online Marketing Efforts by Marty Foley
Most advertisers and marketers, because they don't test and
track the response of various marketing activities, are flying
blindly, with little or no idea of whats working - and what
isnt.
Proper testing and tracking can give you the most accurate and
reliable answers to virtually any marketing question that
arises. You can then make important marketing decisions based
on facts, instead of theory or guesswork.
Online Testing Strategies
In a nutshell, online testing involves keying each different
test variable with a unique identifying code (so each desired
response can be tracked to its source), running the test
campaign, keeping records, and tabulating and comparing the
results. The winning variable then becomes the control, or
bench mark, which future ones are measured against. Lets
look at testing in more detail...
Scientific testing involves the following steps:
1) Determining which element(s) of an ad or marketing
communication that you want to test. (Tip: It's usually best to
test only one variable at a time.)
2) Creating the test ad(s).
3) Keying each ad with a unique tracking code.
4) Keeping good, accurate test records.
5) Running the test campaign.
6) Tracking and comparing results to determine which test
variable is the winner.
7) Repeating the cycle, constantly attempting to beat your
existing control.
Keying ads and tracking responses online can be done in a
variety of ways. For accuracy, be sure to use a unique
tracking code for each different test variable and keep
accurate records. The tracking method used will vary based
on your circumstances and the type of response you want.
Tracking Web Page Hits
If you have access to your log files or another way to track
the number of hits to your site, you can track hits to your web
pages by placing a ? after the URL used in each ad, followed
by a unique tracking code. For instance:
Ad #1 could be keyed with this tracking code:
http://ProfitInfo.com/catalog/v3.htm?1A
Ad #2 could be keyed with this tracking code:
http://ProfitInfo.com/catalog/v3.htm?1B
Links with the 1A and 1B tracking codes in the URL dont
adversely affect the ability of visitors to access web pages
in any way, but will show up in the server log files.
To determine the exact number of hits that a particular ad
generated, look at your log files within several days after
running it. (Check with your ISP or web host for access
to your log files.)
Tracking Email Responses
If you have unlimited email aliases available through your web
host and want your test ads to generate responses via email,
you can use a unique email address as the tracking code for
each one.
Note: A potential drawback to this method is that the more email
addresses you make publicly available, the more spam you're
likely to receive.
Another option for tracking email responses is to ask
respondents to place something unique in the subject line,
which serves as the tracking code.
In a pinch you can use the following trick to help
automatically place what you want in the subject line of a new
email message when its clicked on in an email program:
mailto:user@domain.com?subject=Send-Info
(Replace user@domain.com in the above example with the
email address you want to use.)
When the above link is clicked on in an email message, the
text immediately following ?subject= will automatically appear
in the subject line of a new email message in most email
programs. (In the example above, Send-Info would appear.)
Attempting to Beat Your Control
Your main objective in testing is always to try to come up
with a better pulling variable (headline, offer, guarantee,
price, etc.) than your existing control. Whenever tests prove
that another variable pulls better than your existing control,
it replaces it until a future test reveals an even better one.
Make Testing a Habit
Remember that the most successful direct response marketers
(Internet marketing being just another form of direct response
marketing) tend to do lots of testing.
Instead of viewing the testing process as too much bother, you
should view it as a wise investment in crucial information that
reveals how to progressively improve the profitability of your
marketing. Considering all the advantages that testing offers,
the reasons for making it a habit are obvious.
You dont have to be content with the same mediocre level of
response to your marketing campaigns, unaware of whats
really working and what isnt.
If you arent already, start taking advantage of scientific
testing to constantly improve your marketing results, avoid
making the same wasteful mistakes, and earn more profits.
And if you're already profiting from it, consider taking
advantage of it more fully.
About the Author
Marty Foley is a basic introduction to
scientific online testing. For the most comprehensive collection
of tools, strategies and tactics for boosting your web site's
response through testing, click over now to:
==> http://ProfitInfo.com/
posted by Thomas Telford @ 5:40 PM
