Moving in from SketchCo…

As I mentioned in my previous post, you may want to do some split testing to measure the effectiveness any new site design changes may have on your specific goals before totally adopting — or dropping — the new stuff. Also known as A/B testing or bucket testing, split testing, according to Wikipedia, is:

…a method of marketing testing by which a baseline control sample is compared to a variety of single-variable test samples in order to improve response rates. A classic direct mail tactic, this method has been recently adopted within the interactive space to test tactics such as banner ads, emails and landing pages.

For our purposes it is, in other words, a way to test and compare the effects of any proposed design changes against the “baseline control” (the old design’s numbers, which I assume you’ve got, right?).

If you’ve got a WordPress site/blog, you’re in luck: split testing is dirt easy. Just get and install this free plugin and follow its instructions:

• WordPress plugin: SES Theme Split Test

The SES Theme Split Test plugin lets you set up two different themes, which it then serves to your visitors as they come in. It then tracks your visitors’ activity with the help of Google Analytics.

When I get around to it, I’ll check into any possible solutions for regular HTML sites and post what I find here.

Eldon Sarte is the publisher of Wordpreneur and Braintropolis and the author of Wordpreneur Reloaded, GolfIncome: eBay and more, available on Amazon and its Kindle. For more information about Eldon, click here.

----------
Making Money With WordPress Just Got Easier. Start generating multiple streams of income from your WordPress blog in minutes. No programming required!
----------

Related posts:

1. Split Testing WordPress Themes
2. Changes: Colophon and WordPress Theme
3. How-to Customize Your WordPress Blog’s Header

Blogging, design, tech, tools, wordpress General