BOSTON, MASS. - May 6, 2008 - SiteSpect, the leading provider of non-intrusive multivariate testing and behavioral targeting technology for web site optimization, today announced that it will join the viaTealeaf™ Partner Network. Tealeaf® is the leader in online Customer Experience Management (CEM). SiteSpect and Tealeaf work together so customers can better understand multivariate test results, gain the complete context of the customer experience when reviewing results, and leverage test data for customer behavior analysis.

By combining these systems, joint customers will be able to:

• Investigate and understand the results of multivariate and A/B tests, leading to improved online conversions, revenue and performance.
• See the actual customers and experiences behind testing trends, in order to investigate "why" any particular visitor was influenced by variations in site content.
• Using SiteSpect WATTS™, leverage multivariate test variables to create and further refine customer segments for analysis.
• Improve user experience and targeting by understanding exactly what is happening on a website from the customer's point of view.

"We're pleased to partner with Tealeaf to help our joint customers optimize their visitors' online experiences," said Eric J. Hansen, President and Founder of SiteSpect. "By combining SiteSpect's non-intrusive multivariate and A/B testing solutions and Tealeaf's visibility into the customer experience, our joint customers can make the right decisions in order to deliver optimal content and services to their end users."

"Our joint customers are already seeing value from SiteSpect's partnership with Tealeaf," said John Dawes, Vice President of Product Management, Tealeaf. "SiteSpect's multivariate testing examines the effects of multiple factors and their variations. Now, analysts can pivot to Tealeaf to examine these variations by looking at the actual customer experiences and using Tealeaf's analysis to determine the best course of action."

About The viaTealeaf Partner Network

The viaTealeaf Partner Network brings together a full ecosystem of technology solutions and consultancies helping companies to analyze their online customer behavior and continuously optimize their user applications. By leveraging these partnerships to understand their own online users, companies are able to provide better online experiences and improve both their revenues, via increased conversion rates and operational costs in their service centers.

About Tealeaf

Tealeaf is the leading provider of online customer experience management solutions and the unchallenged leader in customer behavior analysis. Tealeaf's CEM solutions include both a customer behavior analysis suite and customer service optimization suite. For organizations that are making customer experience a top priority, these solutions provide unprecedented enterprise-wide visibility into every visitor's unique online interactions for ongoing analysis and web site optimization. Online executive stakeholders from ebusiness and IT to customer service and compliance are leveraging Tealeaf to build a customer experience management competency across the organization. Founded in 1999, Tealeaf is headquartered in San Francisco, California, and is privately held. For more information, visit www.tealeaf.com.

About SiteSpect, Inc.

SiteSpect enables web marketers to optimize website and mobile web effectiveness through multivariate testing and behavioral targeting. By testing variations of landing pages, product descriptions, search results and buy-flows, SiteSpect allows marketers to fine-tune every aspect of their website on a segment-by-segment basis. As the first and only non-intrusive solution available, SiteSpect empowers marketers to optimize their sites without the need for ongoing IT involvement. SiteSpect's patent-pending technology is used by some of the world's largest and most successful online businesses, including Cabela's, iProspect, Overstock.com, ShopNBC, and VEGAS.com. For more information, visit www.SiteSpect.com or call 617-859-1900.

Founded in 2005 by Eric T. Peterson, author of Web Analytics Demystified and Web Site Measurement Hacks, and June Dershewitz of Semphonic, Web Analytics Wednesday is a global effort to put "names with faces" and to help local members of the web analytics community network with each other.

Web Analytics Wednesday is now celebrated by web analytics practitioners around the world. Emphasizing the truly global nature of the web analytics community, Web Analytics Wednesday events were recently held in Beijing, Singapore, Copenhagen, Madrid, Toronto, Stockholm, San Paolo, Brazil, and Sydney, Australia. The event's goal is to exceed 5,000 participants worldwide in 2008, making Web Analytics Wednesday the largest gathering in the entire measurement industry.

"SiteSpect is thrilled to lend its support to Web Analytics Wednesdays around the world," said Eric J. Hansen, President and Founder of SiteSpect. "These events provide a terrific venue for networking among web analytics professionals as well as an opportunity to learn something new. We have found them to be both fun and educational and we're happy to serve as a global sponsor of Web Analytics Wednesdays."

"SiteSpect's sponsorship will allow Web Analytics Wednesday to provide more funding to Web Analytics Wednesday start-up events around the world," said Eric T. Peterson, CEO of Web Analytics Demystified. "Thanks to the generosity of companies like SiteSpect, anyone in the world who wants to hold a Web Analytics Wednesday event now can." Through Web Analytics Demystified, local organizers can request reimbursement for their events, allowing them to provide free food and drink to participants.

About Web Analytics Demystified

Web Analytics Demystified, founded in 2007 by internationally known author and former JupiterResearch analyst Eric T. Peterson, provides objective strategic guidance to companies striving to realize the full potential of their investment in web analytics. By bridging the gap between measurement technology and business strategy, Web Analytics Demystified has provided guidance to hundreds of companies around the world, including many of the best known retailers, financial services institutions, and media properties on the Internet.

About SiteSpect, Inc.

SiteSpect enables web marketers to optimize website and mobile web effectiveness through multivariate testing and behavioral targeting. By testing variations of landing pages, product descriptions, search results and buy-flows, SiteSpect allows marketers to fine-tune every aspect of their website on a segment-by-segment basis. As the first and only non-intrusive solution available, SiteSpect empowers marketers to optimize their sites without the need for ongoing IT involvement. SiteSpect's patent-pending technology is used by some of the world's largest and most successful online businesses, including Cabela's, iProspect, Overstock.com, ShopNBC, and VEGAS.com. For more information, visit www.SiteSpect.com or call 617-859-1900.

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT QUESTIONS

1. In a nutshell, what is SiteSpect all about?

SiteSpect offers non-intrusive multivariate and A/B testing solutions for optimizing web sites, landing pages, and mobile web content. With SiteSpect, web marketers can test variations of any element of their site in order to increase conversions, leads, and registrations -- without making any site changes or involving IT.

This is an excerpt of an article published by Massachusetts Innovation & Technology Exchange. Click here for the full text.

As web marketers seek new ways to boost conversion rates and improve their visitors' site experience, interest in multivariate testing is on a feverish rise. But those unfamiliar with the techniques are often unclear about where to start, or how to ensure success.

In this article, I'll discuss the following:

• A clear definition of what multivariate testing is and how it differs from another common type of testing: A/B testing.
• How testing provides a foundation for continuous improvement of your Web marketing initiatives.
• An overview of five common mistakes to avoid when planning and running tests.

This is an excerpt of an article published by MarketingProfs. Click here for the full text.

BOSTON, MASS., April 22, 2008 - SiteSpect, Inc., the leading provider of non-intrusive marketing optimization technology, today unveiled new Mobile Web Optimization functionality within its patent-pending multivariate and A/B testing solution used by the world's most successful online businesses.

With nearly three billion mobile device owners worldwide, 75 percent of whom have access to the Internet according to the Online Publishing Association, a huge opportunity exists for web markers to deploy and optimize mobile content. Unfortunately, it is difficult to perform mobile content optimization such as testing and targeting due to compatibility issues across the more than 2,000 types of cell phones and PDAs used worldwide. For example, many mobile devices have limited or no support for JavaScript or cookies, making it impossible for traditional optimization approaches to work for all visitors. The risk is that by testing and targeting only compatible devices, campaign data is biased towards certain demographics, thus leading to incorrect analyses and missed opportunities.

SiteSpect's Mobile Web Optimization solves the problem of device compatibility because it is the only multivariate testing and behavioral targeting platform that works with all mobile devices. The SiteSpect solution does not require JavaScript or cookies, and is able to test and track behavior across any type of content including WML, HTML, CSS, streaming media, and more. This capability enables mobile site operators to non-intrusively test variations of any content and track visitor behavior, revealing which versions are most engaging and persuasive. As a result, mobile marketers are empowered to achieve their goals of increased conversion, registrations, and end-user adoption of self-service functions.

The SiteSpect optimization approach is unique in the industry in that no changes are made to the actual content being tested. Unlike the alternatives, SiteSpect does not require any changes to underlying software, WML, or HTML code that drives mobile content sites. In addition to working seamlessly with any mobile device, site architecture, or content management system, SiteSpect's solution eliminates the need for ongoing IT or web design involvement before, during, and after running tests. The net result is that mobile web marketers are able to focus on achieving optimization goals and derive an unprecedented level of data accuracy, all while saving precious time, money, and resources.

With SiteSpect, online businesses can easily optimize their mobile content by:

• Quickly determining which content has the greatest influence on a visitor's behavior.
• Establishing the best ways to effectively influence and persuade visitors to take the desired actions.
• Presenting targeted offers and content to visitors based on:
• Browsing device
• Current and past behavior
• Origin of visit
• Time of visit
• Language

"The mobile web represents a significant opportunity for marketers to engage their customers in new and highly relevant ways," said Eric J. Hansen, President and Founder of SiteSpect, Inc. "Using SiteSpect's Mobile Web Optimization capability, online businesses now have a competitive advantage in learning what works (and what doesn't work) in the mobile content arena."

SiteSpect's Mobile Web Optimization functionality is available now. For more information, visit http://www.sitespect.com/mobile-web-optimization.shtml.

About SiteSpect, Inc.

SiteSpect enables web marketers to optimize website and mobile web effectiveness through multivariate testing and behavioral targeting. By testing variations of landing pages, product descriptions, search results and buy-flows, SiteSpect allows marketers to fine-tune every aspect of their website on a segment-by-segment basis. As the first and only non-intrusive solution available, SiteSpect empowers marketers to optimize their sites without the need for ongoing IT involvement. SiteSpect's patent-pending technology is used by some of the world's largest and most successful online businesses, including Cabela's, iProspect, Overstock.com, ShopNBC, and VEGAS.com. For more information, visit www.SiteSpect.com or call 617-859-1900.

This is an excerpt of an article published by Marketing News. Click here for the full text.

King warns, however, "While marketers use multivariate testing to find out what works or doesn't on their regular Web sites, mobile devices do not support many of the technical requirements inherent in today's testing solutions, such as JavaScript or cookies. When you're evaluating solutions to conduct multivariate testing specifically for mobile, be sure to look at providers that offer flexible and non-intrusive solutions."

This is an excerpt of an article published by DMNews. Click here for the full text.

Video, in particular, was an exciting challenge for the company, said Orit Levi, RADirect's senior marketing manager. "We really wanted to come off [as] less stiff and less stuffy [in highlighting our] engineers and the products on our 'About Us' page," she said. "But video, for a b-to-b audience, is a challenge."

Specifically, RADirect wasn't sure what video format to use — an embedded YouTube application on another embedded video player. The company, in conjunction with Boston-based Web site optimization provider SiteSpect, used Google Analytics to evaluate which video distribution was best.

"We looked at conversions, where traffic came from, how many visitors looked at the video and how long they stayed on the site," Levi said. "We tested each video we posted, looking at overall conversions as one of the key metrics."

The key difference between the two formats was what Levi called "bounce rate" — the number of people who landed on a page with video and abandoned it without loading the application. The hosted video had a bounce rate that was quadruple the rate of the on-page YouTube application.

Levi also used analytics to test the video's placement on the Web page, she said. "When the video was the first thing on the page and other content [was] pushed below the fold, conversion to form [people filling out an information request] increased 50%, time spent on the site tripled and all metrics including bounce rate improved," she said.

Video isn't the only Web 2.0 site feature RADirect tracked using analytics. Levi also keeps track of the site's blog, using the analytics to direct content and posts. At one point, she said, the company was getting too much traffic from unrelated keywords. For instance, in one blog post, RADirect's president, Uri Zilberman, talked about the rampant price discrimination he'd seen during a recent trip to Argentina. As a result, Levi said, "We were ranking high for the phrase, 'Don't cry for me, Argentina.' That's not traffic we want."

Looking at such analytics, she can tell bloggers to include specific search terms and phrases to boost the site's visibility on search engines, she said.

Starting this month, Levi will expand her Web 2.0 analytics efforts, tracking, for example, how well the site's various implementations of JavaScript work, she said. One of the first tests will assess a JavaScript customer navigation element. Levi hopes to determine, for instance, if a scrollable list of existing customer logos works better than one testimonial and links to a full list.

SiteSpect, Inc., the leading provider of non-intrusive multivariate testing technology for web site optimization, today announced that it is a certified partner on Coremetrics Connect, the industry's first technology platform to meaningfully address the specific business needs of online marketers to improve campaign performance. Coremetrics Connect, which launches today, brings together leading digital marketing applications -- including multivariate testing, search, online content optimization, email, and behavioral targeting technologies -- to effectively monitor, measure, and optimize campaign performance across multiple channels. Together with certified partners, Coremetrics Connect enables a network of closed-loop marketing solutions with a single view of campaign performance, and campaign optimization based on the most comprehensive and accurate picture of customer behavior.

SiteSpect integrates with Coremetrics Connect through its Web Analytics Tag Transformation and Segmentation (SiteSpect WATTS™) solution, the industry's first and only solution that allows online marketers to view and segment multivariate testing data within their analytics system. By leveraging SiteSpect WATTS with Connect, joint clients gain real-time capability for gathering more than 20 new visitor and session-level segment criterion by dynamically injecting data into the Coremetrics data acquisition system via analytics tags, URLs, cookies, and metadata.

[Excerpt]

Like many involved with e-commerce, CSN has thousands of products (and hundreds of Web properties). Users came to see a variety of sites based on changing inventory and differing time spans, meaning a lot of dynamic content. In a rapidly changing environment, the issue for CSN was effectively experimenting with product, placement and promotion - those things that could potentially hinder conversion, without interfering with the underpinnings of the websites.

To help with this challenging task CSN turned to SiteSpect, a leader in non-obtrusive website conversion optimization technology, who then ran a combination of A/B and multivariate testing. After implementing the SiteSpect solution, reviewing results and making adjustments, CSN Stores saw a sales increase of seven percent - modest but noteworthy...

This is an excerpt of an article published by Website Magazine. Click here for the full text.

BOSTON, MASS., February 5, 2008 - Many online businesses wrestle with optimizing customer registration forms on their web sites. Given that every additional field can depress registration rates, how much information is enough and how much is too much? That was the conundrum facing QualitySmith (www.qualitysmith.com), a free service that provides estimate appointments with local home improvement contractors. With QualitySmith, consumers fill out an online form outlining their project and are matched with 2-3 reputable local contractors for free written estimates.

"Over the years we had developed a form that we felt provided the least amount of friction for the consumer to give us their information. The problem was that we had no way to know for sure that was actually true," said Jane Buck, Vice President of Marketing, QualitySmith.

Collecting address information is important to QualitySmith to help pinpoint the right contractors for estimate appointments. Also, some contractors were asking specifically for that information, but QualitySmith was concerned that requiring addresses would depress response rates, leading to fewer completed forms and fewer appointments for contractors.

Enter SiteSpect, the leading provider of non-intrusive multivariate testing technology. With SiteSpect, companies can quickly and easily determine what content will have the greatest impact on a visitor's behavior. SiteSpect optimizes a site's effectiveness by testing everything from forms to landing pages, layouts, variations of copy, different offers, photos, navigation elements, links and buttons, as well as various creative approaches.

With SiteSpect's multivariate testing solution combined with its professional services, QualitySmith was able to test multiple variations of the address collection form to determine which information collection approach was optimal, leading to an increase in form completion rates of 8.75%.

"We set up a test in SiteSpect with an information request form requiring the address, a form with the address optional, and a control form with no address field," noted Thyra Hinshaw, QualitySmith's Director of Analytics. "As expected, the required address field hurt the visit-to-order rate by 4.5%. But, to our surprise, optional address collection increased our order completion rate by 8.75%. We also found that visitors who received the optional address field completed it 69.6% of the time."

Now that the test results are in, QualitySmith will roll out the optional address form and continue to optimize other elements of the site.

"QualitySmith's results illustrate what customers can achieve with SiteSpect," said Eric J. Hansen, President, SiteSpect, Inc. "They were able to improve their form completion and address collection rates by testing which form worked best for their site visitors. With SiteSpect, web marketers can make confident, quantitatively backed decisions about how to increase conversion rates based on actionable reports and analysis."

About SiteSpect, Inc.

SiteSpect enables Web marketers to optimize web site effectiveness through multivariate testing and behavioral targeting. By testing variations of landing pages, product descriptions, search results and buy-flows, SiteSpect allows marketers to fine-tune every aspect of their Web site on a segment-by-segment basis. As the first and only non-intrusive solution available, SiteSpect empowers marketers to optimize their sites without the need for ongoing IT involvement. SiteSpect's patent-pending technology is used by some of the world's largest and most successful e-commerce sites, including Cabela's, iProspect, Overstock.com, ShopNBC, and VEGAS.com. For more information, visit www.SiteSpect.com or call 617-859-1900.

"Kim is a creative strategist and change agent adept at communicating competitive differentiation and capitalizing on new opportunities," said Eric Hansen, President of SiteSpect. "Her ability to create integrated programs that will further increase SiteSpect's leadership position in the marketplace is a terrific asset to the company. I am very pleased she is now part of SiteSpect's executive team."

Throughout her career, King has demonstrated success in building global brands and positive market presence through strong creative and business skills. She has helped launch several technology start-ups, including Akamai Technologies and Open Market. King previously served as Senior Communications Manager of noted Internet content delivery provider Akamai Technologies, where she managed executive speaking and marketing programs. Prior to that, she served as Public Relations Manager of Open Market, directing the e-commerce software pioneer's announcement strategy. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations from Boston University and a Master of Science degree in Communications Management from Simmons College.

"I am thrilled to join SiteSpect, the go-to solution for non-intrusive multivariate and A/B testing and targeting," King said. "Because SiteSpect gives online marketers the ability to test any element of a web site, our customers are able to easily and effectively optimize conversions, leads, and registrations. My goal is to build on the terrific foundation already in place to continue to aggressively acquire new customers and partners."

SiteSpect's unique patent-pending technology allows the world's most successful online businesses to create tests and optimize conversions without page tagging, JavaScript, or site content changes. SiteSpect's technology is 100 percent turnkey, sparing marketers the implementation and maintenance headaches of alternate approaches.

About SiteSpect, Inc.

SiteSpect enables Web marketers to optimize web site effectiveness through multivariate testing and behavioral targeting. By testing variations of landing pages, product descriptions, search results and buy-flows, SiteSpect allows marketers to fine-tune every aspect of their Web site on a segment-by-segment basis. As the first and only non-intrusive solution available, SiteSpect empowers marketers to optimize their sites without the need for ongoing IT involvement. SiteSpect's patent-pending technology is used by some of the world's largest and most successful e-commerce sites, including Cabela's, iProspect, Overstock.com, ShopNBC, and VEGAS.com. For more information, visit www.SiteSpect.com or call 617-859-1900.

SiteSpect, Inc., the leader in non-intrusive Web site conversion optimization technology, today announced that CSN Stores has credited SiteSpect with creating 7 percent of its sales growth, thanks to the company's patent-pending A/B and multivariate testing solutions. CSN Stores is one of the fastest-growing online retailers in the U.S. with more than 260 specialty e-commerce sites and five million monthly visitors.

SiteSpect allowed CSN Stores to quickly and easily run tests to measure visitor responses to variations in site content, search functionality, and features. Based on the test results, CSN Stores enhanced its search capability to help visitors more quickly find the products they wanted, improving the user experience and increasing sales. Additionally, CSN Stores was able to discover and use alternate image sizes that elicited higher response rates.

"CSN Stores is dedicated to providing the best customer experience in online shopping. Helping our customers find what they need as quickly as possible is what we're all about, said Eric Klose," Vice President of Marketing, CSN Stores. "SiteSpect helps us see which site elements work best in leading a shopper from a search result through to a purchase. And the fact that we can launch tests with SiteSpect in minutes without having to involve IT makes SiteSpect the best choice for us."

SiteSpect's unique patent-pending technology allows the world's most successful online businesses, like CSN Stores, to create tests and optimize conversions without page tagging, JavaScript, or site content changes. SiteSpect's technology is 100 percent turnkey, sparing marketers the implementation and maintenance headaches of competing solutions.

"CSN Stores has seen first-hand exactly how quickly and easily SiteSpect can help them dramatically improve web site effectiveness and profitability," said Eric Hansen, President of SiteSpect. "Improved efficiency and savings in costs and time are additional benefits for CSN Stores that only SiteSpect's non-intrusive approach provides."

About CSN Stores

CSN Stores, an Inc. 500 company, was ranked among the Top 10 leading online retailers in the home and garden category by Internet Retailer in 2007. CSN maintains over 260 web sites in niche market segments. With over one million products across all of its stores, CSN offers consumers the largest selection of leading brands available online, great customer service, and low prices. The online stores include: AllModern.com, Luggage.com, BabyCarSeats.com, PubSets.com, HomeTheaterSeatingOnline.com, and WritingDesksAndMore.com.

About SiteSpect, Inc.

SiteSpect enables Web marketers to optimize web site effectiveness through multivariate testing and behavioral targeting. By testing variations of landing pages, product descriptions, search results and buy-flows, SiteSpect allows marketers to fine-tune every aspect of their Web site on a segment-by-segment basis. As the first and only non-intrusive solution available, SiteSpect empowers marketers to optimize their sites without the need for ongoing IT involvement. SiteSpect's patent-pending technology is used by some of the world's largest and most successful e-commerce sites, including Cabela's, iProspect, Overstock.com, ShopNBC, and VEGAS.com. For more information, visit www.SiteSpect.com or call 617-859-1900.

This is an excerpt of an article published by Multichannel Merchant. Click here for the full text.

BOSTON, MASS., December 4, 2007 - SiteSpect, Inc. (http://www.SiteSpect.com), the leader in non-intrusive web site conversion optimization technology, today announced that Skinner Auctioneers & Appraisers of Antiques & Fine Art has achieved several key performance goals through a series of recent multivariate tests. The combination of SiteSpect's technology and professional services helped Skinner to identify web site adjustments that significantly improved visitor engagement, boosted email newsletter enrollment, and increased the quantity and average value of auction bids.

Skinner, one of the nation's leading auction houses for antiques and fine art, has contracted with SiteSpect since 2004 to test and optimize the effectiveness of their web site (http://www.skinnerinc.com). Using SiteSpect, Skinner has tested different versions of their site's creative elements, event promotions, image sizes, copy, navigation and page layouts without the need to modify the underlying web site or add JavaScript page tags. Recent tests focused on optimizing aspects of the site that Skinner believed would have a positive impact on their ultimate conversion goal: auction bidding activity.

Highlights of recent test results include:

• Tests designed to increase the time visitors spend on the site and the number of auction items viewed focused on navigation elements in the auction catalog. The winning combination of navigation changes resulted in a 40 percent increase in the number of auction items viewed and a 22 percent increase in PDF catalog downloads.
• Tests designed to increase registration for email newsletters focused on the placement of signup links, copy and buttons throughout the site. The tests identified changes that resulted in a 590 percent increase in opt-in registrations.
• While time spent on site and newsletter registrations are both key metrics for measuring visitor engagement, Skinner's primary objective with testing was to increase bidding activity for their online auctions. Testing variations within the auction bidding process revealed significant opportunities for optimization. For example, the winning combination of changes within product detail pages increased bidding activity by 74 percent.

"Our testing revealed numerous opportunities for improving visitor engagement and conversion rates," said Kerry Shrives, Vice President of Internet Auctions, Skinner, Inc. "The ability to test our hypotheses without involving IT resources has enabled us to make multivariate testing an essential part of our online strategy, helping us to grow our auction community and improve the success of our auctions. With SiteSpect's help, the changes we've made have had a very positive impact on our site's overall effectiveness."

"We are very pleased with the success Skinner has seen from their ongoing testing activities," said Eric J. Hansen, President, SiteSpect, Inc. "Skinner's success proves that in order to have a truly successful online presence, even sites that are already 'optimized' should continually test new ideas that could influence visitor behavior. Controlled testing is the enabler that allows marketers to confidently make improvements to their web sites while avoiding changes that don't contribute to the growth of their business."

About SiteSpect, Inc.

SiteSpect enables Web marketers to optimize web site effectiveness through multivariate testing and behavioral targeting. By testing variations of landing pages, product descriptions, search results and buy-flows, SiteSpect allows marketers to fine-tune every aspect of their Web site on a segment-by-segment basis. As the first and only non-intrusive solution available, SiteSpect empowers marketers to optimize their sites without the need for ongoing IT involvement. SiteSpect's patent-pending technology is used by some of the world's largest and most successful e-commerce sites, including Cabela's, iProspect, Overstock.com, ShopNBC, and VEGAS.com. For more information, visit www.SiteSpect.com or call (617) 859-1900.

With consumer confidence down, traditional retailers, as well as Web retailers, must make every effort to ensure a successful holiday sales season. While traditional retailers can attract customers by offering lower prices, Web retailers need to do much more to ensure that customers not only come to their sites but also stay and make purchases.

In short, Web retailers need to "tune up" their Web sites to optimize sales during the holiday season, and the best way to do this is with Web site optimization using A/B and multivariate testing.

Web site optimization using A/B and multivariate testing has been proven as one of the most effective and immediate methods to increase sales volume, improve conversion rates and boost lead generation efforts.

Many Web retailers tend to freeze their holiday marketing initiatives early, assuming that any change would be foolish and risk harming sales. Consequently, Web retailers forgo the opportunity to fine-tune their Web sites during this crucial period of peak visitor traffic levels, when A/B and multivariate testing would be at their most productive levels. The key is to continuously use controlled, scientifically sound testing methodologies to understand which content most effectively persuades and engages consumers, and then act upon the results before the holiday season is over.

Retailers also can feel overwhelmed during the holiday season and believe they don't have the time to implement tests and changes to their Web sites. But the changes don't have to be dramatic or complicated. In fact, simple, incremental changes often can yield the best results.

Try any one or all of the following tips that can help you have a successful 2007 holiday season.

Stop the "back-button urge" by improving landing pages.

We all do it -- hit the back button even before a Web page has fully loaded because we don't see anything that interests us at first glance. In fact, research shows that an average of 55 percent of site visitors leave before viewing a second page. Every time the back button is pressed and the visitor returns to the search engine results page, your pay-per-click dollars are wasted. Frequent landing page testing allows you to curtail the back-button urge and drive visitors further down the conversion path. You'll not only improve your conversion rate, but increase the return on your existing pay-per-click budget, as well.

Target and optimize on product searches.

Never drop pay-per-click visitors onto a generic landing page or homepage. Instead, create a win-win situation by immediately presenting visitors with targeted content that caters to their intentions, as revealed by the keywords they searched for before clicking into your site. Spend time targeting and optimizing your site's entry pages by keyword or ad group, and you'll find that you have brought the visitors one step closer to conversion.

Constantly test and improve the check-out process.

Confusing or overly complex check-out processes result in abandoned shopping carts and lost sales. What content, forms and messages will compel your visitors most effectively through the checkout process? The only way to answer this question is to take the time to test new ideas -- even ones that might seem counterintuitive. Make the process count by testing each step of the checkout process. Do you have ideas for making the procedure clearer and simpler? Do you think that extra reassurances using messages about free shipping, pricing guarantees and other promotional offers will help you close the sale? Test all of these ideas now using live visitors and find out which are most effective.

Segment and target site visitors.

Using the information that your Web analytics system tells you about visitor behavior allows you to identify trends and distinct visitor segments. But don't stop there -- optimize your site around sizable, high-value segments that you uncover. For example, an electronics retailer identified a high-value segment as visitors who had been to the site two or more times within the past month; these visitors were three times more likely to make a purchase than the average visitor. Using segmentation, target your testing efforts toward visitors based on specific actions taken during a visit, purchase history and other metrics. Then use this information to make site improvements now, not later, to improve your bottom line.

Eric J. Hansen is the president of Boston-based Web site marketing technology firm SiteSpect, Inc.

SiteSpect, Inc., the leading provider of non-intrusive Web site conversion optimization solutions, today announced that PriceGrabber.com®, a part of Experian and one of the most trusted and effective online comparison shopping services, is using SiteSpect for multivariate testing and behavioral targeting.

The attraction of SiteSpect to PriceGrabber.com, whose Web site properties attract more than 24 million unique visitors monthly, is manifold: no page tagging or scripting, unlimited testing of dynamic content, and out-of-the-box integration with Omniture, PriceGrabber.com's Web analytics system. These benefits translate into the ability for PriceGrabber.com's marketers to rapidly react to changing business conditions while maintaining complete, independent control of testing activities.

"During our vendor selection process we grew concerned with the amount of preparation required from our site designers and coders by other solutions just to get a new test started," said Joy Au, Director of Business Analytics at PriceGrabber.com. "We quickly recognized that SiteSpect — by virtue of its non-intrusiveness — would save us hundreds of hours in prep time and allow us to conduct multivariate tests on Web site elements that other products could not easily support. We were also excited by the promise SiteSpect made of instant integration with Omniture — a promise that was fulfilled within days of our bringing the solution online."

"PriceGrabber.com joins those who recognize that SiteSpect is the only multivariate testing and targeting solution that scales to meet the demands of high-volume Web sites while enabling marketers to achieve their goals without ongoing parallel efforts from their technical teams," said Eric Hansen, President of SiteSpect. "PriceGrabber.com's commitment to SiteSpect helps affirm the superiority of our unique non-intrusive approach for solving the problem common to all Web marketers: how to quickly and cost-effectively optimize Web site content."

About SiteSpect, Inc.

SiteSpect enables Web marketers to optimize web site effectiveness through multivariate testing and behavioral targeting. By testing variations of landing pages, product descriptions, search results and buy-flows, SiteSpect allows marketers to fine-tune every aspect of their Web site on a segment-by-segment basis. As the first and only non-intrusive solution available, SiteSpect empowers marketers to optimize their sites without the need for ongoing IT involvement. SiteSpect's patent-pending technology is used by some of the world's largest and most successful e-commerce sites, including Cabela's, iProspect, Overstock.com, ShopNBC, and VEGAS.com. For more information, visit www.SiteSpect.com or call (617) 859-1900.

1. You rest on your laurels and don't think to improve. Marketers periodically need to reassess and re-evaluate the specific keywords they're bidding on, as well as the creative (ad versions) that are shown to make sure they're still performing up to snuff. Keep in mind that other competing advertisers may update and refresh their marketing efforts and their Web sites. So in many respects, if you're just keeping things the same, you're falling behind.
2. If you don't perform any Web site testing, you aren't optimizing and increasing conversion rates (and thus, ROI) while keeping your search engine marketing (SEM) spend the same. Since many keywords drive traffic to landing pages, the return of an SEM campaign can nearly always be improved by "doing better" with the traffic that's already there rather than merely sending more traffic to the site. This is the essence of landing page optimization - take your SEM audience and do a better job messaging, persuading and convincing it to delve deeper into your site. Don't pour more water into the funnel; make the bottom of the funnel wider.
3. You don't customize or target your landing pages (or site) based on SEM terms. By not doing this, your site can appear less relevant to visitors who have come via a specific search engine query. As a result, a greater number of "bounces" occur. A bounce is a visitor who hits the landing page, stays for a few seconds, then hits the back button to return to the search engine page - effectively a totally wasted paid click.

Landing Page Optimization for Lead-generation Sites

Landing pages for lead-generation sites typically should focus on a single, specific goal: getting the user to register or submit a lead. These types of landing pages should have a minimum of unrelated navigation or content, and should present only relevant, reassuring messages that encourage visitors to immediately and efficiently take the next step in the registration process. There are many similarities to direct mail. Every piece of literature, every page, every image and every word in a direct mail piece serves a very specific purpose. There's no waste. Everything is focused on getting the recipient to respond. Same goes with lead-generation landing pages.

For Transactional Sites

Transaction sites typically are more involved in nature than lead-generation sites. Often visitors simply are shopping for products/services and haven't yet reached the stage in the buying cycle where they're ready to buy. These sites should do their best to steer customers to content that's relevant to their original search query.

One of the most common mistakes made by SEM marketers is to treat the regular homepage as if it were a landing page. This is tantamount to asking a store clerk where to find "ball-peen hammers" and having him point you to the store's front door. So a visitor's search engine query for "Panasonic TV's," for example, could land them on a category or brand page within an electronics retailer's site. Once visitors are within the relevant part of the site, it's time to "message" them with such targeted content as buyers' guides, reviews, cross-sell items, promotions, etc. Unlike a transaction site, the goal of the homepage is to engage visitors, regardless of which stage they're at in the buying cycle.

Visitors at an early stage (research) will almost certainly shop around to other sites. So presenting clear promotional messages, as well as third-party validation (think HACKER SAFE, Better Business Bureau, etc.), will greatly increase the probability visitors will come back again once they're done shopping around.

Visitors at the later stages (almost ready to make a purchase) need clear, "no fuss" navigation for getting products into their carts and making their way through the site's checkout functionality.

Within checkout, don't let visitors down! Keep reassuring them with messaging about money-back and price-match guarantees, what to do if they have questions (i.e., call your toll-free number), any shipping or promotional offers, etc.

Eric Hansen is president of SiteSpect, Inc., a Web site testing and optimization solution company.

Eric J. Hansen, president, SiteSpect, Inc. (www.sitespect.com), the leading provider of non-intrusive Web site testing and optimization solutions will present: "Run Successful Tests! (By Avoiding These Five Tactical Errors)." Hansen's presentation will help attendees understand how a variety of common mistakes can hamper a testing campaign, and what should be done to prevent those mistakes.

Participants will learn the five types of errors that marketers often make as they learn the ins and outs of multivariate testing; how multivariate testing can and should play a role in improving your conversions, retention and engagement; and they will hear about real-world case studies on the lessons learned when testing.

Throughout the Summit, SiteSpect will be welcoming visitors, customers and prospects to Booth 22 for demonstrations of its Web site testing and optimization solution.

Where: Emetrics Marketing Optimization Summit, Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D.C., October 14-17, 2007

Who: Eric J. Hansen, President

When: "Run Successful Tests! (By Avoiding These Five Tactical Errors)" - Wednesday, October 17, 11:10 a.m. EDT

This is an excerpt of an article published by SiteSpect in MediaPost Performance Insider; click here for the full text.

Expert Panel to Discuss Ways to Use Analytics and Multivariate Testing to Improve Commerce Site ROI and Conversion Rates

Eric J. Hansen, president, SiteSpect, the leading provider of non-intrusive Web site testing and optimization solutions will participate in an expert panel at Online Market World 2007 entitled: "Improving Commerce Site Effectiveness Through Analytics and Multivariate Testing" on Thursday, October 4 at 11:15 a.m.

The panel will discuss how landing page optimization is critical to conversion rates and revenue. Mr. Hansen will focus specifically on the following: the value and role of multivariate testing in improving commerce site ROI; recent survey data revealing retailer's 2008 Web site testing and optimization priorities; and results from a case study of a major online retailer's multivariate testing program.

Where: Online Market World 2007, Moscone Center West, San Francisco, CA, October 3 - 5, 2007.

Who: Eric J. Hansen, President

When: "Improving Commerce Site Effectiveness Through Analytics and Multivariate Testing" - Thursday, October 4, 11:15 a.m. PDT

Expert Panel to Discuss Ways to Use Multivariate Testing and SEO Tactics to Improve ROI on Pay-Per-Click Campaigns

Eric J. Hansen, president, SiteSpect, the leading provider of non-intrusive Web site testing and optimization solutions will participate in an expert panel at the OMMA New York Conference and Expo entitled: "The SEO-ing of PPC: Can SEO Tactics Improve ROI?" on Monday September 24 at 4:00 p.m.

The panel will discuss:

• The top three common mistakes search marketers make when dealing with a mature search campaign
• How landing page optimization differs for transactional sites versus lead generation sites
• When it is best to deploy A/B testing strategies versus multivariate testing strategies
• The typical results when these methods are deployed

Where: OMMA New York Conference & Expo, Hilton New York, New York, NY, September 24-25

Who: Eric J. Hansen, President

When: Monday, September 24, 4:00 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.

In a survey of marketers and e-commerce professionals for leading online retailers gathered at eTail 2007, the majority of respondents said that boosting conversion rates and improving the user experience are their top Web priorities for 2008. Most of the respondents' 2007 budget dollars went to actual site management which provided staffing, tools, services and other resources needed to run their Web sites. With staffing and tools in place for 2008, 57% said that testing will be an important focus, with 17% stating that it will be their top priority.

Additionally, the survey revealed that 69% of online retailers were moderately confident to confident about the effectiveness and performance of their current Web channel programs and strategies, noting that there were a few fairly serious concerns that needed to be corrected. 14% surveyed expressed significant-to-major concerns about Web performance.

Conducted by SiteSpect, Inc., the leader in non-intrusive Web site conversion optimization technology, the survey gathered responses on August 6th and 7th from 70 marketing and e-commerce professionals attending eTail 2007 in Washington, D.C.

Some of the most pertinent findings in the survey include:

• 54% of Web marketers are currently performing A/B and/or multivariate tests to gauge the effectiveness of their Web pages.
  • Of that group 75% are only running A/B tests
• The majority of marketers (33%) indicated that they launch A/B and multivariate tests on a monthly basis, while 31% are testing on a weekly basis and only 17% test daily.
• The most common optimization tests that retailers ran were:
  • Headlines/copy and text
  • Graphic placement
  • Page layout and formatting

When asked an open ended question about the biggest challenge they face in improving the effectiveness of their Web channel, many marketers mentioned lack of resources, in addition to budget and time constraints as their top obstacles.

"These results reveal the pressures online marketers are under today to boost Web site performance, yet many feel they are missing crucial resources such as time and budget they need to have an effective site," said Eric J. Hansen, president of SiteSpect. "A/B and multivariate testing tools can have a tremendous impact on improving Web performance, and ROI can be immediate - especially with solutions that allow marketers to develop and launch tests in minutes. For marketers who have already adopted testing to optimize entry points to their sites, such as landing pages and the home page, they'll next need to consider internal areas of their sites for further optimization. This means testing and optimizing site search results, navigation, checkout, and other areas where users must successfully complete a multi-step process in order to reach a marketing goal. Testing tools that can accurately test dynamic content and measure user experience will be vital to these types of advanced Web optimization."

About SiteSpect, Inc.

SiteSpect enables Web marketers to optimize web site effectiveness through multivariate testing and behavioral targeting. By testing variations of landing pages, product descriptions, search results and buy-flows, SiteSpect allows marketers to fine-tune every aspect of their Web site on a segment-by-segment basis. As the first and only non-intrusive solution available, SiteSpect empowers marketers to optimize their sites without the need for ongoing IT involvement. SiteSpect's patent-pending technology is used in some of the world's largest and most successful e-commerce sites. For more information, visit www.SiteSpect.com or call (617) 859-1900.

This is an excerpt of an article published by SiteSpect in MediaPost Performance Insider; click here for the full text.

SiteSpect, Inc., the leader in non-intrusive Web site conversion optimization technology, today announced that ShopNBC has deployed SiteSpect for conducting online multivariate testing to improve its Web site user experience. SiteSpect's unique patent-pending technology is allowing ShopNBC to create tests and optimize conversions without page tagging, JavaScript or site content changes.

ShopNBC, an integrated direct marketing company, turned to SiteSpect for its ability to provide multivariate testing of dynamic site content and promotions. Since many of ShopNBC's promotions are coordinated in real-time across channels -- Web, television, and direct mail -- a solution was needed for rapidly creating tests and analyzing shopper response. SiteSpect's technology is enabling ShopNBC to optimize conversions without involvement from IT or Web development resources.

Along with deploying SiteSpect's technology solution, ShopNBC also engaged SiteSpect's Professional Services Team to implement and manage its online test campaigns. The SiteSpect Professional Services Team works closely with ShopNBC to design effective tests and analyze their results.

"The productivity of the solution has been remarkable," said Geoff Smith, Vice President of ShopNBC.com. "After working with SiteSpect's team to define the site elements that we want to test, the tests are ready to go within one or two days. All of this gets done without us needing to tag pages or rework content. The speed and flexibility of the SiteSpect solution are proving to be instrumental in optimizing our Web presence."

SiteSpect's multivariate testing process is focused, involving just SiteSpect's Professional Services Team and ShopNBC's Internet team. Test ideas are discussed, agreed upon and then SiteSpect sets up the tests and presents them for ShopNBC's approval. This is a simple process whereby ShopNBC's personnel can log into the SiteSpect system to preview the tests for accuracy, and then activate the tests themselves with the click of a button.

"I'm pleased with the way our technology and professional services are eliminating much of the inefficiency typically associated with consulting activities", said Eric Hansen, President of SiteSpect. "In a situation where an outside party has been retained to do the work -- in this case us, but this could apply to any agency -- SiteSpect's non-intrusive technology is providing real value to both parties. Since our staff is able to work independent of client IT resources, the whole process is faster and more cost effective for everyone."

About SiteSpect, Inc.

SiteSpect enables Web marketers to optimize Web site effectiveness through multivariate testing. By testing variations of landing pages, product descriptions, search results and buy-flows, SiteSpect allows marketers to fine-tune every aspect of their Web site to increase profitability. As the first and only non-intrusive solution available, SiteSpect empowers marketers to optimize their sites without the need for ongoing IT involvement. SiteSpect's patent-pending technology is used in some of the world's largest and most successful e-commerce sites. For more information, visit www.SiteSpect.com or call (617) 859-1900.

About ValueVision

Founded in 1990, ValueVision Media is an integrated direct marketing company that sells general merchandise directly to consumers through television, the Internet, and direct mail. It operates ShopNBC, one of the top three television shopping networks in the United States and companion Web site www.ShopNBC.com, an Internet Retailer Top 100 Web site. For more information, please visit www.ValueVisionMedia.com, www.ShopNBC.com, or www.ShopNBC.TV.

• How Web site optimization can improve a customer's experience online and in return increase profitability for your business
• How to test content variations to determine which ones are most effective at persuading visitors to make purchases, register for new accounts, or adopt self-service functions
• How to target and identify 'high value' customers who are most likely to make a purchase
• Practical ways to conduct an analysis of test results
• A simple yet effective program for ongoing site testing and optimization

Where: DM Days New York Conference & Expo, Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York, NY, June 19-21, 2007

Who: Eric J. Hansen, President

When: Thursday, June 21, 11:15 a.m. - 12:10 p.m., session title: Web Site Optimization: The Key to Maximizing Conversion Rates