” Some like it hot and some sweat when the heat is on.
Some feel the heat and decide that they cant go on.
Some like it hot, but you can’t tell how hot til you try.
Some like it hot, so let’s turn up the heat til we fry. “
A friend of mine is a software programmer/coder/marketer. He’s building a new split test product and I asked him to make sure it can run A/B/C split tests and not just A/B split tests, because many moons ago, I started trying a routine that I’d never heard of, but am sure somebody before me has tried.
It’s kind of the “Goldilocks and The Three Bears” type of split tests.
You know the old story. Goldilocks broke in, which is still be a misdemeanor in most places, “borrowed” some of the Three Bears things and then ran off.
In one instance, she gobbled porridge. One bowl was too hot, one bowl was too cold and one was just right.
Your ads, your sales letters, your landing pages, etc., are judged the same way by the people who read them.
Each market has a different tolerance for hype, hence the “Some Like It Hot” reference.
Some tolerate, even like, a lot of hype or heat.
Some want cold, technical details and calculations.
Some need, or want, audio, video, testimonials, social proof, etc.
Some like a balance of every possible element, hence, they want it just right.
Before you bother trying a new headline, before you replace Tahoma with Courier, before you change from red to blue, before you try with or without audio, photos, video and any other item that all good marketers split test, try this:
1) One landing page, ad or sales letter with all the hype you can generate.
2) One landing page, ad or sales letter with all the cold, calculating data you can dig up.
3) One landing page, ad or sales letter with a balance of all the elements.
The results may surprise you. Don’t be afraid to try hype (heat), as some markets that haven’t been blasted with way over the top marketing messages have been found to respond well to hype (heat).
Other markets, who have been typically hyped to heck, have been found to respond well to cold, calculations, data and charts, case studies, white papers, etc.
The moral of today’s story is this:
Online marketing split testing is very, very inexpensive, as compared to what the old masters, such as Ogilvy, Schwartz and Hopkins had available to them.
So use ” The Powerstation Method of Split Testing “ and see if you can easily and quickly find out just how hot your market likes their porridge.
” Some like it hot and some sweat when the heat is on,
Some feel the heat and decide that they cant go on.
Some like it hot, but you can’t tell how hot til you try,
Some like it hot, so let’s turn up the heat til we fry. “
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Taguchi (multi-variate) testing is a much more powerful tool for increasing landing page conversion rates than simple A/B/C split testing. With a growing number of Taguchi software tools and testing services available, I’m not sure I see value in a mere A/B/C split test tool.
Thanks for your input Bob.
I didn’t mean to, nor do I think I implied simple A/B/C split testing, as I explicitly explained the need for three completely different levels of hype(heat) would be needed, not just three different headlines, subheads, etc.
After finding the market’s level of comfort, then I’d be all for multi-variate testing, if it were a piece that would be worth the time, effort and expense to do that.
My audience isn’t nearly as astute as you might be, nor are they as proficient with complex strategies and tools.
I personally don’t want to use something as complicated as multi-variate tools for simple AdWords ads, opt-in pages or simple landing pages.
Nor do I want to bother with such as that for small item sales letters. I prefer to work thru the process and learn that market, rather than letting a piece of software do the learning for me and not improving my marketing prowess in the least.
For long copy sales letters, that are for high-ticket items, I can see the possibilities, but not for simple things as I intended this strategy for.
Thanks for dropping by and I appreciate the time you took to comment here.
I’d advise any reader who wants more info about multi-variate testing to drop by Bob’s blog and hit him up for more info and education on using such tools.
We’re simple around here, preferring to get the job done simply and keep the cookies down where everyone can enjoy them.
Thanks again, Bob, for adding to the conversation and come back soon.
I had dinner with Internet marketing guru Terry Dean last night, and he told me Google has a new Taguchi testing tool for landing pages in beta. It’s free to their Adwords customers. Reason: the better their advertisers’ conversion rates, the more money these advertisers can afford to spend on PPC advertising.
I believe every word you say Bob. I’m not arguing against your point, just trying to make my own.
My point for this post, which I think you may have missed, or I didn’t make clear enough, is this:
You need to determine the amount of hype (heat) BEFORE you get to the point of using Taguchi, sushi or any other Japanese phrase.
B-E-F-O-R-E you waste time, effort and money, determine which style/type of ad, landing page, sales letter will be the best style/type.
Engineers won’t respond to a hypey sales letters no matter how much you tweak it, Taguchi it or whatever.
Bizzoppers won’t respond to charts and graphs and white papers, no matter if Taguchi, Dean or Caples colors ‘em with new crayons.
You’ll notice I said this method worked for me, as it befits the way I prefer to do things.
Marketing, as you well know, is not a one-size fits all endeavor. Everybody’s entitled to work their own way.
You can tweak the hell out of the wrong style/type of ad, landing page or sales letter and it still wouldn’t be as effective as a fully tweaked one of the style/type that the market responds to.
Thanks for coming by and commenting, Bob.
Maybe one day we’ll get you to the point where you ADD to the conversation in a friendly, non-combative way and you’ll be much more effective, as a blogger and commenter, which would more befit a man of your marketing stature.
Your a legend, Bob, all we little people really need you to do is ADD to our conversations when you can. Please don’t disparage everything we say.
BTW – Next time you and Terry are having a dinner, feel free to call. I like dinners too, you know.
Now my feelings are hurt, Bob.
I’ll have to drive the couple of hours from one of my homes to Terry’s and eat dinner with him, too, just so you won’t be able to hurt my feelings like that again.