Episode 53: Evidence Based Web Development

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Knowing what works on your website is critical. Here are some tools to help you find evidence of what works best.

Geek Tool

• 02:15 – Gorillapod - Flexible camera tripod

Webapps

• 04:47 – Posterous – Create a place for your “stuff” with only an email.
  • Tip from Ryan Heimbuch
• 08:33 - FollowBase – Listing of companies that provide support via twitter

Topic

• 11:26 – Evidence Based Web Development
  • Split (A/B) Testing
  • Tools
    • Google Website Optimizer
    • PHP Script
    • Django plugin for split testing
  • Tests to get you started
    • Headline
    • Sub-headline
    • Opening paragraph
    • Call to action
    • Submit buttons
    • Colors
    • Check similar sites in your industry and try similar elements
  • Knowing when you are finished
    • If the result of page A was 20 conversions, and the result of page B was 30 conversions, then the difference between the two is 10.
    • The sum of the two results is 50
    • The square root of that sum is 7 (rounded down)
    • The difference (10) is greater than the square root of the sum (7), so the result is statistically significant.
  • Companies that primarily use split testing
    • Amazon.com
    • Google
    • Intuit
    • Microsoft
    • Ebay
    • Yahoo
  • Analysis of Amazons add to cart button over the years
  • Top Google designer shows criticism of the amount of engineering Google puts into its designs

Tags: amazon, Django, followbase, google, php, posterous, split, statistics, testing

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 26th, 2010 at 3:00 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

10 Responses to “Episode 53: Evidence Based Web Development”

• Ced W Says:
  January 27th, 2010 at 5:08 pm

  good show as always! haven’t done the split testing let alone heard about it, but I can use it for a site I’m working with now for sure…
• Jade Robbins Says:
  January 29th, 2010 at 11:40 am

  Yeah, I mean it’s something to bring up to your clients at least. Try and help them get the most out of features you are implementing.
• Tyghe Says:
  May 17th, 2010 at 10:52 am

  The gorilla pod has a bigger version for bigger camera’s like DSLR’s that can hold them as well which is awesome. I have one that I always forget to bring with me
• Jade Robbins Says:
  May 17th, 2010 at 9:07 pm

  O rly?! I had no clue. I’ll have to pick one up.
• Episode 85: Website Monitoring, Usage, and Stats | Faceoff Show Says:
  September 7th, 2010 at 3:03 am

  [...] A/B split testing [...]
• Episode 125: Increasing Conversions | Faceoff Show Says:
  June 13th, 2011 at 7:21 pm

  [...] Track it, Faceoff Episode 53 – Evidence based web development [...]
• web design Says:
  February 26th, 2014 at 8:16 pm

  Maintaining a website and make expenses on its development is
  a worth if it attracts traffic. We would soon come up with the
  technical skills as well, that would further help the
  website developers and designers to work technically well.
  Ask them many questions regarding to the work satisfaction and
  other experience with the companies or developer personally.
• bit.ly Says:
  July 27th, 2014 at 7:43 pm

  Excellent blog here! Also your website loads up very fast!
  What host are you using? Can I get your affiliate
  link to your host? I wish my web site loaded up as quickly as yours lol
• click here Says:
  September 18th, 2014 at 11:38 pm

  Kapitalnie się czyta twoje artykuły. Liczę na więcej!
• Patti Says:
  October 18th, 2014 at 6:07 am

  In holistic medicine, a symptom is considered
  a message that something needs attention.

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