Discover What Really Works in Optimization

MarketingExperiments is a publishing branch of the MECLABS Institute, a research laboratory with a simple (but not easy) seven-word mission statement: To discover what really works in optimization. We focus all of our experimentation on optimizing marketing communications. We test every conceivable approach and publish the results (at no charge) in the MarketingExperiments Journal (subscribe).

There are three ways to use this site:

1. Self-Guided Learning: Access, for free, more than $20 million in primary marketing research and experiments via our web clinics, MarketingExperiments Journal and research directory.
2. Formal Training: Learn how to increase your marketing ROI through live events & workshops, online certification courses and live company training.
3. Research Partnership: Apply for a research partnership and let the MarketingExperiments team help drive conversions and ROI for your subscription, lead-generation, ecommerce, email and other online marketing efforts.

Blog

	January 28th, 2016 Discover the Power of the “Only-Factor" to Drive Conversion Find out how exploiting your “Only-Factor” can drive remarkable lifts in conversions.
	January 25th, 2016 Exclusivity: Does your product and offer stand out from the competition? What makes or breaks a startup company? One key element is an effective value proposition. Read on to learn how to effectively use your value proposition.
	January 21st, 2016 This 1960s Statistician Can Teach You Everything You Need to Know About the Fundamentals of A/B Testing J. Stuart Hunter is one of the most influential statisticians of the last half of the twentieth century. Watch some of his experimental designs for a business model that he recorded in the 1960s to learn what we mean when we say "scientifically valid experiments."

See How Our Web Clinics Are Produced

Recent Research (presented on a Live Web Clinic)

Boost Your Online Ads (Watch) Boost Your Online Ads: Strengthen your value proposition by focusing on your "Only-Factor" 35-minute live web clinic replay As marketers, we should constantly strive to reassess and strengthen our core value proposition. And perhaps no two aspects of a strong value proposition are more important than 1) appeal and 2) exclusivity. Appeal is what makes our customers say "I want this," and exclusivity is what makes them say, "I can only get this from you." While both of these variables are important, it is their point of intersection – the powerful "Only-Factor" between appeal and exclusivity -- that truly propels our prospects to click on our ads. Watch the full, 35-minute video replay to discover how to identify and leverage your own "Only-factor." And see tests that best illustrate the power of this principal, including one test that led to a 74% increase in response. Read This Report ... The Top 5 Marketing Discoveries of 2015 (Watch) The Top 5 Marketing Discoveries of 2015: 12 months of research in just 60 minutes Over the past 12 months, the research team has conducted thousands of experiments on hundreds of landing pages across the Web. From landing pages, to lead forms, to subject lines and calls-to-action, the MarketingExperiments team has distilled discovery after discovery over the past 12 months. However, digital marketers don’t always have the time to watch through every single clinic. In this 60-minute year in review, we’ll look at the top discoveries for 2015 and strategies that you can implement for successful campaigns in 2016. Read This Report ... Strengthen Your Copy in 35 Minutes (Watch) Strengthen Your Copy in 35 Minutes: Proven strategies to boost the effectiveness of your words As marketers, we are under constant pressure to quickly pump out copy, often under seemingly impossible deadlines. Without always having the time to test, how can we give our copy the best chance of actually being effective? The research team shared tests and revealed actionable principles that answered such vital questions as: How long should your copy be? What format should it take? What specific points should be emphasized? What order should your copy be arranged in? They also provided viewers with takeaways that marketers can leverage for their own copywriting needs. Read This Report ... Optimizing Email Capture (Watch) Optimizing Email Capture: How a simple form change led to a 364% increase in leads without sacrificing quality As marketers, we're beginning to understand the basic principles of optimization. However, email capture forms continue to lag behind in optimization. Customers have become untrusting, using junk email addresses and other creative tactics, which makes each new subscriber increasingly important for marketers in maintaining a healthy list size. Because the email capture form provides marketers with the opportunity for specificity, segmentation and the ability to qualify leads, it is essential to ensure the right people are getting on your lists. The research team shared tests and revealed actionable tactics to improve email capture, including one test that resulted in a 364% increase in leads. They also provided viewers with takeaways that marketers can leverage for their own email capture campaigns. Read This Report ... How to Write Headlines That Convert (Watch,  Listen) How to Write Headlines That Convert: Key discoveries from a meta-analysis of 15 years of behavioral research The headline is a simple element to change on your site — you don't need any special coding skills or additional technology to make it happen. Yet, they require serious attention. In this Web clinic, the research team shared a case study in which a headline change resulted in an 816% increase in conversion, just from understanding the cognitive psychology of the primary customer. Marketing campaigns are so dependent on headlines that MECLABS had three writers perform a meta-analysis of more than 15 years of behavioral research. They measured real customer reactions to websites and campaigns from B2B, B2C and nonprofit brands. The research team revealed key discoveries from this meta-analysis to help any marketer — no matter how much or how little copywriting experience they have — create more effective headlines. You'll learn actionable principles for creating headlines that you can implement to improve the results of your marketing campaigns, emails and websites. Read This Report ... Personalized Messaging Tested (Watch,  Listen) Personalized Messaging Tested: How little changes to an email send led to a 380% change in response rate Whether or not an email send is successful comes down to one primary factor: the messaging. While many companies strive to get audiences interested in products via email, nonprofits have the challenge of asking for donations via email — money spent towards an organization that does not directly benefit the donor. In this Web clinic replay, special guest Tim Kachuriak, Chief Innovation and Optimization Officer, NextAfter, shares his expertise from working with nonprofit organizations on email campaigns. Tim and the research team analyzed specific ways that you can generate interest in an email and strategies you can use to move forward with testing your way to successful campaigns, including an example test that lead to a 380% increase in revenue per email. Read This Report ... Does Seasonal Messaging Really Work? (Watch,  Listen) Does Seasonal Messaging Really Work? How one company's wrong assumptions led to a 25% decrease in clickthrough Staying relevant to your customers is key in developing a marketing strategy that really works. Many marketers attempt to remain relatable with seasonal campaigns, such as winter holiday campaigns or events like back-to-school. However, seasonal campaigns might not be the best fit, or might not be appropriately executed in all industries. In this Web clinic replay, the research team reveals strategies for striking a balance between clarity and seasonality and shares a test from one company that resulted in a 25% change in clickthrough rate. Read This Report ... Branded Design Tested (Watch,  Listen) Branded Design Tested: How simple changes in page element aesthetics led to a 51% increase in subscriptions Brand strategy has never been more important. The logos, colors and design of a website have the power to immediately orient customers and prospects when they land on your site. When used properly, design elements and aesthetic choices also act to reinforce the value proposition. However, it’s important to understand that there must be a balance so that design elements do not become conversion obstacles. In this Web clinic replay, the research team will share strategies for testing your way into a balanced site as well as a test on branding that resulted in a 51% difference in conversions. Read This Report ... Harnessing Customer Motivation (Watch,  Listen) Harnessing Customer Motivation: How one company increased conversion by 65% by aligning page elements with customer desire As marketers, we must ensure the elements on the page align with the specific thought processes of our prospective customers, empowering them to proceed rather than filling them with anxiety or confusion. The most essential element in the sales process is customer motivation. Unfortunately, it is also the hardest variable for us to influence. Understanding the thoughts of the highly-motivated customer is imperative so that we can then use that motivation to bring about a desirable outcome. In this Web clinic replay, the research team shares two key principles on understanding and harnessing customer motivation, gleaned from two tests. The team also shares four questions to ask when evaluating your own customers’ behavior on your site. Read This Report ... The Power of the Properly Sequenced Subject Line (Watch,  Listen) The Power of the Properly Sequenced Subject Line: Improve email performance by using the right words, in the right order Across all age ranges, U.S. adults said that they preferred companies to contact them via email as opposed to any other medium (according to a 2015 MarketingSherpa survey). However, that does not necessarily mean customers are anxiously awaiting your sends. With customers’ inboxes being flooded daily with ads and newsletters, they carefully skim the subject lines, searching for easy emails to eliminate. In this Web clinic replay, the research team shares three observations on crafting effective subject lines gleaned from two tests, including an experiment which resulted in a 26% increase in clickthrough rate. Read This Report ... Incorporating Video in Your Mobile Strategy (Watch,  Listen) Incorporating Video in Your Mobile Strategy: 2 key principles that helped one company boost mobile conversion by over 50% Eight out of 10 American Internet users regularly watch or download videos, according to a Pew Research Center Report (2013). Over the past five years, the ability to create and share content on smartphones has fueled the expansion of video. How do you determine the most effective way to incorporate video in your mobile strategy? In this Web clinic replay, the research team shares two key principles for leveraging the use of video to increase the performance of digital collateral, including a test where one company increased mobile conversion by over 50%. Read This Report ... Increasing User Engagement (Watch,  Listen) Increasing User Engagement: How one company tested its site navigation and increased clickthrough by over 35% For many organizations, site engagement is one of the most effective indicators of quantifiable conversion potential that is monitored by analytics. What if you could more effectively influence visitors’ actions on your website? In this Web clinic replay, our research team will reveal three proven tactics that can boost engagement on your website as well as a case study demonstrating how one company tested navigation structures, resulting in a 35% increase in clickthrough rate increase. Read This Report ... Special Live Optimization Session (with Flint McGlaughlin) (Watch,  Listen) Special Live Optimization Session (with Flint McGlaughlin): The top discoveries from 2014 (over 300 tests) applied to your pages At the crossroad in a customer’s mind between "yes" and "no," elements on your page propel him toward his ultimate decision. However, are the pieces on your site leading your customer down a path that is favorable to you and your business? In this Web clinic replay, Flint McGlaughlin, Managing Director and CEO, MECLABS Institute, explains which parts of websites impact a customer’s decision making strategy, and he also identifies components through audience-submitted pages during live optimization. Read This Report ...