3 Comments

Google Website Optimizer added to Adwords

Oct 18, 2006
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Google just announced a new multivariate testing tool called Google WebSiteOptimizer here at emetrics summit in Washington DC.

The software works within Adwords and enables you to test different headlines, graphics, and other page elements to see which ones and which combinations produce the best conversion results. They have a service provider network in place to assist customers with the preparation and execution of tests. More details here as they become available.

This new product is currently in beta mode, and Brett Crosby, Senior Manager of Google Analytics told me that they’re looking for certain types of high volume accounts for the test. In other words, this is not a Google beta where just anyone will be able to sign up and get approved. The product will be in invitation only beta for a few months, then become widely available.

This product competes with Optimost, Sitespect, and Offermatica. Interestingly, Optimost is listed as a consulting partner for Google Optimizer, but there was no announcement of Optimost licenced code inside the Google product.

The above three commerce products all carry price tags in the thousands of dollars or more on a per test or monthly basis. This Google announcement may be a little disruptive, although as with other free Google tools I think it is unlikely it will displace the high end as much as open up the lower and middle tiers.

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About Craig Danuloff

You can find Craig on Twitter @cdanuloff.

Filed under: Analytics
  • http://www.sitespect.com Eric Hansen

    Craig,

    Thanks for this timely post. For Google's nascent testing product, "free" and "multivariate" should certainly draw some interest. I look forward to seeing how things play out over the next year, building public awareness for testing as a graspable, actionable method that should be a staple of every web marketer's toolbox.

    As I think one of our competitors pointed out in a related blog post, this is also a great vote of confidence for products like SiteSpect that give web marketers the ability to test new ideas, learn what works, and avoid what doesn't.

    For those interested in using GWO when it becomes publicly available, here are a few questions that marketers should consider for determining suitability:

    do you need to test and optimize more than one page at a time, or factors that span pages? GWO is single-page testing only.
    do you have the time and resources to change your site each time you wish to test a new area? GWO is javascript/tag based, and requires web site modifications for each new area that you wish to test.
    do you need to test/vary content that's dynamically generated? Like other javascript-based testing products, GWO cannot test variations of personalized and/or dynamic content.
    do you need to optimize for more than one user objective? GWO is single-metric only.

    Finally, it was a pleasure meeting you at the eMetrics show… hope to see you in SF next year, if not sooner!

    Cheers,
    Eric

  • James

    Once again Google is providing tools that allow them to collect as much private company data from you as possible and close the customer loop.

    Just follow a typical surfer as he enters your site.

    Google Adwords – clicks and cost per conversion recorded

    Google Analytics – detailed click information recorded

    Google Website Optimizer – page elements recorded

    Google Checkout – product or service sales price recorded.

    Google now has your:

    * Avg bid price $.40
    * Avg blue widget cost per conversion $80.00
    * Avg sale price $120.00
    * YOUR PROFIT MARGIN $40.00

    Google now understands your ad budget, your cost per acquisition, product or service sale price, and detailed customer information.

    So with you and thousands of your competitors providing this free market data from advertising to sale, the loop is now closed, allowing Google to make arbitrary judgements on bid prices based upon the FREE and PRIVATE information you have provided.

    One can argue that the market will determine Adwords bid prices however we already know that with Google's landing page quality update this is simply not true. Bid prices escalated dramatically for advertisers that were deemed unsatisfactory by Google's standards.

    I would be very wary about providing so much private internal marketing data to a company that is charging you for advertising. As marketers we should know that providing your most intimate details for that "t-shirt" is simply not good business.

  • http://blogs.commerce360.com Craig Danuloff

    Great points James. I share your concerns and make similar recommendations to clients.