Google’s Website Optimizer allows for multivariate testing of your website.
Rather than sitting in a room and arguing over what will work better, you can save time and eliminate the guesswork by simply letting your visitors tell you what works best. We’ll guide you through the process of designing and implementing your first experiment. Start optimizing your most important web pages and see detailed reports within hours.
Google provides an online slide show with audio (a good example of one way to share online information sharing in my opinion). This tool seems to have limited experimental options to what is on the page (it does not appear, for example, that one variable could be current customer v. new visitor…). Still it looks like an very easy way to do some simple multi-factorial experiments. Google offers a list of partners [the link that Google broke was removed] for those interested in consulting and more advanced features (and for those experts reading this you can apply to be a partner).
Related: Design of experiments posts – articles on multi-factorial experimentation – Google: Experiment Quickly and Often – Data Based Decision Making at Google
I think this tool is a very smart move by Google. As I described before, Google’s potential revenue is related to how profitable advertising with Google is for customers. If Google can improve the return of advertisers, the advertisers have more reason to advertise on Google to draw more potential customers. This service would be a good item to apply Barker’s implications wheel to and see what the downstream implications are – I think they are positive for Google but…
My company is one of Google’s authorized consultants. We have been using the tool for several months with incredible success. It is true at this point that it has limited segmentation capabilities. We created a bunch of resources for people who want to know more and get started with Website Optimizer at http://www.grokdotcom.com/googlewebsiteoptimizer . Resources include a wordpress plugin, a webinar and an interview with Google’s Tom Leung.
Multivariate testing on this scale used to cost thousands a month. Now small businesses can optimize their landing pages at a level previously available only to those with deep marketing pockets. GrokDotCom has some incredible resources for those getting started. I have written an article for those who want to get started with testing at http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2007/04/increase-conversion-rates-with-the-google-website-optimizer.html.
Pingback: Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog » Combinatorial Testing for Software