Saint Jude Retreat House Test
| VERSION A |
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How site visitors voted:
VERSION A (70%)
VERSION B (30%)
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Actual Test Results:
Version A inspired 42% more visitors to call the 800-number. The Saint Jude Retreat House, a non-12-step addiction treatment program, worked with conversion optimization firm WiderFunnel Marketing Optimization to conduct A/B tests on its PPC landing page (also used as its homepage) using Google Website Optimizer. Although the site has lead generation forms, inbound calls are substantially more valuable for the organization, so the tests focused on getting more prospects to pick up the phone. Unique telephone numbers were assigned to each version of the landing page. Matching numbers appeared throughout the site and returning visitors saw the same number they had seen when they first came to the site. Our take: These two test pages are different in so many ways — copy, graphics, length, etc. — that we can’t know which elements had the most impact. However, we suspect dumping the generic “Welcome” headline in favor of a benefit-oriented headline and showing real human beings, instead of buildings, were among the key contributing factors. This test should inspire other lead generation marketers who want to pump up inbound phone calls to start testing already! Sponsor Message: Click here for your FREE landing page evaluation from WhichTestWon’s sponsor WiderFunnel. Signing up takes 20 seconds! |
B does not answer the fundamental question of “What do they do” in a scan-able way. Pretty obvious winner for me this time.
I got it wrong unfortunately
I love your site and the test are great. I would like to see larger screen shot images for the examples. Currently the ones that pop up are no bigger than the original. I makes evaluating the page easier.
Personally, I thought B has too much content and looked like an official medical document. Kinda scary when it’s something sensitive and personal like alcoholism. A was softer and more inviting, and I’m a sucker for nice graphics.
People are instinctively attracted to other people and eyes are drawn to faces naturally so we can gauge expression. Placing the phone number next the faces makes sure it gets noticed.
My suspicion about the strength of A is that real faces of real people are on the other end of the line, rather than a postcard of a building. If I call, I can talk to someone real. They are here to help. This is design capitalizing on a psychosocial need rather than cognition or visual perception.
I’m 45 for 46.
I don’t think the photos are the thing here. I think it’s a much more tightly organized presentation and call to action. Seems very well thought out, whereas the other looks like a graphic artist’s idea of a good landing page. The tight header and smaller text brings a ton of info above the fold.
Thanks for the educational service!
I certainly agree with Paul completely. The visual of the people reduces the fear of calling.
However, A doesn’t appeal to more rational personalities. It makes a claim in the headline that it does not support with any additional information other than “success stories” which a more skeptical consumer always looks at with well-founded skepticism.
If you think about the person that a) has an abuse problem AND b) can afford a treatment center, they probably have been successful at something and would fit into this skeptical group. The other possibility is that its someone’s parent or loved one calling, in which case, they probably want more facts and less fluff.
I would probably test A (headline and pictures of consultants) with the main body copy (7 reasons) of B.
I was wrong – went against my gut in favor of longer copy. I thought I was being clever.
The pics and success stories of the people definitely sell it – Version B (minus the copy) could have been a travel story about a stay in a gorgeous old mansion somewhere.
I also liked the ambiguity of the mother/son pic. It might not be the son who has the drinking/drugs problem…
I suspect that you could take out the picture and move the call to action and the form up higher and get better results. Usability is key. Photos are required in say Yellow Page ads where you have to attract attention. I don’t believe the gratuitous smiling face photo helps much if at all in cases like this. It just distracts from the close.
The killer “offer” was what did it for me! Such a bold claim…
I thought A because in a situation like this humans seem more compelling than ’7 reasons’. In other situations I might have selected the page listing the 7 reasons. To me it indicates that there is no common rule and performance is dictated by circumstance and how the page design responds to that.
Bingo – thanks again
‘A’ has more concise content, a clearer headline, a smaller header to bring more of the valuable content above the fold, a strong focus on the emotional photo that leads to the phone number and good, short success stories.
I got it wrong, I picked B for exactly the same reasons that made A the winner: the pictures… I thought that all these faces made it look like a cheap “grow more fat” or “lose hair” ad, and that the building looked a lot more serious and tangible, which I thought should be reassuring for the targeted audience…
I think the religious overtones are far more apparent in B, which can put a whole demographic off. The copy also tries to market itself as better than conventional ‘cures’. So to me it comes across as strong handed and not sensitive enough for the subject matter.
A is shorter.
A presents cleanly and makes an excellent impression.
Additionally, A makes a clear call to action left to right.
I got it right… that makes two so far… or approx 10% of the tests I’ve done!
Testimonials and happy faces are very good.
Yeah and next we’ll be debating oil spills!
I voted B somewhat cynically on the basis that the image of the house with the text “Permanent Solution” underneath would appeal to those people whose are accutely suffering due to their loved ones’ drug and alcohol problems. Sending these people ‘away’ is the easiest solution. I think the correct image depends on the target market of who makes the call (whether the family, friends, or the addict themselves). Perhaps varying the image depending on the landing page for search terms would be a good option.