The Stats Don’t Lie
A few weeks ago I started split testing different variations of the sales page for my CPA Quantum video course.
This was especially important because I had just moved CPA Quantum to be sold on the Clickbank platform to attract more affiliates to start promoting it.
So I wanted to make sure that I was continually improving the sales page to maximize the earnings per click (EPC) for the affiliates.
I used to use Google web site optimizer for my split tests, but have recently switched for three reasons:
1. Google web site optimizer will no longer be around in a few weeks.
2. The stats were not in real-time.
3. I don’t trust Google.
I have been using a service called Visual Website Optimizer, which makes split-testing much easier than Google web site optimizer ever did.
I basically tested two variations of the sales video:
Variation 1 – Video with full controls.
Variation 2 – Video with only a pause function when somebody clicked on the video.
The second variation where the prospect could only pause the video and not fast forward the video outperformed the control by 3 to 1.
This basically means that the second variation outperformed the first variation by 300%!
Now, I know that many of you including myself sometimes cringe when we see videos like this, but that stats don’t lie.
The video with only a pause function simply converted better in this test.
You may hesitate to do this with your own sales videos, but you need to put your Internet marketing hat on and take off your consumer hat.
If you want to increase your own conversions, running a similar test may yield the same results.
Basically you might triple your sales.
Are you still cringing?
The reason for the dramatic rise in conversions is quite simple. You are basically forcing the prospect to consume the entire sales message, which eventually converts the prospect into a customer.
I use a program called Flowplayer to stream my sales videos and you can download it at:
http://flowplayer.org/download/
This is an example of what you code should look like to eliminate video controls except the ability to pause.
<!– this A tag is where your Flowplayer will be placed. it can be anywhere –>
<a href=”http://yourdomain.com/yourvideo.mp4″
style=”display:block;width:640px;height:380px”
id=”player”>
</a>
<!– this will install flowplayer inside previous A- tag. –>
<script>
flowplayer(“player”, “http://www.yourdomain.com/flowplayer/flowplayer-3.2.5.swf”,{
plugins: {
// disable autoloading of the controlbar plugin
controls: null
},
// disable the “overlay play button” (for some reason this does not work in this forum)
// play: null,
// prevent pausing
onBeforePause: function() {
return true;
},
// make the video loop
onBeforeFinish: function() {
return false;
}
});
</script>
I plan to run this test a little longer to see if the statistics hold steady and then will eventually test what I personally hate most… a sales video WITHOUT any controls.
If the conversion rate once again rises, who am I to complain. 
Comments?
Gauher Chaudhry
Share
July 25, 2012
5:22 pm #comment-1
I bumped my sales by using a video with NO controls. They can’t even pause the video…my sales went up. The buy button is timed to pop at 16:45 and people would pause the video and the buy button would come up. Being like dogs on crack they would click the button see the price and leave before I could show them the value.
Charles Kirkland
July 25, 2012
5:25 pm #comment-2
I received similar results by testing this in the dating niche, though I found higher conversions when I made it so that the add to cart button appears immediately IF the visitor returns to the page (ie delayed if it’s their first visit, but not if they are returning).
The next thing to test is having controls on the video when people return (ie it’s their 2nd, 3rd or more times visiting the page).
After that I want to test having a written copy below the video if they are returning to the page.
Great test Gauher, love seeing real test results rather than mere ‘opinions’.
All the best,
Mark
July 25, 2012
5:37 pm #comment-3
Nice post Gauher,
Thanks for the tips and the testing.
Yes, I cringe a sales videos. I like it when they tell
me how long it is, at least I can figure if I have the time or not.
I also had no idea Google is doing away with optimizer.
I’m shocked that you don’t trust big “G”!
July 25, 2012
5:47 pm #comment-4
Hey Gauher,
Thats interesting as I have the same hate for those videos without controls and often wondered how others would feel. I always thought that maybe the uncontrolled videos would get optins, but would they really get sales????
Cheers for the feedback on this one and for the links on Flowplayer. Hope your course sells well on Clickbank.
Anthony
July 25, 2012
6:34 pm #comment-5
Yup G is a bad letter word…. marketers and G share no more love….!!! Thats G for Google,, lot of love for G-man Gauher LOL !
Brilliant Post G… simple tools and tracking that you can take immediate action on! How easy it is to implement VWO, and use it the results!
… VWO keeps adding value for product owners…. or for a lead gen biz, the visual web optimizer will allow you to track visitors to multiple destination pages and measure 10 or more user engagements on the landing page links clicked and images clicked any webpage event ….etc….
I have been using VWO for the last 18 months and getclicky (traffic stats) for those REALTIME data… I found an insane value beyond the upfront sales conversion …. for your lead list VWO can add another 10x sales volume because you can see exactly what & where the lookers and shoppers. are doing… when you combine aweber optin email opens , and getclick traffic stats , you can combine stats from different platforms and merge the data. its a complete lead profile… a super targeted lists.! When I addded this data to my leads I sold – value went form from $35-50 a lead to 125-150 – I call them MSU eLeads. Multiple Social User-Engagement….. and for high value cost items, telephone followup sales increase 600%…. amazing tool and observations indeed!
July 25, 2012
6:49 pm #comment-6
dude
As always I love reading your posts because you give out so much cool info for free. Damn I really need to get more into CPA offers and promoting them more.
July 25, 2012
8:57 pm #comment-7
Strange … my personal reaction is if there are absolutely NO CONTROLS and no indication of the length of the video, I automatically close the same, unless it’s one of yours of course. LOL
Got caught more than once where a video went on, and on, and on, etc. No more thank you.
July 25, 2012
9:10 pm #comment-8
Excellent Test man. Thanks for the share
July 26, 2012
2:09 pm #comment-9
I hate videos that can’t be paused or have no controls. Figures that a non paused video would increase sales.
By the way, Gauer, you’re a Don. When your first 2 commenters are by Charles Kirkland and Mark Ling.
July 27, 2012
10:20 am #comment-10
Charles: Good point Charles. That is why it will be important for me to test without any controls and using a time script to pop the price.
Mark: Is there a script that you use to detect if it is the visitors return visit?
Blase: I don’t recommend using Google tools anymore because who know what they do with your data.
Kampester: Yes! So far I am enjoying VWO much more than I ever did with Google Optimizer.
Ray: It simply means I am OLD and have been around way too long. LOL
July 27, 2012
3:56 pm #comment-11
Hi Gauher – Very good post, thanks for sharing the results of this split test. Do you mind telling us the traffic sources used for the split test? i.e., self-serve networks? Facebook?
Thanks!
- Dave
July 28, 2012
11:32 pm #comment-12
Hey Mark Ling,
Thanks for that share – those are some good tips that are “not so obvious” – clearly you’ve done a lot of testing on that. Have you done that all with custom PHP scripts? or did you find something to make it any easier?
Thanks!
July 29, 2012
4:29 am #comment-13
Hi Dave,
My own list and affiliate traffic.
Cheers
Gauher
August 9, 2012
1:27 pm #comment-14
Well this is interesting as i was just listening to a book by Seth Godin “We are all weird” and this test truly confirms the psychology behind it. People love choices and they respond well to choices. They feel enriched. It could be that little choice of buttons but as long as it is a choice people feel empowered!