We’ve been previewing some new features in Google Website Optimizer and are now happy to be able to tell you about three great improvements.

Here’s a screenshot of an experiment we have in progress with the new report features showng:

1. Remove unwanted combinations
You can now selectively remove variations or combinations from a Google Website Optimizer experiment that is in progress. This is a helpful feature I’ve been asking for from the beginning, but it’s also going to be dangerous for those inexperienced in testing and must be used carefully.
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The Google Website Optimizer team is looking for your feedback and putting some cash on the table to get it. If you give them an hour of your time to do some usability testing you’ll get a $100 adwords credit.

Sign up here

The Google Website Optimizer official blog launched recently and the Google team kicked things off by featuring some of the work we did with Safe Software. It’s an interesting result that’s worth reading.

You can read their post here that includes screenshots or read the full case study showing 270% conversion rate improvement here.

As we previously announced, Google Website Optimizer has been released from within Adwords and is no longer a “beta” version, plus other enhancements.

Tom Leung, Product Manager for Google Website Optimizer, spent a few minutes with us discussing the updates, the opportunities for improving conversion rates with Google Website Optimizer, and how to use conversion optimization to advance your career - especially in a down economy.

Click the play button below to listen to the audio file of the conversation:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Or, download the mp3 here.

After only a year as a beta version accessible only within Adwords, Google announced this morning that Google Website Optimizer is going out on its own as an independent non-beta product. And they’ve made it easier to use with its own signup form, more resources and a product information blog.
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Well, not exactly never-ending, but close enough.

Last week Google quietly introduced an update to Website Optimizer that I believe is a great advancement for the tool’s accuracy and user experience, and something that we’ve been asking for. The update extends the cookie life to two years (previously 30 minutes) and across multiple browser sessions (previously only within the same browser session).

We’ve been happy to help Google out in Beta testing the new cookies before their public release and are very happy with the results.

Previously, when a person entered your experiment and then returned to the experiment page a second time (more…)

Google will be hosting their first ever webinar about Google Website Optimizer. If you haven’t used the tool yet, what are you waiting for?

Here are the details from Google:

The first online seminar, Introduction to Website Optimizer, will be geared towards those who are unfamiliar with website content testing and optimization. Tom will discuss the importance and benefits of optimizing your website design and content, and he’ll provide a detailed introduction to Website Optimizer and review the product’s latest features.

The second online seminar, Website Optimizer: Creating & Launching Experiments, builds on the first and is designed for those who have previous
experience with Website Optimizer or other site testing tools. Tom will deliver a step-by-step demonstration of how to successfully launch multivariate and A/B Split experiments, and he’ll also answer your questions.

Schedule and registration information:

Introduction to Website Optimizer (New or inexperienced users)
Tuesday, October 30th, 2007 10:00 - 11:00am PDT
Register to attend.

Website Optimizer: Creating & Launching Experiments (Intermediate and advanced users)
Thursday, November 1st, 2007 10:00 - 11:00am PDT
Register to attend.

Then when you want to develop a Funnel Experiment™ plan to maximize GWO’s potential

Contact one of our Google Authorized conversion rate optimization experts.

You may also want to check out our free resource downloads.

Now that we’ve made the ‘official’ announcement about our appointment by Google to the WOAC program, I can share a little about the training session itself.

I visited the famous Googleplex in Mountain View last week and very much enjoyed meeting the Google folks and the other pioneers in the conversion rate ‘industry’.

One of the things that has impressed me the most about the Google Website Optimizer team is how receptive they have been to our suggestions on ways to improve the product. Tom Leung and I had an in-depth discussion last week about the ways WiderFunnel is using the tool and how we think it can be improved. In fact, some of the issues I raised with Tom several weeks ago are already being addressed and will be released soon. We’re excited that WiderFunnel is already helping Google with beta testing some new features as we speak (although I can’t talk about the details just yet).

I also very much enjoyed meeting with the other WOACs. Robbin Steif of Lunametrics was forward-thinking enough to organize a sushi dinner including myself, the squirrel guys from Conversion Rate Experts and Tim and the gang from ROI Revolution. I think we all found it helpful to learn from each other about how to build the Conversion Optimization industry and specifically how to build a successful consulting business. I found it most interesting to see how each of our organizations has very different core strengths and areas of focus.

I came away feeling optimistic about the growth prospects for the industry and pleased that our unique Kaizen Method™ planning process and Website Optimizer development feedback will be able to play a key role in the industry’s development.

Thanks again for putting so much effort into organizing a successful event, Tom!

The duration of a test is one of the most frequent questions we hear from our clients. It can be frustrating to see the time remaining estimate fluctuate, or worse, steadily increase as your test progresses.

Unfortunately, there is no simple answer.

The number of test combinations and traffic level are the variables that you can calculate. And Google has provided a calculator that does a ballpark job for you.

However, there are variables to reaching statistical significance that can’t be predicted, which are:
1. The conversion rate of the control
2. The spread between the conversion rate of the control and the alternative/test

If the conversion rate is high and the spread between the control and the variations are large, the test will complete relatively quickly. If, however, the test alternatives are very similar in conversion rates to the control, it will take much longer to reach statistical significance.

That is why our advice to clients is to let us design dramatic tests rather than piddling around with a word here and there. There’s much more upside to be had in being bold with the variations.

It’s also tempting to stop an experiment before it’s complete. And that’s fine to do if it’s not completing fast enough and you want to modify it and try again. But be careful in taking learning from an incomplete test. It’s easy to infer too much into all that green on the bar when it is really not ready to tell you anything.

As the Google Analytics Blog announced this morning, Website Optimizer just got an update.

The A/B testing Wizard is the most significant advance. Now, it’s possible to easily test dramatic landing page variations without worrying about the restrictions on the types of code that can be within multivariate variables.

Perfect timing for a client A/B/n test we’ll be launching shortly. Thanks Google!