I’m always intrigued by direct marketing test results. As any veteran direct marketer can tell you, the things that make the biggest differences are not always what you’d expect.
Two such cases were cited in a recent issue of Internet Retailer. Both involved Treepodia, a developer of online video content.
Surprise #1. Treepodia develops two types of videos. The simpler type is akin to an automated Powerpoint presentation, with still product images and overlaid text. The other is a full-feature video with models displaying product in a moving scene.
Which works better? So far, Treepodia hasn’t found a difference in conversion rates.
Surprise #2. On one of ther full-featured videos, Treepodia tested a version with text subtitles (such as “Best Seller”) vs. one without. I’m not surprised that the subtitled version one won, but the difference in results was far wider than I would have guessed.
Conversion rate without subtitles: 2.0%. With subtitles: 9.2%! Both are on the Treepodia site so you can compare the two versions.
Once again, the moral of the story is to keep testing and never assume you know the answers.
