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Text On Buttons Do Matter...100%

by ewenmack
17 replies
This split test would be accurate coming from someone with
a master degree in statistics, data mining and Business Intelligence.

On his sign up page button he tested

Free Instant Access

and...

Download Now!

The winner won by 100%.

It was the last one.

Here's the page...

http://www.simpleanalytics.net/googl...SideBar-Banner

Replace 3 words with 2 and get 100% bigger list growth.

Oh the power of words!

Best,
Ewen
#buttons #matter100% #text
  • Profile picture of the author Benjamin Farthing
    Do you think it was the number of words, or being clear what the button would do?

    Click "Free Instant Access!" and it isn't 100% clear what will happen. Will something start downloading? Will you be taken to another site?

    "Download Now!" tells me I'm about to start a download.

    I'd say both.

    Looks like the success comes from making buying easier (fewer words, quicker to read), and taking away the uncertainty.
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    • Profile picture of the author Memetics
      Originally Posted by Benjamin Farthing View Post

      Do you think it was the number of words, or being clear what the button would do?

      Click "Free Instant Access!" and it isn't 100% clear what will happen. Will something start downloading? Will you be taken to another site?

      "Download Now!" tells me I'm about to start a download.

      I'd say both.

      Looks like the success comes from making buying easier (fewer words, quicker to read), and taking away the uncertainty.
      I agree, easier is always better in that it makes the decision funnel that little bit more slippery.

      Nice choice of colour for the download button as the yellow is quite soft and not the neon yellow which we tend to associate with hazards.

      The button itself could have done with a little more affordance, possibly with a soft shadow and border to give it a bit of kinesthetic clickability.

      Personally I would have made the "Download now" instruction in the same colour as the writing above to tag onto the momentum of the preceding copy.

      Definitely would have got rid of the exclamation mark afterwards though just to give it a bit of Laissez faire presupposition that the reader will click. The word "Download" followed by an exclamation mark might tend to make the reader cautious, as the combination could imply that the download is risky from a virus/trojan perspective to the prospect at an unconscious level.

      As for the "No, thanks, I'll pass this opportunity. Take me to the site now..."
      option, I would change that to:

      "Thanks, but I'll have a look at the site first"

      That's a presupposition language pattern called an "Ordinal" if anyone wants to google it.
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      First we believe.....then we consider.

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      • Profile picture of the author marcos@ simpleanalytics
        Thanks for the advice! @Memetics! I will try to remove the ! at the end Download Now. and "Thanks I'll have a look at the site first". Marcos
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      • Profile picture of the author marcos@ simpleanalytics
        Ewen! Thanks for sharing my test! Here is the "real story" behind this test. I was doing a short demo to a client about how-to use Visualwebsite optimizer, because he was interested in learning how-to do A/B testing.

        In order to show him a real example, I choose on of my squeeze page, and told him, let's pretend you want to change your text button from Free Instant Access to Download Now (which seem to make more sense to me), you simply have to do this. I did the modification just to show him, click Save, and totally forgot about this test. A week later, I realize that I had a test running, and when I saw the results that you mentioned, I was really excited about this results and I wrote a tweet to Clay Collins to see if he also got similar results with text button testing.
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        • Profile picture of the author deezn
          Originally Posted by marcos@ simpleanalytics View Post

          Ewen! Thanks for sharing my test! Here is the "real story" behind this test. I was doing a short demo to a client about how-to use Visualwebsite optimizer, because he was interested in learning how-to do A/B testing.

          In order to show him a real example, I choose on of my squeeze page, and told him, let's pretend you want to change your text button from Free Instant Access to Download Now (which seem to make more sense to me), you simply have to do this. I did the modification just to show him, click Save, and totally forgot about this test. A week later, I realize that I had a test running, and when I saw the results that you mentioned, I was really excited about this results and I wrote a tweet to Clay Collins to see if he also got similar results with text button testing.
          Marcos, if you don't mind me asking, do you know what plugin (if any) was used on that page to have the opt-in in a lightbox, vs having to go to another page? I like that but can't figure it out via source code.
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  • Profile picture of the author shawnlebrun
    Nice share, Ewen.

    That's why when I'm asked a question these days, I'll often give my opinion based on split tests results I'VE had in the past, but then I'll pretty much say something like...

    "Now, forget everything I just told you, and test it to find the real answer"

    Testing, in my opinion, is one of THE single most important aspects of internet marketing.
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    • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
      My next split test would be...

      My Simple Analytics

      This would flow from what is previously written and
      the reader mentally taking ownership of the "named thing".

      No sudden disruption.

      Best,
      Ewen
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  • Profile picture of the author max5ty
    Ok Ewen, these are my thoughts...

    Does anyone really think after they write a killer sales letter...or put together a super persuasive squeeze page, or landing page...it really matters what the button says?

    If you're really getting to the point where you're counting pennies based on the "button", you probably have bigger problems.

    A good letter, etc., will have someone searching for the button and not giving a crap what it says.

    Guess what I'm saying...

    These feel good studies are good for those who can't sell worth a lick.
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    • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
      Originally Posted by max5ty View Post

      Ok Ewen, these are my thoughts...

      Does anyone really think after they write a killer sales letter...or put together a super persuasive squeeze page, or landing page...it really matters what the button says?

      If you're really getting to the point where you're counting pennies based on the "button", you probably have bigger problems.

      A good letter, etc., will have someone searching for the button and not giving a crap what it says.

      Guess what I'm saying...

      These feel good studies are good for those who can't sell worth a lick.
      There's an element of truth to what you said.

      When you've built up a feverish desire, wiped out all thoughts of potential regret and made it as simple as directing the slothful reader where to hit the button...then yes.

      However, you've exhausted all your energy to get to this point,
      where you gotta get him to press the damn button.

      The moment of truth.

      If a couple of words spook the reader, snap him out of his trance,
      then it's your fault, not the reader.

      You gotta do everything in your power to get him over the finishing line.

      No prize for nearly getting them over the finish line.

      Best,
      Ewen
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      • Profile picture of the author max5ty
        Originally Posted by ewenmack View Post

        There's an element of truth to what you said.

        When you've built up a feverish desire, wiped out all thoughts of potential regret and made it as simple as directing the slothful reader where to hit the button...then yes.

        However, you've exhausted all your energy to get to this point,
        where you gotta get him to press the damn button.

        The moment of truth.

        If a couple of words spook the reader, snap him out of his trance,
        then it's your fault, not the reader.

        You gotta do everything in your power to get him over the finishing line.

        Best,
        Ewen
        Well, my point is...if you don't have them convinced by the time they get to the buy button, you're probably trying to pull a "Hail Mary".

        I understand not all these studies deal with a "buy button"...some deal with a sign up or something or other...or give me your email...

        Still the same.

        Ewen...dear gawd dude...

        instead of getting nit picky over what a frickin button says, let's get serious about what the whole damn message says.
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        • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
          Originally Posted by max5ty View Post

          Well, my point is...if you don't have them convinced by the time they get to the buy button, you're probably trying to pull a "Hail Mary".

          I understand not all these studies deal with a "buy button"...some deal with a sign up or something or other...or give me your email...

          Still the same.

          Ewen...dear gawd dude...

          instead of getting nit picky over what a frickin button says, let's get serious about what the whole damn message says.
          There is a weakness in split test studies.

          And that is if the original was utter crap and a half ass attempt
          to make it better which got a 336% lift doesn't tell the full story on the surface.

          You gotta see what was going on behind the story.

          Not saying you are wrong on getting the first part right at all...

          totally agree.

          What happens for many that get the pitch nailed,
          is they can overlook the last piece which is the final hurdle.

          I'm saying you gotta have the pitch right as well as the
          buy now part right.

          Example: I was called in to see if I could bump up revenue.
          They were doing a tad over $5 mill online.

          I didn't mess with the sales letter because it was classic salesmanship.

          Got them to change things around the buy button.

          3 days later a 25% lift in revenue.

          All it took was 10 minutes of "work" and no cost to implement.

          Best,
          Ewen
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    • Profile picture of the author deezn
      Originally Posted by max5ty View Post

      Ok Ewen, these are my thoughts...

      Does anyone really think after they write a killer sales letter...or put together a super persuasive squeeze page, or landing page...it really matters what the button says?

      If you're really getting to the point where you're counting pennies based on the "button", you probably have bigger problems.

      A good letter, etc., will have someone searching for the button and not giving a crap what it says.

      Guess what I'm saying...

      These feel good studies are good for those who can't sell worth a lick.
      What if, after you wrote the good letter, you can change the button color/text and improve response further?

      When someone like Dan Kennedy says test everything, and that a simple change in text color can improve response, I believe him. A lot of the testing involves the part BEFORE they get to your sales message. Such as the outside of the envelope, to get it opened in the first place.
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  • Profile picture of the author RickDuris
    For those who aren't aware or have no experience, there's a subtle process going on with conversion optimization projects that isn't immediately apparent.

    The basic idea is to rack up a couple of early wins so that the Client feels justified in his decision to hire you. You're also shooting for your upfront fees to be covered out of the early profits gained under your direction.

    If this doesn't happen, the Client quickly gets impatient and discouraged.

    So as an optimization specialist, in your heart, you may really want to redesign the whole page. Or rewrite the the copy.

    And you will, someday.

    But initially? You hold back. You make very tactical changes that are quick, easy and have PROVEN in the past to make a difference.

    The buy button is one such area of consideration.

    - Rick Duris

    PS: Please don't underestimate the impact of small changes.

    On a recent project, I spent 6 months testing "little things" on an upsell page. A page that was already converting well when I started.

    With just 3 rather quick changes, I was able to boost revenues by over 90%. Ultimately, over the course of 6 months I boosted revenues by over 400%. But by then, I had rewritten the entire piece.

    Big doors swing on small hinges.
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  • Profile picture of the author RickDuris
    Some other new insights from Neil Patel:

    7 Simple Copywriting Tweaks That

    - Rick Duris
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