This document answers some of the more commonly asked questions, and was last updated on 10th May 2010.

What, how and who?

• What is Path Shaper?
• Who is the service for?
• How does Path Shaper work? The nutshell explanation.
• How does Path Shaper work? The more detailed explanation.
• What are the technical requirements?
• What results can you expect to see?
• What technical expertise is required?
• Does Path Shaper work with Google AdWords?
• What is split testing?
• What is multivariate testing?

What happens if...

• The Path Shaper versions perform poorly?
• The multivariate system we work with stops working?
• Google spiders come to index a poor performing version of the page?

Time?

• How long will this take?
• Is this ongoing or a one-time procedure?
• Is there a minimum period of time that you are locked in?
• Your spelling is UK based. Will this be a problem?
• And if I have any more questions?

 What is Path Shaper?

A service that optimises how people interact with your website in order to increase sales. There isn't a single page on your website that doesn't lose visitors, and most of them will go to your competition. Our company has seen websites with exit rates ranging from 15% to over 95%, and there's always room for improvement. Path Shaper will help you turn more visitors into customers.

Who is the service for?

Anyone with a website who wants to stop losing sales. Anyone who wants to convert traffic to visitors and visitors to customers. Reasonable levels of traffic are required, but wherever your visitors come from, Path Shaper will improve your conversions.

How does Path Shaper work? The nutshell explanation.

You decide on which page or pages to optimise. We then identify the most viable sections of the page, create different effective variations for each, setup the element variations, and provide you with a small javascript to place on your website.

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How does Path Shaper work? The detailed explanation.

There are two main elements of Path Shaper. The first is our extensive expertise. We've been improving our clients' websites since 1997, and have had more than 500 clients in over 42 different countries.

We combine this with a powerful multivariate system that allows us to test as many combinations of different elements on your web pages in as short a time as possible.

The process begins by identifying which page or pages to optimise on your website. Note that we can help identify the best candidates if required. Once the initial page has been selected, we then familiarise ourselves with what you sell and how you sell it, research your markets, and create the assorted variations that we think will produce the best results. A small javascript is placed on the page, and the testing begins. Throughout the testing phase, results are monitored, changes are applied if required, and the multivariate system adjusts itself to display better performing versions more frequently. When the testing is complete, the optimal combination is then permanently applied to the web page.

With the exception of pasting in the small javascript, you are not required to do anything whatsoever. We take care of all aspects of the testing, administration, measuring, analysing the results and further experimentation.

What are the technical requirements?

There aren't any. You need FTP access to your website to apply the javascript, and our having access to your server logs is useful but not essential.

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What results can you expect to see?

The results will depend on the number of visitors to your website, the current level of conversions, your website design and many other factors. However, you will see a significant improvement to your number of conversions, and we will keep you informed with accurate and easy to understand figures that will clearly demonstrate the improvement in measurable terms.

We have no need to blind you with confusing graphs and spreadsheets. The results will speak for themselves.

What technical expertise is required?

Absolutely none. All you need is the ability to place a javascript onto each page that is optimised. Step by step instructions are available if required.

Does Path Shaper work with Google AdWords?

Path Shaper is a perfect fit to your Google AdWords efforts. If you're already paying for each visitor who clicks on your ads, it makes perfect sense to have as many of them convert to customers as possible. Path Shaper and Google AdWords complement each other perfectly.

What is split testing?

Split testing is defined by Wikipedia as "a method of marketing testing by which a baseline control sample is compared to a variety of single-variable test samples in order to improve response rates."

Most websites typically display one version of each of their pages. Yet if a number of different (well written) variations are created, and each in turn is tested, they are almost certain to perform differently. Choosing the most effective allows a company to convert more visitors to sales.

The main problems with the split testing approach are that tests may be slow and time consuming, that some of the variations may be counter-productive, and that it is essentially a non-scientific approach. Comparing the results of two very different pages, for example, may overlook individual improvements and declines and simply merge them together into an inaccurate average.

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What is multivariate testing?

Multivariate testing is defined by Wikipedia as "a process by which more than one component of a website may be tested in a live environment. It can be thought of in simple terms as numerous A/B tests performed on one page at the same time. A/B tests are usually performed to determine the better of two content variations, multivariate testing can theoretically test the effectiveness of limitless combinations."

In real terms, multivariate testing may be thought of as the bigger, more productive and vastly more efficient sibling of split testing! A mix of different variations to different elements are applied to a web page, and these are displayed and their performance measured. The critical difference is that how they work is not only measured in isolation, but in combination with all other elements on the page.

So, for example, variation 2 of section 2 may produce a 3% improvement, and variation 4 of section 4 may produce a 2% improvement. Together, however, the combined impact of these two elements may produce a 10% improvement.

By way of an analogy, split testing may be compared to a shopkeeper who tries a completely different look and feel to his window display each week. He may know that week 5's display had the greatest impact in attracting passers-by, but he won't know why. Multivariate testing would allow the shopkeeper to create a vast number of different changes to different sections of the display - different props, different coloured lighting, different window stickers, different heights etc. Not only would there be a greater number of variations, but by measuring the different combinations, the shopkeeper will not only be able to experiment more, but also be able to see precisely what has the greatest impact in real time.

What if the Path Shaper versions perform poorly?

The Path Shaper multivariate system self-adjusts based on the performance of each combination. And the chance of our new content variations under-performing are extremely unlikely. However, in the unlikely event that this were to happen, the multivariate system will only display the best performers.

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What if the multivariate system we work with stops working?

If the multivariate system stops working, visitors to your website will see the 'standard' base version of the page. Even though the multivariate version wouldn't be displayed at that moment, your website would still retain full functionality.

What if Google's spiders come to index a poor performing version of the page?

The multivariate system that we work with is designed and deployed to not interfere with your already established search engine rankings.

How long will this take?

Setting up the first experiment typically only takes a few days, while the amount of time required to start seeing results depends on a number of factors. These include the number of combinations, the number of visitors, starting conversion rates and more. As a general rule of thumb, most clients can expect to start seeing results within a few weeks.

Is this ongoing or a one-time procedure?

The choice is yours. There's no reason why you couldn't optimise one single page on your website, but when you see the results we will achieve with the first experiment, you may well want to move on to other pages on your website.

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Is there a minimum period of time that you are locked in?

We generally recommend a minimum of two to three months, but this is purely advisory and is in no way enforced. In the unlikely event of your wanting to cancel the service after the first month, there is nothing to stop you from doing so. And you will still retain full access to your account within the multivariate system. You would not be in any way tied to continuing with SoftwarePromotions.

Your spelling is UK based. Will this be a problem?

Not at all. We have worked with many US based companies over the years, and in fact tend to tailor most of the work that we do around a US based spelling system. Additionally, half of our team are located in the USA! Bearing in mind that we have been promoting software via the web since 1997, this has never caused a single issue or problem.

 And if I have any more questions?

Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. We take all enquiries seriously, and will usually reply within one working day. You can contact us in any of the following ways:

By email: Write to dave@softwarepromotions.com

By phone: +44 1425 613 927

By fax: +44 870 442 5271

Please understand, however, that we are only a small company with a limited amount of time on our hands; most of which we prefer to devote to our paying clients. Because of this, you will receive a far faster response to an email enquiry than a voicemail message.

If or when you sign up for our services, you'll appreciate this approach!

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