With any scientific approach to behavior patterns there are bound to be branches of thought stemming from the original impulse to learn and identify. Conversion optimization is certainly no different, and over the course of its refinement, a number of different implementation methodologies have been established. Today, most SEO firms fall into two camps of how to approach conversion optimization. 

The Controlled Environment school of thought relies heavily on test results garnered from controlled environments that then determine the best tactics for increasing conversion rates. The second school of thought, the Pretesting school, involves more effort being placed on understanding the audience through research and interviews and then creating a targeted message that appeals to that particular audience. In the Controlled Environment school, it is not uncommon to deploy marketing mechanisms before fully understanding the audience. With the second school of thought, campaigns can be released on the public without a full testing regime ever being put into practice. 

In a recent article entitled “A case against multi-variant testing”, the author makes a very good case for resisting the urge to put all of the effort into testing. The article clearly states that testing can produce consistent increases of 30%, but where testing fails the marketer is when it is the sole method of preparation for conversion optimization. The article’s author makes an important distinction in saying that optimization that is heavily reliant on testing assumes that websites exist in a bubble and have unlimited resources available to help crunch through the sea of possible test combinations. We know this is simply not the case – websites are as human as we are – they have limits and liabilities just like we do because we built them and maintain them with our resources.

While conversion optimization practices are proven winners when it comes to increasing conversion rates, it must be understood that punching numbers into a software package is not going to give you long lasting results. When you are looking to have your conversion rates optimized, make sure that you don’t spot a pattern of quick spikes in increased traffic and conversion. The name of the game is to continually convert not to sucker a few unfortunates. At the end of the day, marketing is a social endeavor that relies on the vision of science – marketing was born from psychology and the study of human behavior. Marketing is about influencing human behavior. According to the author of “A case against multi-variant testing”, marketing loses its spirit or intention when the writers rely too heavily on multi-variant testing software, in effect removing the human part of human behavior. It is important to have an array of software tools for conversion optimization, but the aforementioned author prescribes that human power and intellect should be what guides that software.