Who Says Elephants Can’t Dance? How IBM’s digital marketing leaders drove change and optimized website usability Joan Renner, Content Manager, Corporate Marketing Digital Initiatives, IBM Daniel Burstein, Director of Editorial Content, MECLABS
IBM.com Case Study Joan Renner, Content Manager, Corporate Marketing Digital Initiatives, IBM, @JoanRenner Daniel Burstein, Director of Editorial Content, MECLABS, @DanielBurstein 2
IBM.com homepage redesign project approach 1. Set and communicate the plan • Perform interviews and negotiations with stakeholders • Consult with country focal points 3
1. Set and communicate the plan Me 4
IBM.com homepage redesign project approach 1. Set and communicate the plan • Perform interviews and negotiations with stakeholders • Consult with country focal points 2. Identify current issues and desired state • Understand best design practices • Review existing reports and analysis • Document and communicate the plan 5
2. Identify current issues Dated masthead Too many features competing for attention Cluttered family portrait syndrome 6
2. Identify desired state Updated masthead Leadspace image that can be single, multiple or cycling Increased visibility and opportunity for promotions Rich “fat” footer would contain more visitor driven content 7
IBM.com homepage redesign project approach 1. Set and communicate the plan • Perform interviews and negotiations with stakeholders • Consult with country focal points 2. Identify current issues and desired state • Understand best design practices • Review existing reports and analysis • Document and communicate the plan 3. Create plan and test – determine tools and start testing 8
3. Create plan and test: Leadspace pagination Version A Disappointing results of A/B test: graphic pagination elements only increase clicks ½%, or 500 clicks a week Version B 9
3. Create plan and test: Increase promotion visibility Change increased monthly CTRs to promotions by 250%, resulting in 28K more clicks a month 10
3. Create plan and test: Fat footer Terms: “What we offer” performed better than “Shop and buy” by 30% Version A Position: Moving frequently asked questions to the left column resulted in a 15K more clicks a month - a 300% increase Version B Terms: Changing “Who we are” to “About IBM doubled the CTR to 17K monthly 11
IBM.com homepage redesign project approach 1. Set and communicate the plan • Perform interviews and negotiations with stakeholders • Consult with country focal points 2. Identify current issues and desired state • Understand best design practices • Review existing reports and analysis • Document and communicate the plan 3. Determine testing plan – what tools will be used 4. Build a tracking plan to gauge ongoing performance 12
4. Build a tracking plan Heatmaps help quickly communicate to executives and stakeholders monthly status 13
4. Build a tracking plan Developing a plan and best practice to increase clicks / conversions rates is critical for ensuring the homepage provides value Hover Clicks Conversions 14
IBM.com homepage redesign project approach 1. Set and communicate the plan • Perform interviews and negotiations with stakeholders • Consult with country focal points 2. Identify current issues and desired state • Understand best design practices • Review existing reports and analysis • Document and communicate the plan 3. Determine testing plan – what tools will be used 4. Build a tracking plan to gauge ongoing performance (heatmaps) 5. Iron out all the bugs and deploy worldwide, allow for slight deviations in design where it makes sense 15
5. Deploy Future deployment Deployed new design Russia Israel Communicate need and drive change with an understanding that Sweden all markets are not Egypt alike. Invest where it makes sense. Bulgaria Spain Turkey Estonia 16
IBM.com homepage redesign project approach 1. Set and communicate the plan • Perform interviews and negotiations with stakeholders • Consult with country focal points 2. Identify current issues and desired state • Understand best design practices • Review existing reports and analysis • Document and communicate the plan 3. Determine testing plan – what tools will be used 4. Build a tracking plan to gauge ongoing performance (heatmaps) 5. Iron out all the bugs and deploy worldwide, allow for slight deviations in design where it makes sense 6. Maintain a backlog of testing plans 17
6. Maintain a backlog of A/B testing plans High internal Difficulty Value # Story Description Design type visability 1->5 low-high low->high 567 Position and presentation of "All xx" option. Mega-menu 4 M M 587 The great hover vs. click debate. Mega-menu 4 L M 553 Lists of items vs. interactive content chunks (several studies, totally new designs) Mega-menu 3 M L 534 Full size vs. "as needed" space use Mega-menu 4 M M 577 General landing page best practice (when user avoids the menu) Mega-menu 5 L H 521 Definition and usability of an Overview product page (Best practice definition). Price & Buy 3 L M 522 Importance and accessibility of product info such as data sheets, demos, and trial options. Price & Buy 4 M M 534 Significance and process for Sales Rep access and relevant info (including definition thereof) Price & Buy 3 L L 578 Implementation of Product package summary (shop cart) to be sent to colleagues and IBM partners. Price & Buy 5 M M 523 Inhibitors to conversion, end-to-end. Price & Buy 5 M H 594 What are users "really" looking for? Notes on what's behind the query. Search 3 M L 547 Do they find "it"? How often, what, and what "not" .... resulting in an effect diagram on why not. Search 4 M M 544 User acceptance of v17 masthead search. Search 5 L M 566 User acceptance of search results presentation. Search 4 M M 516 Implementation of direct-to-sales channel on specified and pre-qualified queries. Search 2 H M 529 Improvement on "moment of brilliance" pop-up menu (Let's build a smarter planet - home page). Smarter Planet 3 L L 576 Extension of #16 to wider scope, considering user focus within site. Smarter Planet 4 L M 503 (PLUS): experiments on use of pop-up in other site instances (products, services, context aware, etc.) Smarter Planet 3 L M 501 Use of Graphic heavy vs. text heavy landing pages. Smarter Planet 3 L M 575 Implementation of video flow; Video, audio, user control .... Smarter Planet 4 H H 586 (all - leadspace, content, leading landing page, etc.): Graphics: Concrete vs. Abstract Banners 4 M M 591 Head; short vs. long AND concrete vs. Abstract Banners 3 L M 588 Deck (sub-head), short, long, present, not present Banners 5 L M 571 CTA: Short, long, concrete, abstract .... Banners 5 L M 509 Basic definition of best practice. Banners 3 L H 522 Best Practice. Scan-ability. Can the user find the "necessary" info quickly and with understanding? Content 4 H H 566 Best Practice. Order of Presentation. Is the info presented in a manner digestible to the user Content 4 M M 571 Best Practice. Detail. Does the presentation show general info while allowing for deeper definition? Content 5 M L 592 Optimized use of graphics, icons, charts, etc. within body text. Content 3 M M 542 Metric - Define baseline and ongoing dashboard representing success of 29 studies outlined above. Content 4 L H 18
IBM.com homepage redesign project approach 1. Set and communicate the plan • Perform interviews and negotiations with stakeholders • Consult with country focal points 2. Identify current issues and desired state • Understand best design practices • Review existing reports and analysis • Document and communicate the plan 3. Determine testing plan – what tools will be used 4. Build a tracking plan to gauge ongoing performance (heatmaps) 5. Iron out all the bugs and deploy worldwide, allow for slight deviations in design where it makes sense 6. Maintain a backlog of testing plans 7. Keep the communication on going by offering advice in best practices (e.g. how to build better landing pages) 19
7. Ongoing communication Task #577 with low difficulty but high value: Develop guidance for landing page best practices “ You can lead a horse to water, but you can ’ t make him drink. ” … or can we? 20
7. Ongoing communication example Control: Recipe A Winner: Recipe C Shortening the hero, adding the offer button and reducing page clutter increased CTRs 904% and registrations 1,475% 21
IBM.com homepage redesign project approach 1. Set and communicate the plan • Perform interviews and negotiations with stakeholders • Consult with country focal points 2. Identify current issues and desired state • Understand best design practices • Review existing reports and analysis • Document and communicate the plan 3. Determine testing plan – what tools will be used 4. Build a tracking plan to gauge ongoing performance (heatmaps) 5. Iron out all the bugs and deploy worldwide, allow for slight deviations in design where it makes sense 6. Maintain a backlog of testing plans 7. Keep the communication on going by offering advice in best practices (e.g. how to build better landing pages) 8. Iterate, iterate, iterate 22
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