Editorial Articles

Multivariate testing is quickly becoming a hot topic in the marketing world. The discipline of testing different elements of web design in order to determine which drive the best conversion rates is becoming common place, and brands such as ASDA, French Connection and Sony have all experienced the benefits of multivariate testing on their websites.

But what are the implications for multivariate testing when your site is in a country other than the UK? As much as website preferences can differ between British consumer demographics, they can differ even more so between different nationalities and cultures, and this can prove to be problematic when brands aim to break into international markets online. A common mistake to make is assuming that people across the globe interact on the net and websites in a similar way. However, our experience tells us different. Aside from obvious linguistic differences, factors such as colours, graphic placement, calls to action, and text size can all affect how different nationalities interact with a website, and essentially what leads their site visit to a conversion.

So we have developed GlobalMaxer, a multivariate testing tool that analyses conversions in order to determine which web design elements work best in which countries. Our hypothesis is that if a site adhered too closely to a global template, it’s potentially missing out on extra conversions that could be attained by localising certain elements of the site.

We have used the tool to test a wide variety of websites from a number of industries such as retail, technology and travel, and the results have proven that there are radical variations in conversion rates between culture, and that cultures respond in different ways when presented with the same landing pages.

So, we thought we’d share our top tips on web design elements for different cultures.

- Test your website for every market you’re in. When testing sites, we found that in almost every case at least one of the combinations we tested always performed better than the original website. On top of this, almost every top variation was different in each market. This highlights just how varied the internet population can be.

- Consider the placement of your text. Eye tracking studies have revealed that different cultures ‘read’ websites in different ways. In the West, our eyes tend to wander to the left hand side of the screen, which is why toolbars are usually found on this side. However, in China, people tend to read down the whole page. It’s these kinds of cultural traits that need to be considered when adapting a site for a foreign market.

- Be image conscious. One of our biggest testing campaigns revealed that placing the product image on the left rather than the right boosted conversion rates by 16% in France, by 9% in the UK, and had no effect in the Spanish market. These slight changes can result in vast differences in conversion rates.

- Become a digital chameleon. Colours can hold huge significance in many cultures, and it’s important to be aware of their meanings in order to convey your intended message. In China, red is seen as the colour of good luck and celebration, whereas in South Africa it is the colour of mourning. When testing a well known retail website, OBAN found that in Italy, conversions were boosted by changing the ‘call to action’ button from red to orange, whereas in Russia it was a black and red combination which drew in more success.

- Localise when globalising. As with international SEO campaigns, the key to reaching foreign audiences is to market your site according to their local preferences. Research what works best – translated or localised text, long web pages or ones which fit fully on the screen, busy sites or sites which are simply designed. This kind of knowledge will keep you one step ahead of competitors and ensure your site is tailored to the needs of your target demographic.

Joe Doveton
Client Services Manager, OBAN
Twitter: obanseo