How many times have you tried to use some online tool or figure out how to navigate a webpage only to find clumps of your own hair on the floor for your efforts?  You’ve probably even asked yourself “Has the person who designed this even TRIED to use it?”  In many cases, the answer is probably no.

By examining one company’s marketing success story, Bryan Eisenberg paints a pretty convincing picture on the importance of testing in “How GoToMyPC Spiked Lead-Generation and Conversion Rates”.  In his article, Eisenberg walks readers through the transformation of GoToMyPC from a “great-idea-on-paper” company to a blazing success.  How did they accomplish this monumental turnaround?  Testing, testing, testing!

Before you launch any new tool, site redesign, or advertising campaign, a test or two is definitely in order.  Testing is one of the most important keys to any internet marketing venture.  I’ve seen simple changes, based on test feedback, increase CTR and conversion rates by 300%.  Try different wording.  Rearrange the elements of your page.  Simplify and highlight the important features or information visitors need to know.

Testing isn’t just about making changes, though.  It’s about tracking and feedback.  If you change an element of your approach or design, watch your CTR and conversion.  Did the changes help?  Did they hurt?  Can a successful change be applied site-wide or to other elements of your company’s campaign?  Of course, your customers are your best resource for ideas and suggestions on changes to make.  Listen to customer feedback.  Better yet, solicit it.

A couple of useful tools to help get your test ball rolling are betterppc.com and Google’s Website Optimizer.  BetterPPC.com offers tools and services designed to help optimize your Google AdWords for maximum effectiveness.  Google Website Optimizer runs experiments on your content, images, and typography and then generates an easy to use report on how different combinations of elements faired in the test.

Don’t be one of those “never used it” website owners.  Start discovering how the rest of the world sees and uses your services.  You might be surprised how much of a difference a few subtle changes can make.