MarketingSherpa Optimization Summit 2013: SAP to Reveal the Secrets of Global Website Testing that Increased Digital Leads by 27% and Slashed Costs by 20%

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., May 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- At the MarketingSherpa Optimization Summit 2013 in Boston, Mass., May 20-23, Shawn Burns, SAP's Global Vice President of Digital Marketing, will discuss how SAP increased digital leads by 27% and slashed marketing costs 20% through running more than 100 A/B tests worldwide.

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"I've assembled some of our more interesting test cases – test cases we've never discussed with the public before - to present at the Optimization Summit," he says. "I look forward to sharing the depth and breadth of insight and improvements that can be derived from testing."

Burns insists that even a marketing department of one can drive more business through testing.

"You can simply start looking through clickthrough reports, understanding what content is getting traction, and doing more of that will move the needle in organizations of all sizes," he explains.

"Every marketing lead has value, even if it's as simple as what you would have to pay on the open market to rent a list to get that lead," continues Burns. "When you're able to generate more leads on your website, you grab that value for free. Testing gives you the information you need to squeeze out every potential lead from your marketing efforts."

Burns will outline the five most important discoveries from their extensive testing which marketers can apply to their own organizations. He will discuss:

• How search was more important than they thought
• How a simple word change on a button increased conversion by 47%
• How to use forms on mobile devices
• Which content drove the highest conversion
• How a simple tagline change doubled the conversion rates

"You can be awash in data, but what good is it if you aren't applying it to improve your marketing? SAP is a leader in efficiently transforming the data gathered from their extensive testing into a better customer experience, and we're thrilled that they will be sharing how other marketers can do the same." says Daniel Burstein, Director of Editorial Content, MECLABS (the parent company of MarketingExperiments and MarketingSherpa).

Media Contact: Bethany Caudell, MECLABS, 1-800-517-5531 or [email protected]

Further Resources:

MarketingSherpa MarketingExperiments Optimization Summit 2013 agenda http://meclabs.com/training/marketing-summit/optimization-summit-2013/agenda

"Testing and Optimization: SAP's Test Lab increases digital leads 27%, leads to 20% budget savings," by David Kirkpatrick, April 24, 2013

Part I: http://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/case-study/sap-test-lab-part-one

Part II: http://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/case-study/sap-test-lab-part-2

About MarketingSherpa (follow us @marketingsherpa or visit http://www.marketingsherpa.com)

MarketingSherpa publishes case studies, Benchmark Reports, exclusive research, how-to instructional materials and six content-specific newsletters for more than 237,000 content, email, inbound marketing, search, B2B and consumer marketing professionals each week. In its tenth year, the marketing research publisher has been praised by The Economist, Harvard Business School's Working Knowledge and Entrepreneur.com. Along with MarketingExperiments and InTouch, MarketingSherpa is part of the MECLABS Group, which offers marketers practical research data and information, professional training and networking summits.

About MarketingExperiments (follow us @mktgexperiments or visit http://www.marketingexperiments.com)

MarketingExperiments was the first Internet-based research lab to conduct experiments in optimizing marketing and sales processes. Their research team has developed the world's largest collection of optimization-related experiments and case studies, which is disseminated (free) via the MarketingExperiments Journal and www.marketingexperiments.com. The MarketingExperiments Blog complements this research with additional news, insights, analysis and interviews. It also provides another venue to exchange ideas with marketing, optimization and sales professionals.

About MECLABS (visit http://www.meclabs.com)

A science lab with a consultancy, MECLABS conducts rigorous experiments in the new science of optimization and applies discoveries to help businesses optimize sales and marketing financial performance. More than a decade of work spans 1,300-plus experiments including one billion emails and 10,000 landing pages. MECLABS has two primary research groups:  MarketingExperiments conducts experiments to optimize the sales and marketing process, and MarketingSherpa conducts and publishes exclusive case studies, surveys and data analysis, which reveal what works in marketing. MECLABS has six applied research groups: Strategy, Leads, Conversion, Agency, Technology and Training. For more information, visit meclabs.com or call 1-800-517-5531.

About SAP

As market leader in enterprise application software, SAP helps companies of all sizes and industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to storefront, desktop to mobile device – SAP empowers people and organizations to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP applications and services enable more than 197,000 customers (includes customers from the acquisition of SuccessFactors) to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably. For more information, visit www.sap.com.

SOURCE MarketingSherpa