Predicting the future
of an Unpredictable Consumer
Brian Massey, Conversion Sciences
Website Optimizer
@bmassey
We all do it.
We are not very good at it.
Here are some of the ways we try
to predict the future.
Predicting the Future
“What has worked in the past will work in
the future.”
Predicting the Future Method 1
Email: Moving
from Monthly
send to
Weekly send
doubled
revenue.
@bmassey
Making the Phone Ring
A) We Can Help. Call…
B) Speak with a Compassionate Rehab
Specialist. Call…
C) Ready to Start Healing? If So, We
Can Help. Call…
D) Ready to Stop Lying to Yourself
About Addiction? We Can Help. Call...
@bmassey
Making the Phone Ring
A) We Can Help. Call…
B) Speak with a Compassionate Rehab
Specialist. Call…
C) Ready to Start Healing? If So, We
Can Help. Call…
D) Ready to Stop Lying to Yourself
About Addiction? We Can Help. Call...
-18%
Control
+32%
+43%
“What I like is what will work in the
future.”
Predicting the Future Method 2
Extreme Site Make Over
Extreme Site Make Over
“What others are doing will work for me in
the future.”
Predicting the Future Method 3
Slider Panels
1
Order Today Ships Tomorrow
Bold Outdoor
2
Free Super Saver
3
Leader in Mesh
4
Test The Panels Individually
Reordering Sliders
1
Order Today Ships
Tomorrow
Bold Outdoor
2
Free Super Saver
3
Leader in Mesh
4
Test The Panels Individually
“Because two things happened together,
more of one will give us
more of the other.”
Predicting the Future Method 4
Those who use site search
convert at higher rates.
Therefore, if we get more people to search, we will sell more.
Bigger Search Box
22
“Everyone reacts the same way.”
Predicting the Future Method 5
“Experimenting will tell me what will work
in the future.”
Predicting the Future Method 6
University Program
Why are people
clicking on this
form field, but
not on the
others?
Hypothesis:
They want to
see the
programs
offered.
20% Increase
In Form Fills
We added this
information to
the content and
tested.
Hypotheses
 What you like may predict the future
 What others are doing may predict the future
 What you have been doing may predict the
future
 What everyone is doing may predict the future
 One thing may predict the future for another
thing.
@bmassey
Don’t Think. Know.
Training
Conversion Catalyst Consulting
PPC Landing Page Optimization
Video that Converts
Analytics
Visitor Personas
Feared by Competitors Across the Internet
32
PREPARED BY
CONVERSION SCIENCES
Brian Massey
Joel Harvey
(888) 961-6604
www.conversionsciences.com
8650 Spicewood Springs Rd. #145-601
Austin, TX 78759

Attempting to Predict the Unpredictable