Building momentum in your online optimisation program (eMetrics UK)

At the end of October, I spoke at eMetrics London.  I was invited by Peter O'Neill to present at the conference, and I anticipated that I would be speaking as part of a track on optimisation or testing.  However, Peter put me on the agenda with the keynote at  the start of the second day, a slot I feel very honoured to have been given.

Jim Sterne, my Web Analytics hero, presenting

Selfie: a quick last-minute practice

Peter O'Neill, eMetrics UK organiser

I thoroughly enjoyed presenting - and I'm still learning on making formal web analytics presentations (and probably will always be) - but for me the highlight of the Summit was meeting and talking with Jim Sterne, the Founding President and current Chairman of the Digital Analytics Association, and the Founder of the eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit.  I've been following him since before Twitter and Facebook, through his email newsletter "Sterne Measures" - and, as he kindly pointed out to me when I mentioned this, "Oh, you're old!"  Jim gave a great keynote presentation on going from "Bits and Bytes to Insights" which has to be one of the clearest and most comprehensive presentations on the history and future of web analytics that I've ever heard.

My topic for the keynote was "Building momentum in your online optimisation program."  From my discussions at various other conferences, I've noted that people aren't concerned with getting an online testing program started, and overcoming the initial obstacles; many analysts are now struggling to keep it running.  I've previously blogged on getting a testing program off the ground, and this topic is more about keeping it up in the air.  While putting the final parts of the presentation together I determined not to re-use the material from my blog - as much as possible.  The emphasis in my presentation was on how to take the first few tests and move towards a critical mass as quickly as possible - where test ideas and test velocity will increase sufficiently that there will be continuous ongoing interest in your tests - winners and losers, so that you'll be able to make a significant, consistent improvement to your company's website.

I'm just getting resettled back into the routine of normal work, but I'll share the key points (including some parts I missed) from my presentation in a future blog post as soon as I can.