David Meerman Scott's Review
"Before the Web, non-targeted advertising ruled and creative people dominated marketing. But as Chris Goward shows, the Web allows for infinite data analysis, driving success to those who test. Guess what? The quants are now the most important people on your marketing team."
—David Meerman Scott, bestselling author of The New Rules of Marketing & PR
Neil Patel's Review
"If you want to create massive advancements in your business and drive more sales, you have to read You Should Test That!"
—Neil Patel, co-founder KISSmetrics,Crazy Egg and Quicksprout
Mitch Joel's Review
"In a world where you can test everything, why are companies testing nothing? Maybe that's being too harsh, but it's true. In You Should Test That! Chris doesn't just talk about what you should test, but how to think about your marketing in a very smart and strategic way. Too many brands are wasting too much money on marketing without doing the strategic testing first. You Should Test That! screams, 'You should buy this book!"'
—Mitch Joel, president, Twist Image and author, blogger, podcaster of Six Pixels of Separation
Roger Dooley's Review
"Chris Goward does a fantastic job of explaining not just effective testing techniques, but also the strategic value testing can deliver to your entire marketing program. This well-illustrated guide to all aspects of testing is a must-read for anyone responsible for marketing decision-making."
—Roger Dooley, author of Brainfluence
Brett Tabke's Review
"With You Should Test That!, Goward has delivered a well-researched and insightful exploration of the latest conversion optimization principles and techniques in a practical and enjoyable book that pushes the boundaries of the art and science of optimized marketing. A definite must-read that ought to be required reading for anyone serious about optimization."
—Brett Tabke, founder and CEO, Pubcon
"Testing and ongoing optimization are core to a successful marketing program. Few out there understand the challenges and opportunities better than Chris. In his book, Chris offers up a unique perspective on how to evangelize data-driven decisions and leaves the reader with clear next steps toward implementing a successful testing culture that delivers results fast."
—Joanna Lord, VP, Growth Marketing at SEOmoz
Rob Snell's Review
"Read this book, and you will profit. Chris Goward gets it. I know. I've stalked him for years. His LIFTTM framework was the missing piece of my CRO puzzle, leading to millions of dollars in additional sales for our small family business over the past few years.
If you're a competitor of mine, I'm just kidding. CRO is just a fad. Your shopping cart is just fine. Don't change a thing."
—Rob Snell, Gun Dog Supply
Anne Holland's Review
I love the illustrations — flow charts, screenshots, data charts, even gently humorous cartoons. They make the pages come alive and the complexities of testing and conversion optimization far easier for the layperson to understand."
—Anne Holland, publisher, WhichTestWon.com
Stefan Tornquist's Review
"When marketers complain that they don't know what's working, they're really complaining that they don't know how to figure it out. The fact is that we're past the dark ages of digital, and that there are robust methods for understanding and improving marketing performance.
You Should Test That! does a lot more than just give advice from on high...it explains what to test, and how to test it, in clear language. Just as important, the book is an excellent guide for where to spend precious testing resources (and where not to) because time is marketing's most precious, non-renewable resource.
Readers of most business books finish with the knowledge of what they should be doing, but quickly run up against the realities of how to get it done. When you've finished You Should Test That!, you'll be armed not just with the belief in the importance of testing and optimization, but with the mental tools to accomplish them."
—Stefan Tornquist, VP, Research, Econsultancy US
Oli Gardner's Review
"I really, really wish I'd written this book — *picture sad face* — it's the clearest definition of the what, how and why of conversion rate optimization I've read. Best of all, it's a unique approach. After reading about 100 marketing books and only learning one thing from each, it's exciting to come across a book that makes you smarter after every chapter."
—Oli Gardner,co-founder and creative director, Unbounce.com
Nazli Yuzak's Review
"Wow, this is some of the best content I have read in the optimization world in a long time! It provides a very solid strategic framework but at the same time breaks it into practical steps people can immediately turn into action in their conversion optimization efforts. I really liked the flow, the examples and how close it was to the day-to-day experiences and challenges we have. This strategy works for Dell to continuously improve our online sales. All business managers, marketers and conversion optimizers should read this and give copies to their teams."
—Nazli Yuzak, senior digital optimization consultant, Dell.com
Paras Chopra's Review
"Everyone knows about A/B testing and wants to do it, but not many are doing it regularly. Why? Chris Goward has written an excellent book to answer this precise question where he urges businesses to create internal testing and optimization champions to drive business success. And to corroborate his message, Chris deploys his years of experience in the industry to show successful case studies, discuss his proven LIFTTM model, and analyze scientific techniques and all-too-essential rules of thumb. You Should Test That! is a fantastic book that covers testing and optimization from many different angles. I highly recommend it!"
—Paras Chopra, CEO, Visual Website Optimizer
Bryan Eisenberg's Review
"Research shows that most companies will fail at their conversion optimization efforts because they lack a structured approach to conversion optimization. Chris takes you through the process he has used to help companies succeed. Do you want to test your luck or follow a proven process?"
—Bryan Eisenberg, bestselling author of Always Be Testing, keynote speaker
Raju Malhotra's Review
"Chris Goward discusses a proven, scientific approach to experimentation with clarity and simplicity, while not losing the conceptual depth this topic deserves. This book at times is a primer in modern online marketing and an advanced study for hypothesis-based testing at others. A wonderfully written text—the very best on this topic I can find!"
—Raju Malhotra, director, Microsoft Corp
Tom Leung's Review
"You Should Test That! is a thorough and irreverent guide for website testing. The wealth of case studies and various testing recipes provides any marketer with plenty of ideas from day one. I particularly liked chapter 13, which talks about how to make testing a broader discipline throughout the entire organization.
Let's face it, we need to move from an era of 'Which button is better?' to also go after questions like 'What part of our product's value prop is most compelling?' or 'How should we acquire new customers?' The good news is we can use a lot of the fundamentals and best practices developed over the years in website testing and apply it much more broadly to lean marketing and entrepreneurial management practices in general."
—Tom Leung, CEO, Yabbly and former senior product manager for Google Website Optimizer
Charles Nicholls' Review
"Wow! This is packed full of stuff you can use today. So many business books have a couple of good ideas and are padded out with fluff. This is jammed with good ideas from start to finish, debunking myths in a humorous and practical way and giving you the tools you need to make more money online."
—Charles Nicholls, founder, SeeWhy
Marty Weintraub's Review
"The days of marketing online just for the sake of being present are long gone. Stakeholders at all corporate levels now demand optimized campaigns, making clear the value proposition and return on investment. You Should Test That! reveals deep online testing secrets that fuel some of the most effective companies in the world.
Read this book, or read about it somewhere else."—Marty Weintraub, author of Killer Facebook Ads and CEO, aimClear
Jackie Huba's Review
"Chris Goward knows the secret to business: listen to your gut, and then test what it says. This book is a must-read for understanding why scientific testing is the key to continuous improvement in your organization."
—Jackie Huba, author of Creating Customer Evangelists and Citizen Marketers
Lance Loveday's Review
"Chris Goward is the Nate Silver of conversion optimization—smart, entertaining and a step ahead of everyone else. If you want to be prepared for the future of online marketing, read his book."
—Lance Loveday,co-author of Web Design for ROI and CEO, Closed Loop
Brian Clifton's Review
What I really liked about this book was the thorough data-driven approach to helping you make informed decisions of what to do with your website. Packed with 15 real-world case studies, Chris has writen a non-technical book that is full of practical tips for building a culture of business decisions through tested insights. In other words, getting data and its sibling testing optimization out of a silo and integrated into the bloodstream of your organization."
—Brian Clifton, author of Advanced Web Metrics with Google Analytics
Ann Smarty's Review
"I thoroughly enjoyed the unique perspective Chris has taken in his book when talking about conversion rate optimization. It's an eye-opener! Also, the great number of case studies in the book make the message even more convincing. As an entrepreneur, I did find something new in this approach."
—Ann Smarty, founder, SEOSmarty.com
Bruce Clay's Review
"Chris is a highly regarded conversion expert who has produced a wonderful book that makes a complex process easy to understand. It covers many of the organizational barriers to change and how to get support for changes to the website. It also covers what you need to know about managing and implementing your conversion project. I recommend this book to anybody wanting to improve their conversion success."
—Bruce Clay, co-author of Search Engine Optimization All-in-One For Dummies and president, Bruce Clay, Inc.
Ann Handley's Review
"What I like about Chris's approach is that it can be both tactical and strategic. On the one hand, you can use this book to ensure your website isn't a slacker. But on the other, you can also use it on a broader level, to guide decisions based less on gut, and more on real insight."
—Ann Handley, co-author of Content Rules and chief content officer, MarketingProfs
Chris Boggs' Review
"Marketing has changed fundamentally with the rapid growth of the online channel, to the point that 'close enough' and 'gut feel' are mostly working their way out of marketers' vernacular. Chris Goward's new book is an important manifesto for today's digital marketers who want to continue to push lead and conversion performance while also aiming for the Holy Grail of outstanding user experience.
He describes that testing is so much more than simply 'conversion optimization' and makes solid arguments for the value of adopting a data-driven iterative testing model. I would recommend that this book be read not only by marketing executives and strategists, but also by analysts who are collecting and evaluating business performance data."
—Chris Boggs, digital marketing strategist with over 13 years of experience, currently serving as the chairman of SEMPO.org
Brian Massey's Review
"In his book You Should Test That! Chris Goward preaches the importance of clarity, among other things, and he takes his own advice. Goward is unambiguous and unyielding as he guides us to tests that give clear direction toward online success. Yet, he successfully weaves scientific rigor into intuition and creativity. The chapter on creating an optimized value proposition should be required reading in business schools. His optimization manifesto sums it up perfectly: 'We believe in art and science.'"
—Brian Massey, conversion scientist and author of Your Customer Creation Equation
David Hauser's Review
"Testing and data changed the way we market at Grasshopper, starting with conversion optimization we built a culture around data and marketing optimization that now has gone into all parts of the organization. Data has optimized everything we do, resulting in increased revenue and profit. Every founder and marketer should read this book."
—David Hauser, co-founder of Grasshopper, Chargify, PopSurvey, and angel investor
Jesse Nichols' Review
"Website optimization has long been one of the easiest ways to improve your conversion rate, but how and what to test is always in contention. What has never been in contention among the best testers, however, is that your tests should be structured and scientific. You Should Test That! provides an easy-to-understand framework for testing, and lots of excellent ideas for how to optimize toward specific goals. A much needed comprehensive approach to testing that doesn't exist today."
—Jesse Nichols, Agency Partnerships, Google Analytics
Jim Sterne's Review
"Understanding marketing testing, website optimization, search traffic improvement, usability testing and all the rest are simply part of being a marketer these days. But this book is also about marketing; branding, messaging, persuasion, etc. And once you have those under your belt, you are well on your way to strategic marketing optimization."
—Jim Sterne, founder, eMetrics Summit and chairman, Digital Analytics Association
Kristopher B. Jones' Review
"Buy this book right now if you are interested in turning your website into a conversion generating machine. While countless books exist that cover a multitude of strategies for generating traffic to your website, few exist that actually help you close the deal once a visitor arrives. This how-to guide on conversion optimization by Chris Goward unveils proven strategies and scientific methods to help you optimize your website and drive more conversions; it represents one of the best investments you can make to make more money by closing more deals."
—Kristopher B. Jones, chairman, Internet Marketing Ninjas and bestselling author of Search Engine Optimization: Your Visual Blueprint for Effective Internet Marketing
Joseph Jaffe's Review
"It is a misnomer that creative types abhor any left-brain stimulation. In fact, the best right-brain thinkers feed on data that informs, inspires and empowers them. This book outlines the converged path between art and science and how data, optimization and analytics can produce the ultimate one-two punch with sales and experience."
—Joseph Jaffe, author of Flip the Funnel
Joe Pulizzi's Review
"All businesses create content today...but only a handful test their Web content. You Should Test That! will help you set up a culture of testing in your organization that will deliver bottom line results. Heck, since you're spending so much on your content, why don't you check to see if it actually is working for you. Read this book...then share it with your entire marketing team."
—Joe Pulizzi, founder, Content Marketing Institute and author of Managing Content Marketing: The Real-World Guide for Creating Passionate Subscribers to Your Brand
John Lovett's Review
"Testing is, without a doubt, one of the most effective ways to improve digital customer experiences, yet it remains an untapped resource for most organizations. Chris's book offers a definitive guide on how to approach testing to develop a systematic program that will elevate your business tomorrow and for years to come. This book is a must-have for the modern digital marketer's bookshelf."
—John Lovett, senior partner, Web Analytics Demystified and president, Digital Analytics Association
Anne F. Kennedy's Review
"Chris Goward's book You Should Test That! presents a compelling marketing manifesto to test everything—gut instincts, market research best practices, experts' advice—for continuous improvement. Testing works, and as the author's manifesto states, 'testing is the crucible for decision-making,'—profitable decision-making. This book details a clear, actionable explanation of the science and art of getting more revenue-generating actions from the same amount of visitors.
Using a top-notch roster of case studies, Chris Goward talks us through just how real companies increased conversions and revenue. His book is a thoroughly persuasive argument for creating a data-driven culture at your company and a road map for being an effective evangelist for it. How to gain senior level buy-in for testing. How to involve other departments. Interactive tools to tie results to revenue."
—Anne F. Kennedy, international search & social marketing strategist, and author of Global Search Engine Marketing: Fine-tuning Your International Search Engine Results
Jonathan Mendez's Review
"You Should Test That! provides the most comprehensive framework for testing and optimization that I've seen. Chris not only goes far deeper into strategies that deliver results than most, but makes the business case as well. A must-read for anyone looking to optimize their digital marketing results."
—Jonathan Mendez, CEO, Yieldbot
Justin Cutroni's Review
"Analytics is amazing. But all the data and analysis in the world doesn't mean anything unless you take action. And in the online world that means testing.
But many people are scared to test. They don't understand the process and think it's too complicated or risky. And they very rarely know where to start. Chris does a great job of presenting an easy-to-understand framework that will help anyone in the online space get started with testing. Once you start testing you'll come to understand testing as a way to better understand your user and not just a way to improve conversion rate."
—Justin Cutroni, author of Google Analytics, co-author of Performance Marketing with Google Analytics and blogger at cutroni.com/blog
Ken Jurina's Review
"Continuous website conversion data is essential to all aspects of online success—if it ain't tested, don't fix it! Chris Goward gets it and delivers the how-to's that will get you results."
—Ken Jurina, president and CEO, Top Draw Inc
Linda Bustos' Review
"You Should Test That! cuts through the myths of universal best practice, exposes the common mistakes even the experts make when developing a testing program, and offers a comprehensive, data-driven methodology for high impact testing. If you want to move from testing practitioner to strategist, 'You Should Read This.'"
—Linda Bustos, eirector, eCommerce Research, Elastic Path Software, getelastic.com
Stephan Spencer's Review
"Powerful conversion advice from an industry luminary."
—Stephan Spencer, co-author of The Art of SEO and author of Google Power Search
Mark Simpson's Review
"Online testing is rapidly evolving from a standalone activity to a core discipline within leading online enterprises. Today's enterprises are requiring an integrated range of optimization techniques, including testing, to deliver the most relevant, engaging and consistent customer experience for every prospect and customer across every channel. This book is perfectly timed with the market and will show the reader how to get the most out of testing and optimization."
—Mark Simpson, founder and president, Maxymiser
Mona Elesseily's Review
"Changes in conversion rates can significantly increase a company's bottom line. This is obviously powerful and Chris does an awesome job distilling information and making conversion concepts easy to grasp and understand. You Should Test That! is a must-read for anyone looking to take their conversion optimization efforts to the next level."
—Mona Elesseily, VP, Online Marketing Strategy, Page Zero Media
Sandra Niehaus' Review
"For everyone who's suspected there's more to successful conversion optimization than the latest 'Quick Wins' list, this book is for you. You Should Test That! outlines a clear, powerful approach to improving your website's bottom line."
—Sandra Niehaus, co-author of Web Design for ROI and VP, User Experience at Closed Loop
Eric Enge's Review
"Landing page optimization is often the most poorly executed discipline of digital marketing, yet can be one of the biggest payoffs. Read this book to learn how to go beyond the basics, get a graduate degree and become a strategic marketing optimization ninja."
—Eric Enge, Co-Author of The Art of SEO and CEO, Stone Temple Consulting
