Further Evolution of Google Website Optimizer

Just a couple of weeks ago, I blogged about some cool new GWO features. This week, Google released two more.

Experiment-Management API

A critical step in the implementation of any GWO experiment is adding the GWO tags to the test pages. In most cases, this is pretty simple. But if your site uses a Content Management System (CMS) or a third-party shopping cart, accessing and inserting code can be tricky (especially for us technically-challenged marketing folk).

With the new Google Website Optimizer Experiment Management API, these platforms can integrate GWO directly into their services, thereby operating outside of the GWO interface.

Currently, two platforms have launched their integrations: CrownPeak and Blast Advanced Media’s Motivity CMS. Both allow you to create and launch Google Website Optimizer experiments without touching your website’s code.

Many other platforms are working on similar GWO integrations, so stay tuned!

For more on the Google Website Optimizer API, check out their Getting Started Guide.

Over Time Charts

Over Time Charts allow you to see the cumulative conversion rate of each combination, over the entire duration of your experiment.

This is a very cool and useful new feature, as it potentially gives you a better understanding of how your site performs over time. If certain combinations have been affected by external forces (like periodic sales variations or marketing campaigns), these Over Time Charts will help you identify this.

Look for these charts on the Reports page. They’re now available for all GWO experiments.