The Client
This online state university offers online educational programs for undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as professional and continuing education certificates.
The Business Need
While their online undergraduate and graduate offerings are popular, the client has noticed that not a lot of people are aware that they also offer professional certificates and badges. The client was planning to make top navigation changes and decided it would be a good idea to test them. The goal of this test was to clarify the Badges and Certificates navigation experience.
Challenges
Users had difficulty finding the Professional Development & Training programs as they were under a broad dropdown menu (Certificates). They needed to be presented in a more conspicuous way to make it easier for the users to find them.
Solution
A/B Testing
Conversion Team formulated test concepts that would highlight the client’s Professional Development & Training programs. Out of these test concepts, two were chosen for A/B testing.
For both versions, Conversion Team removed the Professional Development & Training option from the Certificates dropdown menu and made it a button of its own.
For Version 1, we recommended that the Badges button be changed to “Training”. Conversion Team also had all the dropdown options removed.
For Version 2, we changed the “Training” button to “Professional Development.”
Results
Conversion Rate Increase
The conversion rate for both versions increased, but Version 2 generated the best conversion rate lift at 135.2 % with a confidence level of 99% vs Version 1’s 91.4% conversion rate lift at a 96% confidence level.
Below is a chart showing the progress of the conversion rate each day:
Revenue per Visitor
Version 1 generated the most revenue with a 255% increase vs Version’s 72% revenue.
Conclusion
The client chose Version 2 as it performed better. Two years on, the client still uses this version.
