Amazon A/B Testing: What to test for the highest impact

December 23rd 2019 By Kim Kohatsu

Editor’s note: Thanks to Danny Carlson for this guest post on Amazon A/B testing.

As Amazon grows more and more competitive, a seller’s need for an edge gets greater every month. What if there was a strategy you could implement that made Amazon Ads cheaper, product launches more effective, and click-through and conversion rates higher? There is! It’s Amazon A/B testing.

Unlike your own e-commerce website, Amazon’s platform doesn’t allow you to install split testing plugins or tools. And messing with a listing too much can make the Amazon algorithm go haywire, putting your existing ranking at risk.

So how do we do it? In this article, I’ll dive into how to split test your listing, what to test, and how to gather the best data without messing up your Amazon indexing or ranking.

Which One Won? Fiction book covers

December 18th 2019 By Laura Melchor

The most appealing fiction book covers may come down to personal preference: color, typography, imagery. That’s why it’s smart to poll a group of dedicated fiction readers because you’ll likely get answers based on plot, setting, genre, character, and structure.

One author tested book covers on PickFu to a targeted audience of 50 fiction readers. Which of the two covers would make them want to buy the book more?

Option A shows a mysterious woman peeking through a fancy mirror frame. Red swirls (perhaps blood?) highlight the silvery frame.
Option B is completely different, with a flame illuminating an illustration of a woman. A cloaked person hunkers below the flame.

Can you guess which one won?

PickFu Interview with E-commerce Evolution

December 16th 2019 By Laura Melchor

Meet the interviewer

The E-commerce Evolution Podcast interviews top experts in the world of e-commerce. The show is hosted by Brett Curry of OMG Commerce, a company that specializes in search marketing for e-commerce. Because PickFu helps so many people make decisions for their e-commerce ventures, Curry hosted PickFu co-founder John Li.

Read on for interview highlights, or listen to the entire interview here.

Which One Won? Which book title sells Santa Claus to Christians?

December 11th 2019 By Laura Melchor

Some Christians grow up believing in Santa Claus, but many don’t. For Christians, Christmas tends to focus on Jesus instead of Santa. But what if the two were not mutually exclusive? After writing a book about Santa Claus and Christianity, one author tested his book title on PickFu. The author chose a target audience of self-identified Christians. What better crowd to judge?

Option A: The Gospel of Santa Claus – Inspired by the True Story of St. Nicholas
Option B: The Gospel of Santa Claus – An Inspiring Novel about the True Meaning of Christmas
Option C: The Gospel of Santa Claus – The Story of St. Nicholas and a Father’s Love for His Children

Can you guess which one won?

How to Get Back Into Writing: 8 Tips

December 9th 2019 By Laura Melchor

There’s a saying among writers that writing is indeed an art: the art of getting your butt in the chair, staying there without checking Facebook, and writing.

Even before laptops and iPhones, this was true. Short story master Flannery O’Conner famously said, “I don’t know if the muse is going to show up on any given day, but by golly, I’m going to be at my desk every day from 8 to 12 every morning in case she does.”

Which One Won? Designing App Store screenshots

December 4th 2019 By Robyn Petrik

Between commitments to work, family, friends, and volunteering, everyone seems to be going a mile a minute. Meditation apps address our growing desire to slow things down and take a break from worry. But how can you make your mindfulness app more appealing to users than the next one? Designing App Store screenshots that communicate your benefits is a good place to start.

In this PickFu poll, a developer wanted to find out which App Store screenshots would lead to more downloads. Option A was an illustrated design with a variety of colors, while Option B used pictures of nature and a mostly blue palette.

Option A
Option B

Can you guess which one won?

The E-Commerce Marketing Strategy You Didn’t Know You Needed

December 2nd 2019 By Laura Melchor

Introduction

If you’re new to e-commerce, you might feel overwhelmed by the idea of building a successful e-commerce marketing strategy. Maybe you’re at the beginning of your journey, where you’re still deciding whether to set up your own site or create an Etsy or Amazon page.

Or maybe you started your business a few months ago with high hopes, but nothing’s happening. The water is quiet and no one’s biting. What can you do to keep your brand from flopping?

It all starts with having a strong e-commerce marketing plan. Without marketing, your business goes nowhere.

This guide will take you on an overview of steps you can take to solidify your e-commerce marketing strategy and make your brand thrive.

Which One Won? Health and fitness business names

November 27th 2019 By Robyn Petrik

The world of wellness is a crowded marketplace where it’s important to stand out. Before launching headfirst into a new business, get feedback on your ideas. This feedback helps you see if you’re on the right track with the health and fitness business names you’re considering.

In this PickFu poll, an entrepreneur wanted to see which name for a new fitness club sounds the most appealing among three choices:

Option A: Guide Fitness
Option B: Story Fitness
Option C: New Health Fitness

Can you guess which one won?

5 App Store Ranking Factors and How to Optimize Them

November 25th 2019 By Madeline Raynor

app store ranking factors and how to optimize for them

The key to success in the App Store is to optimize, optimize, optimize. In this article, we’ll introduce five key App Store ranking factors and how to master them.

5 App Store ranking factors

1. App name

Coming up with a short, memorable app name is hard. A great name is a crucial factor that decides whether or not your app is going to get love from users. Of course, you want to try to include keywords in your app name. But beyond that, you want a name that clicks with people. Think about app names that people talk about with their friends: Waze. Candy Crush Saga. Words with Friends. Then emulate them by listing memorable, brandable ideas for your app.

How do you know when you’ve found the right app name? Create a poll on PickFu to test your app name and see what real consumers think. PickFu enables you to get specific about the target customer you want to poll, such as cat owners, mobile gamers, or people with iOS devices.

Which One Won? Testing covers for a book about learning French

November 20th 2019 By Laura Melchor

What makes someone want to learn a new language? Is it the romantic nature of discovering another culture? A desire to communicate with a broader range of people? Maybe it’s a little bit of both. And when those language learners search for books to help them achieve success, they’ll want their desires reflected on the book’s cover. And the best method for testing covers for a book? PickFu, of course.

Author Frederic Bibard ran a PickFu poll to find out which of two covers would appeal the most to an audience of people who read 1-3 books a month.

Option A features a lot of text that tells readers what they’re getting. The illustrations on the cover depict iconic French symbols.

Option B eliminates all but the title and author text (and a ‘+ Audio’ insert to let people know they get a free audiobook, too). This less-crowded cover also features well-known French sites but presents them in a more whimsical way.

Can you guess which one won?