On this episode of #TheBigLift we are joined by Johann Van Tonder, CEO of AWA Digital, who first appeared on our podcast 18 months ago. This episode focuses on the benefits that AI can have to your organisation, rather than just using it to reduce costs. 'Everything will become something that we cannot understand today', says Johann. He argues that the growth of technology and AI in particular proves this, and the best is still come. Johan says that eventually AI will be used to achieve the mundane tasks, and this applies to CRO as well. But, if you use it for more advanced aspects of your CRO strategy then it can become a valuable tool.

00:00  Intro

01:10    Can AI and CRO work together?

04:55   AI is a “Tectonic shift”

07:45    “AI can help move stuff around the page but it doesn’t help”

09:40   Sam Altman, CEO of Open AI predicts AI can do everything and at almost no cost

11: 26    Will AI mean organisations will cut back on people?

13:25    Are “T-Shaped Marketers a thing of the past?

20:14    Will the power in the CRO talent stack change?

20:30   Should you get AI to rewrite the job specs in the marketing department?

25:12    What should those going into university be studying to be a future marketer?

30:00  How do marketers need to adapt to survive in this new AI world?

This month on #TheBiglift we are joined by Luke McDermott, Head of Digital Optimisation at Modo25. His expertise lies in SEO, UX and CRO, and he will be exploring why SEO and AB Testing should work hand in hand. Luke outlines how you can utilise an SEO strategy alongside testing techniques to maximise the performance of the content on your site. KPI's are important to measure the success of your tests, and Luke explains why it is key to set these to keep the balance between testing and SEO. There are lot's of key things, particularly content, you can incorporate into your website to maximise your SEO strategy, and testing techniques allows you to determine the strongest variation of this.

00:32    Introduction

01:00    Guest Background

 01:44  Can disparate teams work towards a common goal?

04:20    Where do you start?

06:52    What levers do you need to pull to get SEO and AB Testing to work hand in hand?

08:24    Criteria for success

11:22    Does User Experience have any bearing on SEO?

13:57    Can “Off-Page” content and SEO keywords be tested?

17:13    Does AI change things for SEO rankings?

19:40    Getting AI to ask questions to build better content

25:58    How often should the effectiveness of on-page content be checked?

This month on #TheBigLift we are welcoming back Jonny Longden, Chief Growth Officer at Speero. Jonny was first on the podcast nearly 4 years ago, and its great to have him back to continue to evaluate the ever changing experimentation landscape. On this episode, Jonny discusses building a strategic framework for achieving sustainable business growth. He outlines his view that experimentation should be treated as a strategic function that can help guide projects within the business through strategy led initiatives. Jonny explores why it is important for businesses to be agile to achieve this and continue learning as they develop and grow.

01:05    What is Experimentation Led Growth (ELG)?

02:07    Putting a man on the moon

06:54    Can Experimentation Led Growth work for every company?

10:08    ELG is strategic and needs Board-Level buy-in

17:34    Is using the term Experimentation in ELG confusing?

22:00    What’s the key message to introduce ELG to an organisation?

24:37    What are the first steps that need to be implement?

28:13    Does ELG need strategic goals?

29:53    Is now the right time to introduce ELG?

35:00    Does ELG require a rigid structure?

38:44    Can the success of ELG be measured?

Welcome to a special edition of the The Big Lift podcast presented by Webtrends Optimize Product Director, Sandeep Shah and featuring our special guests, Steve Moran & Nigel Vaughan from Conversio, a leading B Corp-certified CRO agency dedicated to advancing digital performance through data-driven insights and custom strategies.

We all know personalisation is a cornerstone of any strong CRO strategy but let’s be honest, most brands are only scratching the surface. Sure, welcome messages and product carousels are a good start, but personalisation can (and should!) go so much further.

Done right, it doesn’t just improve conversions. It creates experiences that feel meaningful, relevant, and human. It’s what turns one-time buyers into lifelong fans.

That’s exactly what Webtrends Optimize and Conversio explored together in their latest video podcast. It’s a practical, insight-packed conversation about the real data you should be paying attention to, the experiences your customers actually care about, and how to move beyond the usual tactics into something genuinely powerful.

If you’re ready to rethink what personalisation really means - and how to do it better - this is definitely one for you.

This month we are joined by Lars Schleibach, Senior Solutions Engineer at Fullstory. Lars explores the work Fullstory do with their clients to understand the user journey, identify pain points, and improve conversion rates by ensuring a seamless shopping experience.  Fullstory's Behavioural Analytics insights are incredibly intuitive and can really dig into the experience of the user. This is an effective method alongside testing tools as it can help to identify which areas of your website you should be experimenting on. Avoiding user frustration is key for conversion, and Lars explores how businesses of all sizes can benefit from an improved profit margin as a result.

00:30  What is Behavioural Data Analytics?

04:26  How can you turn anonymous prospects into known visitors?

09:54  Can you change the content on the fly for frustrated visitors?     

15:57    Removing error message frustrations

22:07   Tone of voice and error message descriptions 

23:20  Intent to purchase “triggers”

25:19   Applying discounts  / offers only when applicable

29:37   Should marketers be responsible for margin as opposed to sales?

35:08  Using the data from FullStory to optimise the customer experience

This month on #TheBigLift we are exploring the idea that successful experiments are dependent on research, and how you can still be spontaneous whilst being knowledgeable and well-informed. This month's guests Harriet Swan and Steph LePevost from Conversion delve into the important components of good research, including active listening, lateral thinking, asking the right questions and an understanding of human psychology. At Conversion, they utilise their own Lever Framework when working with clients so they can categorise and prioritise depending on what they have learnt about their client. This is an effective way to tailor questions to objectives and experiences, really getting the most out of your research.

01:00    How do you define what to research?

03:59    Does planning your research impede spontaneity?

05:08    How do you prioritise the research?

09:20    Choosing the right research method

10:48    Can psychology play a role in how the research is carried out?

14:25    Dealing with the HIPPO (Highest Paid Person Opinion)

17:58    Greatest impact or ease, which comes first?

21:18    Can you plan around emotions?

25:25    Puling the research together

27:22    Research methodologies

This month on #TheBigLift podcast we are joined by Shamir Duverseau, Co-Founder of Smart Panda Labs. Shamir has extensive experience with some huge brands which has taught him lot's of valuable lessons. He explores the importance of constantly learning and adapting from every opportunity, as you can't bank on things turning out the way they have before. Failing, learning and iterating are essential steps for any business, not just when it comes to AB Testing, but as part of a culture too. This is particularly important as the world of digital marketing continues to evolve and grow, especially when we talk about experimentation and testing.

This month I am joined by Mark Palfreeman, Senior Business Intelligence Manager at Flutter UKI. Mark, Co-Founder of Experimentation North, explores the importance of experimentation meet-ups to share ideas, best practice and knowledge with the CRO community. Whilst testing has become the norm for many businesses, there are still companies who can improve their experimentation culture, and changing the mindset of leadership teams is key to this. Mark's belief in this is the reason he co-founded the monthly event Experimentation North, an educational and social vehicle to continue growing the experimentation community.

'We aren't in Kansas anymore' says Chris Hood, Global Sales Manager at Webtrends Optimize, when it comes to the advancement of CRO. In this episode, Chris discusses the growth of Website Optimisation and the huge arsenal of features now available. However, you should not fall into the trap of trying to use all of these, and the key is to utilise the right features for your industry, which good research will provide valuable insights into. Using a CRO tool like Webtrends Optimize will mean you have access to an extensive tool kit, with the ability to AB Test and iterate at each stage, which Chris says is essential throughout your testing journey.

This month's podcast is Jon Crowder, Head of Digital Experience at Journey Further. Despite the growth of testing and experimentation, there are still organisations who doubt it's value. In this episode, Jon explores how CRO can not only stop harmful changes from going live on your site, but it also provides an important point of reflection for businesses who start to consider the changes they are making to their website and why. Jon explains that it more than just converting customers through your testing, but also retaining them.

On this month's podcast, we are joined by Eduardo Marconi, Co-Founder and Managing Director of AIM Conversion Experts.
Eduardo explores whether it is possible for a brand and it's retailers to use CRO to work together for mutual benefit. He explains the ultimate goal is to understand the whole cycle of a shoppers behaviour, and then utilise testing to improve their experience and monitor the results to identify if they are working.

On this episode of #thebiglift we are joined by Stacey Cooper, Analytics Freelancer at Sharper Digital. Stacey discusses the power of gaining experience in business and the opportunities it can bring. Whilst qualifications are still important, there is also a lot to be learnt from great mentors and hands-on experience. Something that is particularly useful in an ever-evolving Digital Marketing industry.

This month we are joined by Bhav Patel, Product Analytics and Experimentation Director at Lean Convert. Bhav has been in the CRO space for more than 10 years, and is known in the industry for his popular CRAP (Conversion Rate, Analytics, Product) talks. On the podcast, Bhav discusses how measurement frameworks provide a common language that allows everyone to communicate in a way that is easily understood. Frameworks can be particularly useful for CRO specialists to define their processes and become more measurable and reputable.

This month we are joined by Jake Lambert, Head of Conversion Services at Fresh Egg. Jake describes the growth and maturity of CRO, which he says has come as a result of more businesses experiencing the value of it. Something which Fresh Egg are so passionate about, they offer a Performance Guarantee. This involves Fresh Egg co-investing in the clients CRO programme and running it at a reduced cost, setting performance targets based on forecast, and offering CRO training so the client can learn skills to bring optimisation in-house. They have proven success in this approach and are continuing to support businesses reach all of their goals.

On this month's podcast, we are joined by Kit Heighway, Director of Optimisation at Daydot. Kit has recently undertaken extensive research for his white paper on Subscriptions, and this episode focuses on acquisition when Cracking the Code to Digital Media Subscription Success. Kit explores the different type of subscriptions there are, why people subscribe in the first place and the value it can add for someone. Kit suggests that 'personalisation is always appropriate' as this shows you know what the user is looking for and are utilising this to provide a better user experience.

We are in an era of heightened awareness around social and environmental responsibility, says Bud Johnston, this month's guest on #thebiglift podcast. Bud is the Founder and Strategic Consultant of Boxless, an organisation dedicated to helping businesses make positive changes and achieve success around their social and environmental responsibilities. 

Bud explores why organisations are changing their habits, how the impacts of the Covid-19 Pandemic has influenced this, and how the pillars of ESG and DEI can provide a clear framework for businesses to follow. By businesses demonstrating their social and environmental efforts, you are not only having a positive contribution to society, you are also continuing to attract the current workforce.

On this month's podcast, we are joined by Simon Gardiner, Head of Digital at the Goodwood Group. Simon takes us on an interesting journey around the migration of their website and the different tools and methods they are utilising to make this as seamless as possible. Website migration is a challenge for any business, but particularly when you have a multifaceted website like The Goodwood Group do. Simon describes how his team, even though quite small, have a combination of skills that help combat any complications that come with a big project like website migration and ensure they are successful in all projects they do.

This week we are joined by Richard Chapman, Head of Experimentation at 26 Agency. In this episode, we explore how to build and maintain a CRO culture for quicker growth to ensure you nurture your more engaged customers. But building this culture can be difficult, particularly if your organisation is new to CRO and experimentation. As someone who had worked in CRO for a long time, Richard outlines his best practice tips for a quick and smooth process when introducing it into your digital strategy.

On this month's podcast, we are joined by Steven Shyne, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of CXperts. CXperts are a digital consultancy that work with a number of different organisations to help them empathise and connect with their users. On this episode, he explores how to plan beyond the quick wins to develop sustainable ongoing test concepts. Steven argues that whilst quick wins are useful, they have a limited life span, so you need multiple inputs to keep your customers interested and engaged, This requires regular communication with them to determine what they do and don't want to see. Implementing this ensures you are getting the most out of your digital assets.

On this month's podcast, we are joined by Gavin Willis, Founder and CEO of specialist SEO and Search marketing agency, Search7. Named as such due to their expertise in Search Marketing, and 7 as they give 7% of their profits to charity. They have an admirable approach to their way of working, encompassing their belief that 'we can all play a part in making people's lives better', as well as continuing to give their employees the tools to thrive and providing results for their clients. Gavin explores how you can balance a successful business whilst still giving to communities and charities, and inspiring other businesses to do the same.

On this month's #thebiglift we are joined by Gerry McNicol, Founder and CEO at Distil. Ai, who are experts at using data to improve commerce performance. Gerry explores how you can avoid 'analysis paralysis' so that your data is actually telling you useful things, and to avoid being overwhelmed with too much information. He also delves into the importance of nailing down your definitions in relation to your data, so everyone is clear and concise on what you want to achieve. This is key when there is such a vast amount of data to choose from, and to ensure you get the best results

On this month's podcast we are joined by CEO of AWA Digital, Johann Van Tonder. Johann is passionate about determining what people want to get done and how he can help them. He delves into his belief that an important part of the experimentation and growth mindset is not only learning from your own mistakes, but also the mistakes other people have made. He argues there is no excuse to make ill-informed decisions and sometimes there are more important things at hand than just increasing ROI. In fact, Johann divulges that he often advises teams to try and prove themselves wrong once they think they have 'won', to avoid confirmation bias.

Sussex Cricket Foundation is an important charity in the sporting community due to the work they do to bring joy and fulfillment to children who are often marginalised. We are incredibly proud that we are able to support them in a lot of the fantastic work they do.
On this month's #thebiglift podcast, we are joined by Gary Wallis-Tayler, Aroop Tanna and Tom Belcher from Sussex Cricket Foundation. They discuss the amazing opportunities they bring to children in the local area and how dedicated each and every one of their team is to making a difference in the community. They also delve into the different ways they do this and the variety of initiatives they put on to provide the most amount of support.

This month on #thebiglift podcast we have Edmund Beggs from Conversion.com! At Conversion.com, they have developed The Levers Framework which is a comprehensive map of the user experience features that influence conversion. Essentially, the framework helps you to understand and catalog different features of a user experience. There are different stages to this theory, and Edmund delves into why conversion.com began to develop it, and importantly, how it can help to drive huge value for your experimentation programs. This tool can be used by companies at all levels and in all industries, so the possibilities to be successful are endless!