Google’s Big Birthday News, Picking Your A/B Tests & Painting Data

Happy Birthday, Google! (And What That Means to You)
Most media celebrated Google’s 20^th birthday with retrospectives of Google Doodles. More interesting to me, however, is the future. The tech giant shared how it expects to change search in the coming years. I had two big takeaways: an increased emphasis on making images (and video) really work on search and new features to keep users on its platform (reducing the need for them to click off to websites). Stay turned! I’m sure this newsletter will cover more about what’s next for Google.

Maybe You Don’t Need to Test…. Everything
For most nonprofits, just finishing a website redesign is a huge achievement. (I’ve been there. Extra bonus points if it’s on time and in budget.) The idea of A/B testing everything before launch is so daunting. Here’s one consultant’s take on what to test and what to push out and refine later.

Some More About Facebook Fundraising
There’s been a lot going on with Facebook fundraising lately. This article from Fast Company provides a (slightly cynical) take on what Facebook stands to gain from the feature. As the writer puts it: “It’s a nicely strategic move for the platform: Popularizing a free and altruistic service is both good humanity and brand loyalty.”

Let’s Get That on Video
Yup, it’s that time of year. When the Halloween candy comes out, it’s time to start thinking about holiday giving campaigns. Interested in doing something with video this year? This article provides solid guidance on what to think through before launching a video campaign.

My Favorite Advice

Website Down? There’s an Email for That 
Most of my clients want to stay out of Google Analytics if they can help it. This means setting up “intelligence events” to alert them when something’s gone horribly wrong (dramatic dip in web traffic) or amazingly right (conversions are WAY up). Here’s a great guide to setting up those emails in GA. I recommend starting with the “website traffic = zero” alert (just in case).

A Very Cool Visualization

Where Our Data Goes: The Painting
In this segment, I typically feature visualizations that use cutting edge algorithms and animation to portray data in an accessible, fun way. This time, however, I’m doing the opposite. One artist traced the flow of big tech companies’ data and turned it into paintings. The results are hauntingly complex works of art.  As he told a reporter: “It took a very long time.”