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.