Conversion Optimizer Basic for Joomla!

       

The Simple Way to Run Google Website Optimizer on Joomla

The Conversion Optimizer Basic is the simple way to run a Google Website Optimizer experiment on Joomla! websites. Create your experiment on Google, cut & paste the scripts into the plug-in configuration, add a simple tag on your test and conversion pages, then sit back and wait for Google to tell you what works the best.

Documentation

The Basic version is a Joomla! plug-in, available for Joomla! 1.5, 1.6, 1.7 and 2.5. This version will runs a single, standard A/B or Multivariate experiment. The Conversion Optimizer Pro allows you to run many experiments at the same time, and simplifies the setup process by automatically importing the scripts and providing cut & paste content tags. Our premiere product, the Optimizer Pro Plus goes beyond Pro by adding integration with Google Analytics, support for Time-On-Page, Link Click and Form Submit conversions as well as experiments spanning multiple test pages. Find out more about these three versions on our intro page.

Setup & Configuration

Set up and Configuration is simple, quick and painless. Here's how to get started.

Install the Conversion Optimizer Basic Plug-in

• If you don't already have a Google Website Optimizer account, set one up now.
• Register on this site then download the Conversion Optimizer Basic Plug-in.
• Install the Conversion Optimizer Basic package using the Joomla! Installer.
  • Joomla! 1.6, 1.7 or 2.5 - Administrator - Extensions - Extension Manager - Install Tab.
  • Joomla! 1.5 - Administrator - Extensions - Install/Uninstall.

Create your Experiment on Google

Designing an experiment is beyond the scope of this documentation, however Google offers great information on the topic. Once you're ready, set up your experiment on the Google Website Optimizer site. Google will ask for several URLs when setting up your experiment, if you're using SEF, remember to use the SEF version of the URLs. When you reach Step 2 - Install and validate JavaScript tags, do the following:

• Pick the You will install and validate the JavaScript tags option
• You're now ready to set things up in Joomla.

We've tested this plug-in extensively. Still, it's always a smart practice to check your site and make sure it works in your exact configuration. If you run into any problems, disable the plug-in right away and contact us with the specifics.

Configure the Plug-in

• Plug-in Manager - In Joomla's Administrator, pull down the Extensions Menu and pick Plug-in Manager
• Find the Plug-in - Filter on the word Optimizer
• Change the Plug-in Order - to be the last (highest number). This will avoid conflicts with other plug-ins (e.g., SEF). Some plug-ins will alter the Google Website Optimizer scripts after our plug-in adds it to your page.
• Edit the Configuration - Click on System - Conversion Optimizer Basic.

• Get Google's Scripts - Go back to the Google Website Optimizer page, and cut and paste each of the three Script types, Control, Tracking and Conversion into the correct boxes on the Joomla side. Google may show multiple copies of the Tracking script, these are identical so either one will work.

 

This plug-in does not check your JavaScript code, so double-check that you've put the right scripts in the right boxes!

• Enable - the Plug-in.
• Save - Click Save at the top.

Sites with mod_security enabled may experience a 500 error when saving the scripts. This is because some configurations of mod_security prevent javascript code with calls to external sites (in this case google.com) from being saved in the database. To resolve this, you will need to change the mod_security filters to allow scripts from google.com, or upgrade to Optimizer Pro or Pro Plus.

You're almost there! Next, you'll need to tell the plug-in which pages are in the experiment, with a few tags. Here's how to set that up:

Adding The Tags

Conversion Optimizer Basic now lets you change the tag. In general, leave this at the default value optimizerbasic. Some previous versions of Conversion Optimizer Basic used the {pggwob tag rather than {optimizerbasic. If you've already added tags to your content with {pggwob tags, use the Tag option in the plugin configuration to change this to pggwob. Some users may wish to change this to another value for added security.

A/B Experiment Tags

• Original Page - Place a {optimizerbasic o} tag ANYWHERE in your Joomla content on the Original page, but just once. You can place this tag within your content, or a module position. Place it where you feel best. When the plug-in sees this code, it'll place the correct Website Optimizer scripts from the plug-in parameters where Google wants them.
• Variation Pages - Place a {optimizerbasic v} tag ANYWHERE on each of your variation pages. Again, the plug-in will grab the Google JavaScript code from the plug-in parameters and put them where Google wants them. In experiments with multiple variation pages, you may find it easier to publish the {optimizerbasic v} tag in a custom HTML module instead of within the content.
• Conversion Pages - Place a {optimizerbasic c} tag ANYWHERE on your conversion page. In fact, it's not well documented, but if you have several pages that mark a conversion, place the code on each of those pages, and Google will count them all as a conversion. We tested this on a site with several opt-in mailing lists. Each list had its own, customized "Thank you" page. We placed the conversion code on each page, because for that experiment signing up for any of the mailing lists meant success. Please note, Virtuemart users will need to put this conversion tag in the "checkout.thankyou.tpl.php" file.
• You're done with the plug-in, go back to Google and finish setting up your experiment!

Multivariate Experiment Tags

• Conversion Pages - Place a {optimizerbasic c} code ANYWHERE on your conversion page. In fact, it's not well documented, but if you have several pages that mark a conversion, place the code on each of those pages, and Google will count them all as a conversion. For example, we tested this on a site with several opt-in mailing lists. Each list had its own, customized Thank you page. We placed the conversion code on each page, because for that experiment signing up for any of the mailing lists meant success. Please note, Virtuemart users will need to put this conversion tag in the "checkout.thankyou.tpl.php" file.
• Test Page Sections - Here you'll have to name each of your Page Sections and mark them at the start and end.
  
  • Section Start Tag - Place a {optimizerbasic s:[PAGE SECTION NAME]} tag at the very start of each page section. Of course you'll need to replace [PAGE SECTION NAME] with a unique name for the section. The plug-in will replace this with the correctly formatted code that google wants for the start of a page section.
  • Section End Tag - Place a {optimizerbasic /} at the end of the section.

Here's an example of what this may look like:

{optimizerbasic s:heading}
<h1>Page Heading</h1>
{optimizerbasic /}
 
{optimizerbasic s:product description}
<p>This product is spectacular, fantastic AND amazing!</p>
{optimizerbasic /}
 
{optimizerbasic s:buy now button}
<a>Get it now!</a>
{optimizerbasic /}

• You're done with the plug-in, go back to Google and finish setting up your experiment!

Custom HTML Modules
You can add tags in custom HTML modules too. Be careful, though, to publish modules with these tags on your experiment pages ONLY.

Validate on Google

Now that you've set up the plug-in parameters and added codes to your experiment pages, go back to Google Website Optimizer - Step 2 page. And do the following:

• Scroll to the bottom of the Step 2 page and click the Validate Pages button. Google will check to make sure the scripts and Page Sections (Multivariate testing only) are properly placed and correct. If Google fails validation check our Troubleshooting section:

Troubleshooting

• Is the Plug-in Enabled? - The plug-in must be enabled to do anything, so make sure you've enabled it in Joomla's plug-in manager.
• Is the Plug-in Order set to LAST? - Some other plug-ins (e.g., SEF) will attempt to modify or rewrite the Google scripts and URLs added by this plug-in. To avoid this possible problem, run this plug-in last. Change this through the Plug-in Manager, in the Extensions menu of the Joomla Administrator.
• Is the Plug-in Access Level set to Public? - Google is not logged on to your site, so if the plug-in isn't set to public, Google won't be able to test it.
• Are the page access levels set to public? - Again, Google appears as a public visitor when testing your pages, so make sure Google can reach them to test.
• Correct URLs on Google - recheck each of the URLs in your experiment and make sure you've given Google the correct URL. If it's checking the wrong page, it won't find the optimizer code.
• Plug-in Tags on each page? - Remember, all experiments must have at least one conversion page. Make sure that the plug-in tag {optimizerbasic c} appears somewhere on that page (in the content or a module). In A/B testing you'll also need an original page (with the {optimizerbasic o} tag on that page) and at least one variation page, with the {optimizerbasic v} tag on that page. If you're running a multivariate experiment, you'll need to define at least one Page Section on your test page.
• Page Section Tags - If you're running a multivariate experiment, revisit the Test page and make sure you've defined at least one Page Section. Each Page Section must have a start tag {optimizerbasic s:[PAGE SECTION NAME]} and an end {optimizerbasic /}. Also, you can not overlap or nest page sections. Once you start a page section, you must end it before beginning the next.
• Plug-in Parameters - Make sure that each of the three Google JavaScript blocks are in the right boxes, and include all the code from Google. You may wish to delete all the code from the Plug-in Parameters and cut and paste them again, ensuring that you copy all the code and that they're in the right boxes.
• 500 Errors while saving scripts - Sites with mod_security enabled may experience a 500 error when trying to save the GWO scripts. This is a feature of mod_security which prevents javascript from external sites from being stored in the database. You can either alter your mod_security filters to allow for the Google scripts or disable mod_security entirely while running your experiments. Please note that this is not an issue with Optimizer Pro, as we have more control over how Joomla stores component data.
• Header Meta Tags - Ensure that no optimizerbasic tags appear in the section of your page. Some extensions, including VirtueMart, and SEO/SEF related plug-ins will automatically generate meta keywords and/or meta description tags from your content. In some cases these extensions may place optimizerbasic tags in your meta tags. When this happens, your page will not render correctly, if at all. This is not an issue with the Pro version, as that version strips pggwo tags from the header.
• Firewalls - Make sure that you can access the Script site from your computer. Some organizations block or firewall the Google Analytics site to prevent polluting test results. If you're not sure try browsing to http://www.google-analytics.com/siteopt.js (copy and paste that url into your browser), you should see a javaScript file. If not, you will need to either unblock the site or test from outside your firewall.
• If all else fails, post a message in our Optimizer Basic forum with the details and we'll help you get it working, who knows we may even update the code or these instructions to make them easier to follow.