We've added a new tool called Optimize 360

To help gov.au Observatory subscribers meet changing user expectations, we have added Google Optimize 360 to our service. Optimize 360 is the premium version of Google’s website testing and personlisation product. It's an optimisation tool that can test different website elements and create personalized experiences for specific user needs.

Out of the box it integrates easily with Google Tag Manager, Analytics and Firebase. This allows you to use the data to create specific user cohorts and capture test data. 

Using the Optimize editor you can change the color of a button or move important content higher up the page. As your confidence grows you can move from simple A/B testing to full multivariate testing. Once you have validated your testing hypotheses, you can use the editor to deploy these changes as targeted personalisations.

Better website testing

As you review your web analytics, you may start to identify parts of your service that need improving. Building on this evidence, you will create hypotheses that a change may improve your users’ experience. But how will you know if the changes work?

Starting with A/B testing you can create a simple experiment that compares the original website (A) with a variant (B/C/D/…). Optimize allows you to choose how often variations appear and who sees the variations. Audience segments can be based on what device they use, where they came from, or how they were referred to your service. Alternatively you can create redirect tests that allows you to test 2 totally different pages.

As your hypotheses mature, you can expand your test to include multivariate experiments.  These more complex experiments allow you to test 2 or more elements of your website simultaneously. Rather than seeing which variant is most effective, the multivariate testing lets you identify the most effective element type and the best combination to present them in.

Website Personalisation

When you have identified new features and designs through testing, you can use website personalisation to offer a specific service to tailored user cohorts. You can also tailor your site to reinforce an agency campaign, such as support for rural and regional Australians. As users access your service through various calls to action, such as an email, news elements can be added to your service to emphasise the campaign’s call to action.

How do I get started?

Contact the Observatory team at observatory@dta.gov.au to enable Optimize 360 for your services. We are providing this service at no additional cost for the remainder of the year, to see if there is sufficient demand to keep it as a permanent feature.

We are looking to run free training on how to make the most out of Optimize 360. Visit the Observatory website and subscribe to our newsletter for updates about this training.