“Eyes” Test  

Previously, we tested a donation form banner featuring multiple public media characters and personalities looking directly at the donor, which produced strong positive results. To confirm these findings, we are now testing with another public media organization and swapping out the previously used images to ensure the effect isn’t due to those specific people or programs. 

We’re testing two versions of these banners (one where the people look directly at the donor and one where they look away) against a standard station logo banner. Currently, the “direct-look” banner leads with a 5% higher conversion rate, followed by the control banner (just station logo) and lastly the looking-away version. We hope to complete this test soon and will report the full results in the February newsletter. 

Nudge Test 

The lower-page banner that highlights recent donations (e.g., “Paul in Peoria just donated $120”) has shown neutral results so far. We’ll continue gathering data through December. If the results remain flat, we may shift our approach and use this technology to test for increases in average gift size or sustainer percentages, rather than focus solely on conversion. 

Ask Array Test

After nearly two months, our ask array test — which presents higher suggested donation amounts — continues to show a slightly lower conversion rate of (about a 3% drop) but generates higher overall revenue that more than compensates for the decrease. We’ll continue running this test through December and plan to provide an updated summary in February. 

These are our latest updates and findings. We look forward to sharing more comprehensive results and next steps early in the new year. 

Nudge Test 

This test involves a slide-in banner appearing on a donation form informing the donor, for example, that "Paul from Peoria just donated $120." Should the initial nudge positively impact conversion, we anticipate further tests to see if we can similarly boost average gift amounts and increase sustainer conversion percentages.

We’re currently two weeks into testing this with a helpful Public Media Organization (PMO), and performance has increased by almost 2.5%. However, as these are still early days, this test will likely run through the end of the calendar year (EOCY) hopefully maximizing testing data results during the busy giving season.

Ask Array Testing 

One of our PMO partners is testing an increase in the ask array — raising one-time gifts from $75 to $100 and sustainer gifts from $10 to $15. Donors can still select "Other" to give less, but these are the new higher starting points in the radio buttons of the ask array. Currently, the conversion rate is down about 1%.

This conversion rate reduction amounts to about $800 in lost revenue. However, if we compare this with the increase in higher gift amounts, the test has brought in nearly $5,000 in additional revenue for an estimated net gain of $4,200. This test is still relatively new, but we’re keeping a close eye on it — including pulling refined numbers down the line that better take into account sustainer value. Watch this space for future newsletter updates.

Upcoming Tests 

Multipage Donation Form 

We will soon look at the impact of a two-page donation form, a precursor to our donation form redesign. This test should launch soon, allowing us to gather data during EOCY.

Spotify Ad Test 

This upcoming test will focus on promoting a partner station's content on Spotify using segmentation by content. For example, individuals who listen to jazz on Spotify might see an ad promoting "local jazz on your local station." This will function as part of our ongoing ad testing: including display (such as Inuvo), streaming video (previous Hulu test) and now Spotify. We remain interested in expansion into this area, so anticipate reading more about testing on this front soon.

Eyes Test  

Last month I mentioned us launching an “eyes test” that would essentially create a donation form banner on which multiple characters would be looking AT the donor vs. a banner with the same characters looking away. While we only launched this test about a month ago with a single PMO the results have been stunning — an almost 25% lift in the version with the characters looking AT the donor. This is one of the strongest responses we’ve ever seen to a test. As such we are validating by testing with another PMO using DIFFERENT characters — just to verify it was not due to a specific PMO audience or character. Should this second test prove successful we would likely look to update the majority of PMO donation banners. 

Tests in Progress

The following tests have not launched, but are in the active build phases, meaning some items may have early potential results in the next newsletter. 

• Ask Array Form: We are testing a higher ask amount on the main donation form. 

• Multipage Donation Form: We will be looking at the impact of a two-page donation form, a precursor to our donation form redesign. 

• “Nudge Test”: A slide-in banner that appears on a donation form letting the donor know “Paul from Peoria just donated $120”. Should the initial nudge work on conversion we anticipate further tests for average gift boosts and sustainer conversion percentage. 

Description Copy Length Test

Since June, we've been testing copy length on a partner station’s Passport page. We compared a short, single-sentence reminder about Passport eligibility with a longer description that included a pitch, phone number, and additional details. The shorter version outperformed the longer one, delivering a 2.5% higher conversion rate. This equated to a more than $6,000 reduction in revenue loss compared to the longer copy, which would have cost more than $12,000 over three months. Our recommendation: Keep donation form copy concise, especially for Passport pages. The goal of the form is to close the deal, not to make the initial pitch. 

SMS Opt-In Test 

In preparation for future testing in Iterable, we've been experimenting with an SMS opt-in checkbox on donation forms. As expected — since additional fields have consistently proven to increase end-user friction and reduce conversion rates — this additional option led to a 1.22% drop in conversions, translating to approximately $4,000 in lost revenue. However, this test requires further evaluation. While the short-term impact is negative, using this feature in an automated renewal programs could eventually compensate for, perhaps surpass, the initial loss.

Upcoming Tests 

As we prepare for a comprehensive form redesign, we are currently launching several smaller tests, including: 

• Auto-Renew/Annual Sustainer Option – Ensuring no negative impact on conversion rates or technical issues. 

• Ask Array – Testing a higher ask amount on the main donation form (around $15/month) and a lower amount on the Passport page (around $7.50/month). 

• "Eyes Test" – Exploring the impact of a donation form banner where characters look directly at the donor versus away, inspired by research on social behavior. Learn more here.