MailLift improves conversion rates 67%

We recently spoke with Nick Akey, B2B Video Marketer at MailLift, an Austin-based startup that writes and sends handwritten letters for businesses (yes, like the company Joaquin Phoenix works for in Her).

Nick used GoAnimate to test the effectiveness of an explainer video. He wanted to put a video front and center on the 20-person company’s homepage, but first he needed buy-in.

And what’s the best way to get buy-in? Data!

When MailLift’s homepage featured Nick’s video (above) conversion rates jumped 67 percent. In other words, when visitors landed on a version of MailLift’s homepage featuring Nick’s video, they were 67 percent more likely to sign up for an account than were visitors who landed on a version of the homepage without it.

The video was super easy for Nick to create. He says, “We didn’t have a system for shooting a live-action video well. We’re a chaotic startup. Our CEO doesn’t have 4 hours to spare for my video. GoAnimate worked well because I could write the script and make the video without bugging anyone else.”

For the audio files, Nick recorded his own voice on his computer (with the help of an external microphone) and then edited them in Final Cut, before uploading the files to GoAnimate. When you’re trying to convince stakeholders to put a new piece of content front and center on your company’s homepage, it’s worth the investment of time.

It’s a sign of these pro-video times that a startup with only 20 employees has a full-time resource dedicated to video marketing.

The rewards of Nick’s effort and data-gathering have been reaped: his A/B test convinced executives that his video would indeed increase conversion, and it now lives permanently on the company’s homepage.