Building an Optimization Program

Building an Optimization Program: From Quick Wins to Scalable Impact

Optimization is often seen as a luxury—something companies get to "when there's time." But in reality, an effective optimization program is a growth engine that continuously improves user experience, conversion rates, and overall business performance. This should also be a pivotal part of any Product Management role where you are responsible for consumer engagement, lead capture and conversion.

Starting at Lowes.com, my 16 years of digital experience and the last 12 years leading optimization initiatives in eCommerce, hospitality, and mortgage technology, I’ve seen firsthand how companies can evolve from one-off testing to a full-fledged experimentation culture.

This blog will cover Optimization TIPS - Fundamentials every company should focus on...

Part 1: The Core Optimization TIPS

A successful optimization program relies on four fundamental pillars:

1. Testing & Tracking: Validate Before You Scale

• Every test should be based on a clear hypothesis informed by data, user behavior, business goals, and the order of testing is driven by potential impact.
• Use A/B testing, along with multivariate testing, and usability testing as needed to confirm what actually works.
• Prioritize high-impact areas (checkout flows, lead forms, search functionality, etc.).
• Stay away from RATs (Random Acts of Testing) and HIPPOs (Highest Paid Person's Opinion).
• Ensure statistical significance—don’t call tests too early!
• Fail fast and learn even from losing tests - velocity is key.

💡 Pro Tip: Avoid vanity tests. Focus on optimizations that impact revenue, engagement, or conversion rates—not just minor UI tweaks.

2. Iterative Improvements: Small Wins Add Up

• Instead of massive redesigns, make incremental changes based on test learnings.
• Even flat or losing tests provide valuable insights—why something didn’t work is just as important as why something did.
• Create a feedback loop: 80% of tests won’t be winners, but they should fuel new ideas for continuous improvement.

💡 Pro Tip: Build a test backlog to ensure there’s always an experiment ready to go once a test concludes.

3. Personalization: Make Experiences Smarter

• Move beyond static experiences—serve personalized content, product recommendations, and dynamic messaging based on user behavior.
• Leverage AI and machine learning to adapt in real time.
• Focus on key segmentation factors like new vs. returning users, authenticated vs. unauthenticated visitors, and device-specific behaviors.

💡 Pro Tip: A personalized homepage, search experience, or checkout process can dramatically improve engagement and conversion rates.

4. Site Stability, Speed & SEO: Optimize the Foundations

• Optimization is meaningless if your site is slow or unstable—ensure performance isn’t impacted.
• Test across all devices, browsers, and operating systems before rolling out major changes.
• Avoid SEO pitfalls—ensure A/B tests don’t unintentionally hurt organic rankings (e.g., removing high-value content elements).

💡 Pro Tip: If a test negatively impacts load time, consider balancing new features with performance enhancements.

The order of what you focus on is also vital. It is important to understand the Hierarchy of Optimization TIPS (show below). Without a stable, fast site or an established web analytics program in place with high level of confidence, you can't effectively improve and test the site. The ultimate need to reach the self-actualization equivalency where the only place to drive meaningful growth is personalizing for the one vs. optimizing for all.

Optimization isn’t just a project—it’s a mindset. The companies that win are the ones that test, learn, and improve continuously. Next week we will review Scaling the Program – How to build a high-velocity optimization framework.

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