Webtrends Optimize is 5 years old (+18)

Webtrends Optimize celebrated the anniversary on the 1st August. Here, we look at its journey so far and get some insights into the future.

The milestone marked half a decade since the business separated from Webtrends Inc. to become a standalone entity, acquired by CEO Matt Smith and his board of Directors, Ben Charlesworth, Matt Goodchild and Sandeep Shah.

Webtrends Optimize technology goes back much further, however. Created in 2000, it was the first AB testing and targeting solution available in the market. And that additional 18 years of history is vitally important, as Matt himself says: “When we first started on this journey in 2018 we referred to ourselves as an 18 year old start-up. We had that passion, agility and fierce drive of a start-up business, combined with a hugely experienced team and a technology which had already been finely tuned over many years.”

The journey

Matt has driven Webtrends Optimize to be a leading technology vendor in the Digital Marketing space over these past 5 years. Whilst there have been some brilliant highs in this time, it has not been without its difficulties too, particularly when Covid-19 hit. It has certainly been an interesting journey to get to where they are now.

But Matt feels they are now starting to achieve the success he originally had in mind when he put together the team to take over the business in 2018.

“When we started, I felt early success for us would just to be considered. To be part of the conversation. Whenever anyone is reviewing the market, I wanted us to be part of their review.

“I accept we are not the right fit for everyone (no one is!) but I feel we are getting to that point now. There’s still more we need to do of course, but big brands and businesses are approaching us to be part of their RFP process (and we’re winning them), and when I talk to people in the industry at events, or in agency meetings, they always talk positively about what we are doing.”

Has his idea of success changed over the past 5 years?

“Of course, the goalposts are always moving, and I have huge ambitions for the business, but fundamentally that initial goal is still vitally important, because being part of the consideration process is always the first step. It’s then in our hands to prove ourselves to be the right solution.”

“It’s also now about maintaining our high renewal rate (we’re at 97% this year, it was similar last year too) and remaining true to our core values and the ethos we’ve tried to build. Beyond that, who knows what is possible!”

What is Webtrends Optimize and what does it do?

Webtrends Optimize describes itself as a ‘full-stack experimentation solution, with an all-inclusive model’. Its website says that they help businesses increase online conversions, maximise the ROI from a website and enhance the customer’s experience.

What does that actually mean?

Essentially, they offer AB Testing (which measures the performance of 2 different versions, or more, of the same page) and data-driven Personalisation that guarantees tailored, unique user experiences. They also offer Server-side Testing, which can allow even greater scope for users to experiment and test.

Also included in the platform are a host of other Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) features, as well as Social Proof and Product Recommendation tools, which use real-time data to build trust in your brand.

The key point that Webtrends Optimize makes in the statement above is the ‘all-inclusive’ element. Businesses are quoted just one price (based on the number of visits their website receives), for full access to the entire platform, with no restricted areas or upgrades needed to access any functionality. Something which seems to be fairly unique within the industry.

Birthday celebrations

To celebrate reaching this recent 5-year milestone the team at Webtrends Optimize held what is now becoming their annual Birthday BBQ and 6-a-side cricket day at Bolney Cricket Club.

Webtrends Optimize is a premium and community partner of Sussex Cricket, and also a sponsor of the Sussex Cricket Foundation, who do excellent work in raising the profile of Disability Cricket across the county and beyond. So, cricket was a fitting way for them to celebrate.

Matt said: “First and foremost, we wanted to do something to say thank you to the most important people in the business – the team. I am very proud that we have such an amazing, dedicated, talented group of people who are at the heart of every success the business has.

“We also wanted to invite some of our friends, family, ex-Optimizers and a few others who have been big supporters of us over the past 5 years too, to show our gratitude.

“We decided that cricket was a great way of both having a bit of fun but also tying it into that strong bond we have built with Sussex Cricket. We also sponsor Bolney Cricket Club so it all felt like the perfect fit, and it’s such a fantastic venue – especially when the sun is out!”

www.webtrends-optimize.com