Katie Fernands, Internet marketing manager at Colonial Candle, thought Web site visitors prefer shorter pages to lengthier ones.

So, Fernands was surprised when tests on the company’s e-commerce site revealed that longer ones performed better than the shorter pages.

Fernands, whose team uses Google Website Optimizer, now weaves testing and tuning into the site’s daily processes. (Colonial Candles was one of four businesses selected to participate in Google’s Website Workout contest.)

Other changes made after testing included using larger images and a larger font size for text.

Another surprise? Small changes to the e-commerce site — thanks to testing and optimizing — could result in such a large revenue increase. The site realized an additional $20,000 in revenue for one month based on changes to the site, according to Fernands. “The Web is so subjective,” she said.

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