Melissa Burdon
Director of Marketing Operations, Extra Space Storage
Winning ways: Burdon likes to make an impact—with marketing, that is. Burdon caught the industry’s tilt toward mobile early and has since helmed a responsive-focused mobile redesign at Extra Space Storage based on personas, resulting in a 23% increase in mobile conversion rate. She also led the strategy and execution to improve website performance, which bolstered the conversion rate for shopping visitors to the site by 62%.
Defining moment: “There wasn’t one situation or event that got me here, but I’d say it was when I started working in the conversion rate optimization space.”
Words to live by: “I always ask, ‘Who’s the who?’ It’s about understanding people and not just shoving information down their throats.”
Head swivel: “The move to mobile. I started seeing it happening when I was doing consultant work. Mobile was one of the first things I addressed at Extra Space.”
Good advice: “Learn as much as you can and be open to things you’d never expect to be your career path. Don’t plan it out too much. Learn what your passion is.”
First job: “I worked at a clothing store when I was 14. I was always interested in getting to know people.”
On your nightstand: Call to Action: Secret Formulas to Improve Online Results by Bryan Eisenberg and Jeffrey Eisenberg.
Favorite app: “I use Google Hangouts the most, but I’m on Facebook and Instagram a lot, as well. I also really love Timehawk.”
Click or tap here to read the stories behind the successes of the other Direct Marketing News 2014 40 Under 40 winners.
