Every successful digital marketer has one thing in their back pocket that beats intuition, trends, and even experts’ opinions down the line. That tool is A/B testing.
This post explains what is A/B testing in digital marketing and why it is a must-have technique when it comes to digital marketing, and the practical usage with some examples. And by the end, you’ll have everything you need to know to start applying what is A/B testing in digital marketing to make data-driven decisions that enhance outcomes and increase ROI.
What Is A/B Testing
A/B testing (or split testing) is an experimental method in marketing in which you compare two versions of a marketing element and figure out which one performs better. These components can be website designs, ad creatives, email headlines, CTA buttons, and so on.
Take, for example, whether a red CTA button or a blue one drums up more clicks. You’d create two different variations of the same landing page, with one that has the red button and the other that has a blue one. Each version is presented to a different group within your audience, and the performance (click-through rate, conversion, and so on) is tracked to determine which button will help you reach your goal.
This easy, straightforward process eliminates the need for guesswork when creating marketing strategies online.
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Why A/B Testing is Essential for Digital Marketing
Data-Driven Decision Making
No longer are the days when marketers simply relied on the “gut feeling.” A/B testing empowers you with real results so you can confidently make decisions that work.
Optimize Performance Metrics
A/B testing makes the biggest improvements in key performance indicators (KPIs) like conversion rates, click-through rates, bounce rates, and engagement metrics by optimizing the smallest of деталей.
Know Your Audience Preferences
You never can predict what an audience is going to do. Your audience’s likes and dislikes almost always surprise even the most seasoned of marketers. A/B testing reveals that and permits you to respond.
Enhance ROI
A/B tested enhancements directly convert into more ROI. More effective campaigns translate to both more efficient spending as well as better results.
Minimize Risk
Trying out a new idea or campaign can be a gamble. A/B testing enables you to pilot your changes and reduce risk before going global.
How to Conduct A/B Testing
Define Your Goal
There’s a reason why you’re setting up an A/B test in the first place, and you want to know why that is before you start. Is it to boost the number of email opens and reduce bounce rates, and/or achieve optimal ad spend? If you can set a defined goal, it will guide your choices.
Sample Goal: Boost CTR for your homepage CTA.
Identify the Element to Test
Only test one variable at a time. Whether it’s a headline, subject line, button color, or product image, focusing on just one element means that results can be unambiguous and highly actionable.
For example, if you both the CTA design and homepage headline at once, you don’t know which one caused that performance change.
Create Two Variations
Make two or more versions of the thing you’re testing. Leave everything else the same except the variable you are considering.
- Example Variation A (Control): “Sign Up Today” CTA in red
- Example Variation B (Test): green “Join Us Now” CTA
Divide Your Audience Equally
Cut your audience in half, randomly. Make sure that each variation is shown to the same number of visitors or users to avoid demographic or behavioral bias.
Run the Test Simultaneously
Timing matters. Both versions can run at the same time to adjust for outside factors (such as the time of day or season of the year) so that your results don’t become skewed.
Determine the Results and Analyze Them
When your tests have generated a sufficient amount of data, assess the performance of each variation using your goal metric (i.e. clicks, conversions, open rates).
Leverage A/B testing tools such as Google Optimize, Optimizely, or VWO to collect end-to-end analytics and reporting.
Act on Your Results
Use what you learn and apply the variation that outperformed in your campaigns. Do these over and over again to get more and more optimized.
A/B Testing Best Practices
Test One Variable at a Time
Avoid that temptation to mess around with multiple variables in the same experiment. By separating a single change, you can see clearly the impact it made.
Allocate Enough Time
Ensure you collect enough data by giving your test enough time to see meaningful results. The risk that a test is cut short too early, and then draws the wrong conclusion is real.
Preserve the Significance of the Statistical Model
Leverage statistical significance calculators to make sure that your findings are not just a matter of luck.
Segment Your Audience
And, if you can, divide your audience further into categories like age, location, or behavior. Lessons from these sections can be especially potent.
Avoid Confirmation Bias
During the test, approach it with an open mind. Believe the data, even if you arrive with preconceptions.
Examples of A/B Testing in the Real World
Every now and then, the tiniest of shifts can prove seismic. Here are a few ways brands leveraged A/B testing to improve their efforts.
- Spotify employed A/B testing to refine their onboarding email subject lines, raising open rates by more than 30%.
- HubSpot tested button copy on a landing page and discovered that making the CTA copy a first-person, single-action (“Get My Free Report”) resulted in a 14% higher conversion rate.
- Amazon uses A/B testing a lot for home page layout and product recommendations to stay ahead in e-commerce.
The Future of A/B Testing
As AI and machine learning continue to develop, A/B testing is becoming multivariate testing. AI-based tools are able to simultaneously analyze many variables to predict outcomes more quickly than traditional test methods. Keeping informed of these developments will allow marketers to run an even more effective campaign.
Have questions about A/B testing or want to know how to get started in your own campaigns? By the way, let us know in the comments—we’d be happy to help you pick a good spot!
