A/B testing is a way of comparing two similar versions of an app or landing page against each other to see which version has a higher conversion rate. Usually, only one variable is tested at a time, such as colours, font, copywriting, or images.

Today’s post is on our top 7 tips for effective A/B testing–Enjoy!

Tip #1: Experiment with different messages.

A lot of people assume that doing A/B testing is simply making minor tweaks to two different versions of a copy or website. However, while making micro-changes might be effective sometimes, it might also pay off to radically change the message or objective of the copy or campaign. Testing this way might give you insights.

For example, instead of “buy now”, you can A/B test a copy also with “join now” and compare the difference in results and conversion rate. Sometimes results might even surprise you! Of course, when you make messages different, be sure to align the images, designs, and headlines with your messages.

Tip #2: Don’t try to do so many things at once.

Perhaps the best conversion advice any digital marketer can give you is not to do too many things at once. Be focused–have a landing page for example. Great design should be easy to understand and communicated in a language that is concise and clear.

Tip #3: Sell benefits, not features in your headlines.

Write down a list of amazing features your products have, and then convert these to benefits for your readers. It is important when doing A/B testing to truly know your target customer, and that can be helped by having well-defined buyer personas.

A/B test the list of benefits via your headlines. Then see which headline does best and resonates with most of the members of your community. Once you have that data, stick to the best-performing headlines because they work!

Tip #4: Aim to be better than yesterday, not to be perfect.

Imagine having a really bad website.

When spilt testing is done, the “B-version” of the website should not be something you launch only after it is perfect. Instead, as long as it is something better than the original version, you can already start to test.

Don’t let perfectionistic tendencies cripple you! Sometimes even a minor tweak to the original can result in a dramatic conversion. So test a lot with whatever current resources you have, and collect data for information. Stack the deck.

Tip #5: Don’t make your readers feel trapped.

When creating your landing pages for A/B testing, sometimes it is tempting to “trap” a user on your webpage or app such that they cannot find a way to exit in peace. Always have a clear navigation panel!

Don’t we all have at least one experience whereby we go to a webpage, got bombarded with advertisements and pop-ups, and fanatically leave the website mentally telling ourselves we will never revisit again? Well, make sure your readers can leave your app or website whenever they want to–A/B testing is to result in higher conversion rates, not lower.

Tip #6: Is your website visually friendly?

Avoid information overload and spamming the user with a lot of information, with the hope that they will be able to digest at least some. No, simplicity is gold. Always remember to be classy and simple.

Sometimes, marketers make the mistake of cramming so much information/ text/ graphics/ images/ pictures into one page that people simply don’t read anything anymore! Whenever you think of adding something on to the website, ask yourself, “Is this absolutely necessary, or will it clutter my main message?”

Tip #7: Ask yourself– Is there even a need to A/B test this page?

For example, if in the first place you are not already getting significant traffic, it will not make sense to do A/B testing because the initial numbers are low and traffic can be attributed to randomness.

At any rate, it takes time, effort, and resources to do serious A/B testing. Make sure you invest this effort only with the page that can potentially lead to the most conversion, not on any random page at all. Make use of your resources efficiently.

You are the best marketer your reader can ever have! So be aware of your data and prioritise the most important pages to A/B test first!

We hope you have enjoyed today’s post! Have you tried A/B testing before? Leave a comment if you have a favourite tip!