A/B Testing And Why You Should Consider It

A/B testing is also sometimes called split testing, both of which accurately describe the process. If you feel that your website, landing page or email campaigns need refreshing, A/B testing is an excellent alternative to making bold changes that could be met with a cold reception.

With A/B testing, you can try out different styles and elements to see which get the best results. This could be something as small and simple as the font used for a call to action, or trying out entirely different approaches to digital communication. The audience of your webpage or email is split into two, with half seeing version A and the other half seeing version B. You then use metrics to gauge which type is the most successful, adopting it until the need for additional changes arises in the future.

Below are some other benefits of A/B testing and why you should consider it for your brand.

Cost-effective

Aside from the time taken to create two designs, which rarely requires extensive work, the rest is then very straightforward and costs no more than it normally would. Simply direct the separate halves of your test group to the respective web pages, or split your email subscribers between your A and B campaigns. The data is then gathered automatically using analytics and metrics, making it easy to choose the winner.

Based on user behaviour

The data that you capture from A/B testing couldn’t be more valuable. Due to it being real people responding to what they don’t even realise is a test, their actions and opinions are unbiased and provide an accurate reflection of their user experience. As long as you’re involving your target market, the result will give crucial insight into potential buyers’ preferences in terms of design, wording, layout and calls to action.

It removes chance

No longer will you have to go with your gut feeling, or choose an approach that you personally favour but which may be rejected by your audience. A/B testing supplies evidence gathered from users’ subjective experiences, which are then boiled down into unambiguous statistics.

It’s creative

A/B testing gives you the opportunity to try new ideas without having to commit to all of them long-term. You’ll probably find that it gets your imagination going, which is where most creative solutions are born.

Peace of mind

Once your A/B testing is complete, you can continue to do business safe in the knowledge that you’ve made the right decisions. After all, who better to guide the way in which you engage with the public than your customers?

To find out more about how digital marketing can benefit your business, download our free Guide to SEO.