Businesses use A/B testing for several purposes, from improving their websites to refining their advertising copy.
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Have you ever used A/B testing as a tool to improve your business? If not, you could be missing out on an important opportunity. Split testing can help support your business in a variety of ways. Whether you want to improve your conversion rates, tailor your website to better meet the needs of your audience, or test out a new tagline or logo, conducting a series of A/B tests is a great way to accomplish your business goals. Here are five best practices for effective A/B tests.
Timing is critical
If you’re interested in using A/B tests as a tool to improve your business, it’s important to pay attention to timing. This method involves testing out two versions of a specific element with your audience. The most effective results are obtained from simultaneous tests, rather than testing one version after another. Running the two versions at the same time reduces bias and will give you a more accurate representation of which feature resonates better with your audience.
Using the right tools
A platform like Instant.ly is great for conducting effective A/B tests. Using a tool like this can help you avoid the unfortunate scenario of making assumptions too early in the testing process. This is a common pitfall among business owners who are excited about using split testing to improve their conversions.
The importance of sample size
When it comes to A/B testing, it’s important to remember that sample size matters. If your sample audience is too small, your split test is unlikely to provide you with the results you need to improve your business. To improve relevancy, your sample audience needs to be fairly large. Instant.ly’s sampling platform can help you determine which sample size is most appropriate for your upcoming tests.
Consider sample size when you’re conducting A/B tests.
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Consider page treatments
One key thing to remember about A/B testing is that only one element should be variable when you’re conducting your tests. This may mean something as simple as changing the color of a page element from red to blue to see which converts better with your audience. Once you have the A and B versions of your pages ready to go, it’s time to distribute to your audience. Focus on distributing to random, equal-sized samples in order to achieve the best results.
Multiple tests yield better results
A/B testing should be viewed as an ongoing process. The more tests you conduct, the more likely you are to improve your conversion rates over time. Many business owners will use A/B testing to revise their calls to action, test out a new tagline, or improve the user experience on their website. This method of testing allows for continuous refining and improvement, so it’s important to conduct ongoing tests. Multiple A/B tests will yield better results for your business and help you reach more customers.
On-going A/B testing yields better results.
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If done correctly, A/B testing is a highly effective way to improve various aspects of your business. Whether you’re interested in enhancing certain features of your website to lower your bounce rates, improve your sales conversions, or you want to determine how a new tagline or logo might resonate with your target customers, split testing is a great way to gather the data you need to make critical business decisions. Using these five tips for effective split testing can help you ensure your tests are both relevant and helpful.
If you’re interested in exploring A/B testing for your business, Instant.ly’s integrated platform can help you get started. Contact us today for more information!
