What is e-commerce A/B testing? How does the test help improve the effectiveness of an internet resource?

A/B testing (split-testing) is an effective marketing analysis method for finding the best business solutions. With competent testing, you can both increase your conversion rate and project future online income. What is split testing and how does it work?

Imagine you have a successful business with active users and good traffic. However, your profit does not increase, which is a problem. You just want to be a winner every time and have a successful website. You and your team decide to change something on the site. For example, you can change the color of a button users click or create a widget for a subscription, but you can't be 100% sure that it will work. Your assumptions are based on personal experience, which may differ from the audience's views. A/B testing is used to evaluate the effectiveness of innovations on a web resource.

A brief overview of A/B testing

A/B testing or split-testing is an effective tool for the improvement of key performance indicators in business.

Split-testing is necessary for proper website management.

What does A/B testing allow you to accomplish? You can:

  1. Evaluate and compare the quantitative data of the two implementation options.
  2. Make changes to your web resources (new design elements).
  3. Identify and implement innovations that will improve your site's performance.
Split-testing helps you define user preferences and make the right decision between changing something on your site or leaving it as it is.

testing infographic

How does A/B testing work? Can you give an example?

Let's imagine that you developed a new online store of men's and women's clothing. The landing page on your site has a conversion ratio of 5%. A web marketer suggests increasing it to 8% and decides to change the color of the button on the site from green to red. To check whether the red button will help increase your site's conversion, the web marketer conducts competent A/B testing. He compares the following parameters:

  1. «A» is the initial page with the green button.
  2. «B» is the new page with the red button.

Using separate testing tools (such as Google Analytics or Optimizely), the web marketer divides traffic between two pages into equal parts. Then, the specialist collects information and evaluates the results of the test.

testing traffic

If the coefficient on page «B» was 6%, you can say that changing the color of the button helped increase the conversion rate. However, the task was not 100% complete because the percentage was less than the predicted 8%. In that case, you should continue to conduct A/B testing.

The page with the red button will become point «A». A new option will be selected for page «B».

Proper implementation of split-testing is the key to effective improvement of important performance indicators.

testing conversion

What elements of web pages can be tested?

This method allows you to define which text content or design users like more in order to influence their behavior. Here are a few simple things you can test:

  • Titles and descriptions of goods
  • Size and location of conversion elements
  • Design and layout of website
  • Product images (pictures)
  • Amount of text

You can also apply the capabilities of A/B split-testing in different ways:

  1. Test two different sets of content for the same product to see which version increases sales.
  2. Use several types of product classifications to understand which one makes it easier for the customer to make a purchase.
  3. Move conversion and navigation elements to determine how to best influence customers.
Effective A/B testing is repeated until the best version is identified.

Split-testing is an effective marketing method that allows you to improve your pages and metrics while also increasing conversions, revenue, and customer loyalty.

Competent A/B testing is a powerful way to boost online sales growth. Use this method with confidence to improve your site's conversion rate!

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