A/B testing is becoming more popular as businesses look for ways to generate additional revenue. By improving its conversion rate, a website will generate more orders with lower per-acquisition cost. It’s difficult to understand the rules of A/B testing, but these principles may bring you better results.
The 7-Day Test
The first (and perhaps most important) principle is to allow your A/B tests to run for seven days. These tests often change quickly, and to account for the changes, you’ll need to let them run a little longer. As you may learn from SharpSpring, site traffic varies by day and based on those differences, it’s important to get results from each day of the week before declaring a winner. By allowing your tests to run until you’ve gathered a few dozen conversions, you’ll get an accurate outcome and the results you’re seeking.
Big Changes, Big Results
Another thing to remember is that big changes usually lead to significant results. For example, if you change the button copy or headline on your landing page, you may increase conversions by 25%. While that doesn’t mean these elements shouldn’t be tested, you shouldn’t expect substantial improvements from these incremental changes. Bigger changes, such as the implementation of a free trial, are more likely to bring higher conversions. Though these changes may be harder to put into place, it’s a risk worth taking.
A/B Testing: It’s About Making Multiple Changes
This is one of the biggest misunderstandings surrounding A/B testing. Most people think they have to measure the difference made by each little change, but that’s pretty far from the truth. You won’t get very far by making small changes one at a time, but you can maximize your efforts by running A/B/n testing. Here, you won’t just run variation A against B; you can add in another variable to see how results are affected. Add as many variables as you like, but be sure to run the test long enough to see statistically important results.
Testing Eliminates Disagreements and Assumptions
One of the greatest parts of A/B testing is that it eliminates controversy. Your sales team may think that Headline A improves conversions when Headline B actually brings better results. Never assume anything, and always have a test running. With this method, you’ll have to put those assumptions to the test and ensure that each change brings the desired result. A/B testing is the most effective way to eliminate debate and consistently improve the quality of a website.
The Importance of A/B Testing
A/B testing is one of the most important marketing practices a seller can undertake. Most companies spend their entire marketing budgets acquiring traffic, and they don’t devote enough resources to the improvement of conversion rates. This is a bad idea, as long-term improvements only come when A/B testing is done properly.
Closing Thoughts
Here’s one important rule to remember: When conversion rates are doubled, the pre-acquisition cost is halved. Here, you’ll end up with more money to spend on advertising or other growth strategies. By following the principles in this guide, you’ll be ready to double your conversion rates and reduce your acquisition cost. Though it may take some time, it’s worth it in the end.
