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A/B Split Testing: Why & How You Can Use it to Achieve Results

A/B split testing is not a new concept in digital communication however, it is not as commonly used as SEO, web analytics and usability for the simple reason that not many businesses know what it is. Many companies wanting to test their online promotional and marketing strategies use the method to gain insight into audience behaviour and website performance and find it one of their most valuable assets.

A/B split testing can be used to test any digital form of communication from full websites to emails and even search ads. Efficient A/B testing can make a huge difference in the way you market your business to online users as it narrows down the most effective elements of your efforts and displays the results to you.

What is A/B split testing?

A/B split testing (also known as split testing) is simply a method used to compare two versions of a webpage or app interface to determine which one performs better. It tests two similar elements (A and B) to see which one visitors better interact with and which leads to a greater conversion rate. Once you have measured and concluded which version was more successful, this is named the “champion page” which you are now able to set up as the final version.  You may also choose to take the best elements from each version and set up an entirely new one.

Why should you A/B Test?

A/B split testing allows you to make the most out of your existing traffic. As A/B split testing is controlled, you can easily figure out which marketing strategies work the best for your business and its services. Understanding your consumer better and knowing what they prefer enables you to improve the overall interaction they have with your business and the conversion rate of anything they see from your business.

A/B split testing that is done consistently helps you keep track of their behaviour and know when changes occur in the way they interact with your business. While the cost of obtaining paid traffic can be huge, the cost of improving your conversion is much less.

What can you test?

Almost anything that affects visitor behaviour can be A/B tested. This includes: 

  1. Layout and style
  2. Colours
  3. Headlines
  4. Sub-headlines
  5. Paragraph copy
  6. Amount of text on the page
  7. Sales copy and product descriptions
  8. Offers and promotions
  9. Testimonials
  10. Call to action text
  11. Call to action buttons
  12. Forms and types of fields
  13. Links
  14. Images and videos

While you can test every little thing on your website, email or ad, you should focus on the things that are most likely to have the biggest impact.

How do you A/B test?

Before you A/B test you should brainstorm what you want to test and why. This will set the basis of your experiment and help you understand what you want from your results. From here create two alternatives and release them to be tested. Once you have a healthy number of results, determine the champion version.

For example, to set up A/B test for a website you will need to create and upload a new page with the varied layout, colours, text or links you want it to include. Say your homepage is http://www.example.com/index, you will need to create a second variation located at http://www.example.com/index1. When you run the test, visitors will be directed to one of the two alternatives. Once you have a sufficient number of responses, study the results to see which page performed better. That’s it!

We recommend using one of the following resources to help you easily A/B test:

MailChimp: MailChimp has built-in analytics and A/B split testing to test which email campaigns perform better based on subject lines, clicks, and more.

Facebook Ad Manager: Split testing on Facebook can be done directly through the Ads Manager with different ad sets.

Google Analytics Content Research: A helpful and free A/B testing tool from Google. An ideal starting point for businesses and individuals that have not A/B test before.
Price: Free

Optimizely: Let’s you perform simple and advanced A/B tests via a point and click WYSIWYG editor.
Price: 3 options $17 – $359/month

What are your thoughts on A/B testing? Have you used it before? What were the best results you found from testing? Share your comments below.

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Contents

Good work starts with good relationships.

One of our favourite parts of what we do is getting to know the people behind the businesses we work with. Understanding their stories, sharing ideas, challenging each other`s thinking and seeing those ideas come to life.

Joanna Photography is a perfect example of that. We`ve had the pleasure of working with Jo on her brand, and more recently, the tables turned when we stepped in front of her camera for our own branding shoot.

Jo embraced our creative direction, brought her own ideas and perspective to the shoot, and captured our team in a way that felt genuinely us.

There`s something pretty special about being able to support each other`s businesses, collaborate creatively and share a few laughs along the way.

Thanks for being such a wonderful part of our Oraco community, Jo! 🖤

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Open post by oracoagency with ID 18035340923902469
Good work starts with good relationships. One of our favourite parts of what we do is getting to know the people behind the businesses we work with. Understanding their stories, sharing ideas, challenging each other's thinking and seeing those ideas come to life. Joanna Photography is a perfect example of that. We've had the pleasure of working with Jo on her brand, and more recently, the tables turned when we stepped in front of her camera for our own branding shoot. Jo embraced our creative direction, brought her own ideas and perspective to the shoot, and captured our team in a way that felt genuinely us. There's something pretty special about being able to support each other's businesses, collaborate creatively and share a few laughs along the way. Thanks for being such a wonderful part of our Oraco community, Jo! 🖤

Content is easy to make, but content that actually feels like your brand is a little harder.

It`s why we don`t think content should begin with, “What should we post this week?”

It should begin much further back.

What do we want to be known for? What does our audience actually care about? What stories are worth telling? And how can we tell them in a way that could only really come from us?

Because when those things are clear, content stops being a constant search for something to say. You have a much stronger foundation to keep coming back to.

And that`s exactly why we created the Brand Builder Map and Brand Oracle.

Built on our Eight Brand Marks™ methodolgy, the Brand Builder Map and Oracle helps you explore the foundations of your brand, uncover what makes you distinctive and develop the clarity to guide everything that comes next, including your content.

Because knowing what to say starts with understanding who you are, what you stand for and why people should care.

Here`s Kannika behind the scenes capturing some of the content that brings those ideas to life.

Strategy gives you the story and content gives you somewhere to tell it.

Want to build a stronger foundation for your own brand? Explore Brand Oracle and the Brand Builder Map through the link in our bio.

13 0
Open post by oracoagency with ID 18059985584546895
Content is easy to make, but content that actually feels like your brand is a little harder. It's why we don't think content should begin with, “What should we post this week?” It should begin much further back. What do we want to be known for? What does our audience actually care about? What stories are worth telling? And how can we tell them in a way that could only really come from us? Because when those things are clear, content stops being a constant search for something to say. You have a much stronger foundation to keep coming back to. And that's exactly why we created the Brand Builder Map and Brand Oracle. Built on our Eight Brand Marks™ methodolgy, the Brand Builder Map and Oracle helps you explore the foundations of your brand, uncover what makes you distinctive and develop the clarity to guide everything that comes next, including your content. Because knowing what to say starts with understanding who you are, what you stand for and why people should care. Here's Kannika behind the scenes capturing some of the content that brings those ideas to life. Strategy gives you the story and content gives you somewhere to tell it. Want to build a stronger foundation for your own brand? Explore Brand Oracle and the Brand Builder Map through the link in our bio.

Being different isn`t the same as being distinctive.

A business can have a genuine point of difference and still be difficult to remember. It can also offer something remarkably similar to its competitors and become the brand people recognise first.

That`s because differentiation and distinction do two different jobs.

Differentiation gives people a reason to choose you.

Brand distinction gives them something to recognise, remember and associate with you.

And while differentiation often looks sideways at competitors, distinction starts by looking inward. At the stories, beliefs, experiences, relationships and perspectives that already make a business unmistakably itself.

Because the goal isn`t to be different for the sake of it but to become more confidently and recognisably yourself.

Our latest Studio Paper explores Brand Distinction vs Differentiation, why both matter and where lasting distinction actually comes from.

Link in bio to read more.

•

Studio Paper /002
Filed by: Oraco Agency
Reference: SP-002
Photo source: @joannaphotography.au
Filed under: #BrandDistinction #BrandDifferentiation #Branding #BrandIdentity

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Open post by oracoagency with ID 17971503363155444
Being different isn't the same as being distinctive. A business can have a genuine point of difference and still be difficult to remember. It can also offer something remarkably similar to its competitors and become the brand people recognise first. That's because differentiation and distinction do two different jobs. Differentiation gives people a reason to choose you. Brand distinction gives them something to recognise, remember and associate with you. And while differentiation often looks sideways at competitors, distinction starts by looking inward. At the stories, beliefs, experiences, relationships and perspectives that already make a business unmistakably itself. Because the goal isn't to be different for the sake of it but to become more confidently and recognisably yourself. Our latest Studio Paper explores Brand Distinction vs Differentiation, why both matter and where lasting distinction actually comes from. Link in bio to read more. • Studio Paper /002 Filed by: Oraco Agency Reference: SP-002 Photo source: @joannaphotography.au Filed under: #BrandDistinction #BrandDifferentiation #Branding #BrandIdentity

Attention and brand building aren’t always the same thing.

We believe having a perspective is one of the most important parts of building a distinctive brand. But there’s a difference between sharing an opinion because you genuinely believe it and sharing one because you know it will get a reaction.

Trends can be useful, controversial opinions can start conversations, and reach can absolutely be valuable.

But if the perspective you’re putting out there doesn’t align with what you genuinely believe, how you work or what you want your brand to be known for, what is that attention actually building?

Brand strategy is the long game.

Your perspective should have enough conviction behind it that you’re willing to stand by it long after the views, comments and algorithm have moved on.

Attention might make you visible but it’s conviction that will make you memorable.

34 19
Open post by oracoagency with ID 18219181318347292
Attention and brand building aren’t always the same thing. We believe having a perspective is one of the most important parts of building a distinctive brand. But there’s a difference between sharing an opinion because you genuinely believe it and sharing one because you know it will get a reaction. Trends can be useful, controversial opinions can start conversations, and reach can absolutely be valuable. But if the perspective you’re putting out there doesn’t align with what you genuinely believe, how you work or what you want your brand to be known for, what is that attention actually building? Brand strategy is the long game. Your perspective should have enough conviction behind it that you’re willing to stand by it long after the views, comments and algorithm have moved on. Attention might make you visible but it’s conviction that will make you memorable.

We’ve seen some interesting conversations lately about where brand strategy ends and brand identity begins, particularly around whether things like logos, colour and typography are really that important.

Our perspective? They shouldn’t be separated in the first place.

Colour, typography, symbolism, imagery, language and tone aren’t simply aesthetic choices made once the “important” strategic work is finished.
When they’re done well, they’re strategic decisions.

They’re informed by what the brand believes, where it’s going, who it needs to connect with, what makes it distinctive and what we want people to recognise and associate with it over time.

We don’t finish the strategy and then ask, ‘Okay, what should this look like?’

The identity is already taking shape through the strategic process.

Because good brand identity is strategic thinking made visible. Not just decoration!

27 7
Open post by oracoagency with ID 18079763828693187
We’ve seen some interesting conversations lately about where brand strategy ends and brand identity begins, particularly around whether things like logos, colour and typography are really that important. Our perspective? They shouldn’t be separated in the first place. Colour, typography, symbolism, imagery, language and tone aren’t simply aesthetic choices made once the “important” strategic work is finished. When they’re done well, they’re strategic decisions. They’re informed by what the brand believes, where it’s going, who it needs to connect with, what makes it distinctive and what we want people to recognise and associate with it over time. We don’t finish the strategy and then ask, ‘Okay, what should this look like?’ The identity is already taking shape through the strategic process. Because good brand identity is strategic thinking made visible. Not just decoration!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Picture of Oraco

Oraco

We are designers, strategists, storytellers, coders, animal lovers, travellers, adventurers, yogis, gig-goers and coffee, tea & wine enthusiasts. We are for culture that fuels progressive and imaginative thoughts. We value positive change and believe in equality. We expect accountability. We aspire to create a work-life balance. We enjoy teamwork and contribution.

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