As the new year begins, there is a need for new concepts, goals, and strategies. This is the perfect period to elevate your conversion optimization plan by implementing top A/B testing techniques that could make a significant difference in 2023.
1. Follow the Scientific Method
A/B testing can be likened to a laboratory experiment, and it has been championed by the medical community as the oldest advocate of the idea. To yield meaningful results, adherence to the Scientific Method is essential.
To begin the test, pose a question to yourself such as, “What is causing my website’s engagement rate to be lower than my competitors’?”
Firstly, utilize an analytics tool to comprehend the behavior of your website’s visitors. Construct a hypothesis and determine the required number of visitors/days for conducting the test. Once done, proceed with the test, analyze the gathered data and draw conclusions. Lastly, disseminate the obtained insights with colleagues in your division and organization.
2. Collect Enough Data
The topic of sample size for A/B testing is debated. No set benchmark exists to determine the appropriate amount of data required to reach conclusions or terminate the test.
The number of visitors and conversions necessary for each variation is determined by the value of your product and the average visitors. It would not be appropriate to make a decision based on only 100 visitors if you receive 50,000 visitors per month. In contrast, while a heavy machinery company that has 100 conversions each year only needs about 10 sales to make a decision, an online clothing store will require a considerably larger sample size.
It can be tempting to base decisions on statistical significance, which measures the likelihood of an outcome being better than the original. Although a version may achieve 99% significance in just one day, this percentage may decrease significantly by the end of the week. VWO provides an A/B testing calculator that can determine the required duration of a test.
3. Cut the Noise
External factors that distort your data can be defined as noise. For instance, when you release a free e-book on e-mail marketing and observe 1,000 downloads within a month, but then find out that one-third of those downloads were from grateful students at a specific university who do not fit into your desired target audience, they would be considered as unwanted external factors or ‘noise’.
While many of these factors are outside your control, there are a few actions you can take to manage noise at your end. VWO allows customers to segment their data.
As an illustration, it is possible to filter out guests originating from particular websites if you suspect they are only browsing. Additionally, you need to consider the impact of seasons when planning a trial. Low activity periods or inconsistent days may not be optimal for conducting an experiment.
4. Collect Feedback from Customers
Before conducting any major test, gather data on your product from customers. For testing your tagline, conduct a brief survey among your customers, inquiring about how they would describe your product. Offer various options to choose from, thereby augmenting the likelihood of responses, and evaluate the ones with the highest number of votes.
The questions asked by Conversion Rate Experts, who conducted a significant test for Moz, were directed towards customers who had paid for their services.
- What do you like most about Moz’s service?
- What convinced you to sign up?
- How would you describe the service to a friend?
The answers to these questions proved useful in developing a new landing page that generated an annual revenue of $1 million. Read the complete case study for more information.
5. Conduct Usability Tests
Discovering the hindrances on your website can be effectively achieved through usability testing. By observing real users navigate your website, you can gain valuable understanding of user flow and the challenges they encounter.
By creating a dedicated task for users to search for products on your eCommerce website, you can gain valuable information on the keywords they use and their behavior if they are unable to find the desired product. This includes discovering if the live chat widget appears in a timely manner, if users access the “contact us” page or reach a dead end.
Assuming you’ve concluded that your visitors are struggling to reach you, the hypothesis for your A/B test may be that by showcasing your phone number more prominently on the homepage, you can decrease the bounce rate.
6. Draw Insights from Site Search
By reviewing your website’s search data on Google Analytics, you can discover what information visitors are searching for. If a particular keyword is being repeatedly searched, such as “pricing,” it indicates that your pricing section should be more prominently displayed.
Analyzing the site’s search data can provide valuable information about the customer’s language preference.
If you provide multiple types of professional training including software instruction, and showcase these offerings prominently on your homepage, you may believe that you are successfully marketing your service. However, data from site searches indicates that users are frantically searching for “IT courses.” This implies a misalignment in vocabulary between yourself and your users.
An 8% increase in conversions was achieved by GreyBox Technologies through a recent case study conducted on the website PCMBtoday of one of its clients. The study involved changing the CTA text from ‘Add this to my Cart’ to the more commonly used term ‘Buy Now’ among Indian audiences.
7. Optimize your Most Commonly Used Conversion Path
Employ a data analysis application such as Google Analytics to monitor the frequently used conversion route on your site. After discovering the path most taken, identify the areas where a considerable number of visitors abandon your site. Promptly fill these gaps by incorporating CTAs onto the pages with high abandonment rates. If multiple CTA options exist on the page, prioritize the most critical one by increasing its visibility.
8. Make Changes that Significantly Alter User Behavior
Making alterations such as modifying the CTA color, transforming a link into a CTA, adjusting a headline, and revising the body text are highly effective. These experiments can be effortlessly established and may produce an instantaneous increase in conversions.
However, such tests have limitations. To achieve significant revenue growth, you must conduct more strategic tests. This does not involve making multiple simultaneous changes or completely overhauling a page. Otherwise, you cannot associate the outcome of a test with a specific modification.
The objective is to conduct a test that causes a significant modification in user actions. For instance, this could involve removing the eCommerce store’s category page or modifying the duration of the SaaS product’s free trial.
During testing on his website, KISSmetrics co-founder Hiten Shah compared a 30-day free trial to a 14-day free trial. Although both trials had almost identical conversion rates, the 14-day trial demonstrated a noteworthy boost in product usage.
9. Simplify Landing Pages
To effectively communicate with users, you must convey your message within 10 seconds before they leave the site. Consequently, your value proposition should be succinct and comprehensible. It’s advisable to avoid providing all the intricacies of your products’ advantages on the landing page. Instead, experiment with concise and compelling messages to determine the most effective alternative.
10. Add Images and Videos
In connection to the preceding point, incorporate visuals such as images and videos to enhance or supplement the written content. Take for example, the website design of Hyer which is notable for its simplicity. It features a mesmerizing animation of an airplane (not shown in the screenshot below) that captivates the visitor’s interest. Paired with minimalistic text, it delivers a clear message of the services they provide.
11. Experiment with Fonts
Regarding the font style and size preference, personal preference plays a role and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. However, selecting the right typography can have a significant impact on reducing bounce rates and increasing conversions.
Your website’s typography is a representation of your brand and conveys a distinct character to those who browse through any of its pages. It’s a crucial element of your website’s visual appeal alongside images, content, videos, and other materials.
Consider various fonts during testing:
- If you want to convey a traditional or innovative company message,
- Avoid using fonts with baroque or ornate designs that end up tiring visitors,
- Choose different fonts for different purposes: announcing an offer is different from sharing a privacy policy,
- Select different weights (light, medium, bold, italics, etc.) for more visual impact.
Search for various guides and manuals that provide suggestions for suitable fonts, enabling you to discover the right choice for your website.
12. Change Calls to Action
By including calls to action on your landing pages or blog posts, you can urge users to move forward in your sales funnel and towards the pricing page. These prompts encourage users to take specific actions on your website. By modifying the wording and design of your calls-to-action, you can increase the pace at which users progress through the funnel.
Make sure to include calls to action in multiple locations such as incorporating them in your blog posts to encourage users to visit your product pages, adding them on the homepage to encourage filling out a contact form, and implementing them in various other spaces.
By conducting an A/B test, you can determine whether a modified text boosts your conversion rate. In addition, you can experiment with various features of the CTA button, such as its color, size, and positioning.
13. Test Different Elements of Social Proof
The social proof of your customers’ satisfaction is composed of successful company logos, impressive figures, and testimonials that are recognizable to them, and these factors can greatly influence the level of trust that people have in your brand.
Try out various aspects of social proof such as displaying customer reviews that match the desired persona and locate them in prominent spots. If you have received any awards or acknowledgments, include them in either a visible area or the footer of the page. Conduct multiple A/B tests to determine the optimal position for these components on the page.
Acquiring knowledge about social proof goes beyond just receiving positive ratings or endorsements from companies in order to establish trust. To further reinforce credibility, you may consider including a button that leads potential customers to a page where they can access testimonials or reviews to gain a deeper understanding of the user experience.
14. Clear Benefits
Upon entering a website, we often feel confused about its offerings and what benefits it can bring. Frequently, we encounter vague and generic messages that apply to any product, which adds to the confusion.
Conduct an experiment by trying out various texts that effectively demonstrate the advantages of your product. Experiment with different placements to showcase these advantages and assess which option enhances conversion.
Why Should You Focus on A/B testing in 2023
Utilizing A/B tests can serve as an ideal method for identifying underlying issues on your website, enhancing page effectiveness, and increasing lead and sales generation. Crafting A/B tests for your website should be a top priority not only this year but moving forward for the following key reasons:
Increase Leads and Sales
By conducting A/B testing, you can gain a deeper understanding of how to enhance specific design aspects of your website. It will unveil how even small adjustments can significantly influence the conversion rates of your traffic. Undertaking a range of tests will allow you to advance the crucial metrics of your marketing strategies – the quantity of leads and opportunities generated, culminating in sales.
Test the Impact
A/B tests offer a significant benefit of being able to assess the effects of certain changes to your website before implementing them. As a result, you can base your marketing choices on factual data analysis, as opposed to relying on intuition.
Increase Interest
Through A/B testing, you can produce captivating content that facilitates user conversion. By experimenting with various headlines, texts, and calls to action, you’ll attract more users to click and discover more about your offerings.
Save Money
By conducting A/B testing, you can accurately determine the most profitable design and processes for your website. This allows you to minimize expenses and concentrate on high-performing tactics instead of less effective marketing strategies.
To summarize, conducting a successful A/B test can significantly affect your business outcomes. Employing A/B tests for marketing purposes is a simple and economical approach compared to other forms of digital marketing.
