Why A/B Testing is the best way to increase conversions

a/b testing

Are you tired of guessing what works best for your business? Are you struggling to make decisions based on data instead of intuition? A/B testing might be the answer you’re looking for. This simple and low-cost method can easily determine what resonates best with your target audience and save your business a lot of time and money.

At INQA, we’re committed to helping businesses in such a way that effectiveness is at the center. Therefore, A/B testing, or split testing, is a key part of our approach in improving conversion rates and maximizing revenue for our clients.

So, let’s dive in and discover the power of A/B testing.

What is A/B Testing?

Testing Element A vs BAlso known as split testing involves testing two versions of a single element to determine which variation performs better. A split test is often used to improve website copy, product images, or calls to action. It allows marketers to understand user experiences and make data-driven decisions to improve conversion rates and increase revenue.

An alternative to split testing is the not-so-widely used multivariate testing, which involves running tests on more than two versions of multiple elements. For most companies, multivariate experiments are complicated to set up and the test results are difficult to analyze. For that reason, 87% of marketers avoid using this method(Unbounce), although testing on different variations can provide unique insights into user experiences and the buyer’s journey.

More Tests = More Conversions 

ab testing graph, Germany, France, EU, US
(Source: Marketingland)

Businesses that successfully boost conversion rates perform 50% more tests.

A/B testing is the best tool for positive results in CRO and revenue. It’s simple and easy to set up, it provides clear results and the ability to test a large number of variations quickly. With A/B testing, you can unlock massive potential gains in terms of conversion rate optimization and resulting revenue. 

The best part? 

It’s a relatively low-cost and low-risk way to make immediate improvements.

Make sure your test succeeds  

Now that we’ve discussed why collecting data from future tests should be standard practice for every company, let’s talk about the best ways of implementation in your business strategy.

  • Identify clear objectives and hypotheses before conducting the test. This will help you measure the success of your test accurately.

  • Avoid false positives and focus on one element at a time to get accurate results. Testing other elements simultaneously can muddy the results with non reliable data. 

  • Test on a large enough sample size, ideally a minimum of 5000 unique visitors to achieve statistically significant results.

  • Avoid bias by not testing during promotional or seasonal events.

  • Continuously monitor and iterate on test results to find the winning variation

Follow INQA’s tips to get the most out of your experiments, already from your first test.

Testing Tricks for Specific Marketing Channels

A/B testing can be used to improve different marketing channels, such as email marketing, landing pages, and Google Ads. Each channel has its own set of best practices and strategies that can be used to maximize the impact of A/B testing.

A/B tests on website, landing page, email, paid search
(Source InvespCRO)

Website Traffic

A/B tests are employed the most by marketers to bring more site visitors. Considering that the average conversion rate for websites is 2.35%, it’s no surprise that testing multiple versions of a page is necessary. The following tips can help you get more traffic and the most conversions.

  • The subject line can impact the traffic on the website by 500%

  • Testing different UX design elements is reported to boost the conversion rate by 400%

  • Test results from removing the navigation menu show a 100% increase in conversions

Landing Page

A/B testing is the most popular method for improving landing pages and more than 60% of businesses use it. Test different elements, such as headlines, images, and CTAs to optimize your web page for maximum conversions. Consider also testing other variables, such as the colour scheme and layout, to determine what resonates best with your audience. 

  • Test before publishing 70% of companies that used this tactic saw more conversions

  • Personalized landing pages for each target group can result in 3x the ROI

  • A longer landing page generates 220% more leads than a shorter one

  • Testing elements of the Call To Action can increase the Click through rate by 300%

Email Marketing

It’s the 3rd most common area of A/B testing use. 59% of companies that run tests leverage this method to impact the email click-through rate and conversions. Here are some key tips to help you create an effective email marketing strategy:

  • Personalize your emails – Emails with real persons’ names as senders can increase CTR by 0.53%.

  • Simple and clear subject lines yield 5x more responses than creative ones.

Hack the challenges and find the winning variation

To make the most out of A/B testing, pay extra attention if the following issues arise and learn how to deal with them effectively.

Lack of Resources

Many businesses lack the resources to conduct A/B testing, whether it’s due to budget or personnel constraints. Nowadays, however, there are a lot of great software tools to streamline the testing process. From Unbounce to the new Evolv.ai powered by machine learning, optimizing any marketing campaign has never been so attainable.

Lack of Expertise

Sometimes achieving the desired outcome from a test requires a certain level of technical expertise that not all businesses may have. It’s one thing to collect data, but to improve the conversion rate and fully understand user behavior, expert knowledge might be needed.

Consider hiring a third-party expert or a next-generation agency like INQA to help you with setting up and executing your tests. This can ensure that your experiments are conducted accurately and results are properly implemented. 

Run tests to uncover insights

As we’ve seen, A/B testing is a crucial component of any successful marketing strategy. By continuously testing and optimizing your campaigns, you can stay ahead of the competition and ensure that your business is always on the cutting edge.

At INQA, we’re passionate about helping businesses achieve their goals and unlock their full potential. If you’re ready to take your marketing to the next level, we invite you to schedule a free strategy call with us today.

If you’re interested in learning more about the ways you can maximize the potential of your business, book a free strategy call with INQA! 

Start making big leaps towards future-proofing your business.

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Sources

Harvard Business Review                                        99FIRMS                                                      Unbounce

Marketing Mag.                                             Conversion Sciences                                       Analytics Vidhya