A/B testing is a comparison of two versions of the same campaign with one slight differentiator to determine which one campaign performs better. A/B testing utilizes a control (original version of the campaign) and a variation (new, modified version) to determine which provides the best results.. When launched to an audience, brands collect data to analyze which changes have the greater affect on the audience to ultimately improving your overall campaign. It is important to keep in mind, you want to test one variable at a time, in order to determine which variation has the most impact on the success of the campaign.
Every successful campaign has a clearly defined goal. In order to continuously improve the performance of a campaign, you need to adjust your campaign to meet your audiences wants and needs. But how do you know if those changes will be effective? A/B testing measures the performance of those changes before you are betting your all on something new. If you have nothing to compare to, your campaign will remain stagnant. Measuring the impact of tested variable will ensure that every new implementation will have a positive outcome. Optimization of your campaign will not be based on the guesswork anymore - all decisions made will rely on real data, helping you make the best choices.
Step 1: Decide what the goal for your A/B testing. Are you aiming to optimize conversions, reduce bounce rates, or collect more leads? Knowing the motivation behind why you're conducting your A/B testing is the most critical step to improving your marketing campaign.
Step 2: Create an original and a slightly varied copy of your A/B test to provide the two versions of your campaign. The purpose of this is to create an opportunity to test. Make a single, slight change to your original campaign in order to test what variation will lead you to the best result.
An example of a slight variation to test is through your CTA. Perhaps you change the color, the wording, or even the shape of your button to determine which will lead to more clicks. You can also try using different images, changing the copy slightly, or modify how much information you're asking for in a form.
Step 3: Conduct your A/B test. Run both the original and the variant in whatever format you have chosen. If it's an email, send half your list the original and the other half the variant. If it's an social advertisement, run both simultaneously.
Step 4: Collect the results of each test. Which campaign provided you the best results? Did you reach the results you were aiming for? If you haven't yet reached the results you had in mind, you can continue to modify your tests. Be sure to keep track of the changes you have made and remember to only change one item at a time.
Remember that a negative effect still means a positive result! It’s better to know in advance that your change will not be beneficial rather than assuming it will generate the results you anticipated. No matter the change, big or small, A/B testing is a perfect way to optimize your pages and increase the effectiveness of your marketing campaign.
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