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DigiCom Contributor

Understanding the Importance of A/B Testing



It’s always helpful to have useful data when creating your marketing campaigns.


Having data and insights into different campaigns can help improve overall efficiency and avoid wasted financial splurges on ideas that may just not be working.


A/B testing–also known as split testing–can help gather that critical information. A/B testing essentially allows companies to gather data on campaigns to compare their success.


Having this data allows your company to see which variant or change is performing the best, and what tweaks should be made to further optimize future plans..


You can run A/B testing for all types of different variants from different color schematics to how you lay out your page or even the way to get customers to engage with your CTA. Perhaps you want to add more links or promotions into your campaign or homepage. Maybe you want to incorporate a different style of copy or want to try re-designing your brand’s logo


You can tally that data via A/B testing.Optimizely, Evolv AI and VWO all provide A/B testing tools that can help perfect your strategy.


WHY IT HELPS


Unless your company has endless financial resources, no one wants to be throwing money at a campaign or website that isn’t working. An A/B test will allow you to find ways that can help improve your bottom line, even if it's just marginally. Marginal upgrades are still upgrades.


You can use an A/B testing calculator like this to help see how it actually translates, but the broader application is it helps with your conversion rate optimization (CRO). Improving your CRO is obviously crucial since that’s what will lead to the ultimate end goal of profit and sales.


For example You can see how your newest website is working compared to the old layout. You can discover if that new “edgier” or “bolder” strategy you are employing is taking off. You can see if more individuals are actually purchasing what they may be putting in their virtual basket.


Again: Any small detail can help and produce better efficiency and profits, which is always the goal. You just have to know what you’re looking for.


STRATEGIES TO EMPLOY


One simple tip for running an A/B test is to make sure you run it for the requisite time. You don’t need years and years of data. Find the right sample size and then go from there. One helpful suggestion is to use a traffic goal rather than a set amount of time. Using a set amount of visitors, allows you to get the data you want versus hoping it comes in a set period.



You will want to use a temporary 302 if you are redirecting traffic from a current URL, and employing rel=” canonical ” is needed if you are running A/B tests with several URLs.


Do not use cloaking, though.


One key step to ensure you are getting the proper data is allocating the proper percentage of visitors to your test pages. An ideal test is 50/50, although running multiple tests at one time–which is referred to as an A/B/n test–will result in a different percentage split. If you have different percentages for the pages, that could potentially skew the numbers.


Cookies can be used to ensure visitors see the same variation of your tests.


END RESULT


Knowing what you want to test for and how to properly execute an A/B test will pay dividends in the long run. It allows you to explore different hypotheses you may have about why certain campaigns are not performing or little changes that you can make.


Making little changes here and there by testing can help the return on investment and, ultimately, help ensure your money is being used in the best and most-efficient manner. We hope these tips will allow you to incorporate A/B testing into your company’s philosophies!


SO, WHERE DO YOU FIND THIS PARTNER?


Well, aren’t we glad you asked! DigiCom is a proud Facebook Marketing Partner. We’re obsessive data-driven marketers pulling from multi-disciplinary strategies to unlock scale. We buy media across all Facebook platforms and placements, provide creative solutions alongside content creation, and conversion rate optimizations. We pride ourselves on your successes and will stop at nothing to help you grow.





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