A/B Testing
What is an A/B test?
A/B testing is a technique that involves developing two versions of the same element or product, with the sole intention of measuring which of those two versions performs better.
A/B testing has many diverse applications in digital marketing; some of the most common ones include (but are not limited to):
- Determining the best design for a website.
- Measuring which version of an app is better.
- Discovering the best newsletter for your mass email campaigns.
- Quantifying which landing page has more conversions.
- Calculating the effectiveness of two different CTAs.
- Establishing the best redesign for a web logo.
- Testing specific design elements such as buttons and images.
- Checking the effectiveness of two different copies for the same product.
1. How does an A/B test work?
This method involves developing two versions of the same element or product before launching it to the market, and it applies to both physical and digital products. Therefore, in our case, we will focus on an example based on creating an A/B test to discover the best subject line between two candidates, so that an email marketing campaign can offer us the best ROI.
Naturally, multiple A/B tests can be created to consider more versions, but usually, an A/B test serves to decide between two “finalist” options.
To do this, we create two subject lines for a newsletter from a pet shelter looking to raise funds among its members.
In one, we include the recipient’s name and a question whose answer is obvious to the contact list it is sent to: “Name, isn’t it true that you love pets?” As well as a more direct version aiming to make the recipient read the email: “Our pets’ lives depend entirely on you.” The content of the email is exactly the same; only the subject line varies.
After that, to conduct the A/B test, you take a percentage of the total subscriber list you want to send the newsletter to, for example, 20%, and send 10% the subject line “Name, isn’t it true that you love pets?” and the remaining 10% receive the subject line: “Our pets’ lives depend entirely on you.”
After 24 hours, for instance, you review the A/B test statistics and determine which one had the highest number of opens. The one that received the most opens becomes the winning A/B test subject line, and the newsletter is sent to the remaining 80% of subscribers using that winning subject line.
2. Advantages of conducting A/B tests
Generally speaking, incorporating A/B testing into any marketing strategy brings you numerous benefits:
- Increasing campaign profitability. A/B testing allows you to easily discover what truly works with your target audience.
- Allowing experimentation. What worked a few months ago might not be as effective today, which is why you must constantly experiment in a controlled manner, and A/B tests are perfect for this.
- Improving engagement. Through subtle changes, A/B tests tell you unequivocally how your audience wants to be treated, the conversational tone they prefer, the content that is relevant to them, etc.
- Details make a difference. You might not have realized it, but polishing seemingly minor details, like font size or color, can make a text or CTA a success or a failure. A/B testing highlights the importance of details.