You might have heard about the benefits of performance marketing for business growth. But when you implement it at your end it fails to deliver expected results. Such may lead you to the conclusion that it is a complex task and unfit for every business type.
Well, it is true, as performance marketing requires extensive research, hypothesis development, and decision-making. But an effectively planned performance marketing strategy can help you to outperform your competitors irrespective of the nature of your business.
In performance marketing, there exists no common or proven approach to success. It is required to adopt a trial-and-error method to understand the best. Hiring a best performance marketer from a leading digital marketing agency can help you to get such an analysis done.
“A/B Testing” is an effective tool that is used by marketers in performance marketing. Such helps in gathering the required data about the marketing campaign and to make necessary improvements accordingly.
What is A/B Testing?
AB testing in simpler terms is referred to developing two different versions of the same landing page and evaluating audience reactions independently. It does not involve designing two entirely different web pages but making variable changes. Such variable changes can either be changes in font size, positioning, or color of click buttons. It helps the marketer to understand audience preferences and to make decisions accordingly.
Page Elements for which A/B testing can be used
1. Page Headlines
Once a user reaches your website or landing page, headlines help in retaining them on the webpage. A creative headline helps in developing curiosity among the audience. Hence, it is important to plan for more catchy and creative headlines. To ensure such, marketers develop two different headline formats with similar meanings. Further, it is posted and rolled out to two different audience sets. Based on their reactions an appropriate headline is selected.
2. Images/Graphics
AB Testing in performance marketing can be used to evaluate the impact of different images or graphic formats on conversion rate. For instance; a web page with more self-explanatory graphics can have better conversions than writing long paragraphs. But it is not true in every case/product scenario. Hence, it is important to conduct A/B testing to understand the impact of such graphic changes.
3. Content
Further, AB testing can help to evaluate the content quality or depth. There exists both the audience group, one who requires detailed information as well as those requiring concise information. Hence, it is important to recognize the demand of a larger audience base. A performance marketer can create two versions; one with short and another with long/detailed content. Based on the audience’s reactions the form/size of content can be decided.
4. Emails
Emails are an effective route to reach the targeted audience. But having an appropriate design for email helps in improved click-through. Using AB testing can help to test different email formats and to finalize an email format with the most engagement rate.
Process of A/B Testing
A/B Testing involves extensive research and evaluation and hence requires an experienced Performance Marketer. The marketer undertakes the following steps to get the expected results from the marketing campaign.
Step 1: Select a variable/element to test
As discussed that there exist various elements for which A/B Testing can be used. Hence, first of all, it is important to select/identify the element to be tested. For instance, the testing can be done either for the heading or the content type. If you are selecting multiple elements for testing at once, then it would not be able to deliver appropriate results.
Step 2: Define the goals for Testing
Post-selection of the elements, it is important to define the testing goals. Such goals can be defined, based on the challenges that your website/webpage was facing. For instance; improving conversion rate, enhancing sales, or improving engagement.
Step 3: Analyse existing data
To define the success of testing, it is important to set a base factor. Such base factors can be data from the previous quarter or conversion statistics. It can help the performance marketer to identify the challenges associated with a webpage. Accordingly, required changes can be made.
Step 4: Setting test standards
At this stage, the marketer decides upon the test standards for the components involved in AB testing. Such includes defining the sample size, the time duration for testing, and the region where the test will be conducted.
Step 5: Create/Develop different variants
Finally, considering the mentioned factors, the marketer plans to develop different webpage variants. It is rolled out to the defined targeted audience. Further, the audience response to variants is evaluated, which helps to finalize the changes.
Points to be considered to ensure successful A/B Testing
During the defined process, certain key aspects are to be considered
1. Make use of reliable tools: The results of AB Testing should be evaluated through the use of reliable tools. Such can include using Google Analytics as well as specialized software. The use of tools can help to evaluate the results effectively and to eliminate any discrepancies.
2. Check for the data simultaneously: While conducting A/B Testing it is important to check for the data of both the test versions simultaneously at constant time durations. It also reflects that both variants are made available at a common time.
3. Ensure proper time frame to generate results: Before executing A/B Testing, the performance marketer ensures defining upon a standard time frame. But during testing based on the analysis, the appropriate time is required to be given.
Wrapping Up
The entire process of A/B Testing may sound highly complex and challenging. But we at Verve Online Marketing are there to help you out with such complexities of digital marketing. We are a leading digital marketing agency with a team of experienced performance marketers. Based on our industry experience we can deliver customized digital marketing solutions as per your business needs.
