Digitalisering
12. maj 2023
How split testing turns your digital products into comedic gold
There is probably no doubt that the digital world is constantly expanding. In that context, it is important to use effective methods to test and create successful digital solutions.Two of our favourite methods are developing MVPs and split testing—in this blog post, I will dive deeper into the latter.
What is split testing?
Split testing is one of the techniques that helps you understand your users’ preferences and optimise your digital products accordingly.
In this article, we will take a closer look at what split testing actually is, how to do it, what benefits it offers, and how it helps you go from digital amoeba to web ninja. 😉
What is split testing, and how does it work?
Split testing, also known as A/B testing, is a method where two or more versions of a digital product—such as a website, webshop, or app—are presented to users to determine which version delivers the best user experience and performance.
By comparing different versions, you can identify the most effective elements in your design and make decisions on how to improve your product based on the “feedback” and data you receive from your visitors.
This could be information such as:
- Increased interaction
- Longer time spent on the page
- Higher conversion rate
- Larger order values (webshops only)
- Deeper scrolling
And much more, which tells you which version your users liked best. And the smartest part is that you get the information without having to run focus groups.
Split testing works by using online tools to split your traffic between the different versions of your product—for example, two different versions of a given landing page.
Users will see one of the versions without knowing that they are in the middle of a test, and their behaviour and interactions are measured to determine which version delivers the best results. Once the test is complete, you can analyse the data and make decisions based on the information collected.
The role of split testing in the context of user experience
User experience (UX) is a critical factor in the success of any digital product. Running split tests plays an important role in improving the user experience, as it allows you to test different scenarios, flows, elements, and the like, and identify the most effective solutions.
All without making your users aware that they are participating in a test. That way, your data is clean and unaffected by the test.
When using split testing, you can target the test at specific areas of your product, such as navigation, layout, and design, and find out what works best for your users.
You can also target specific channel types, so that, for example, existing customers or people who already know you are not exposed to the test, while new visitors are.
The benefits of split tests
Improved user experience:
You can identify what works best for users, so you can improve your product and create a more satisfying user experience.
Increased conversion rate:
By identifying the most effective solutions and implementing them in your product, you can increase your conversion rate and generate more sales, sign-ups, or other desired actions.
Read more about average conversion rates on B2B websites here.
Reduced risk of errors:
Split testing allows you to make decisions based on data rather than guesswork, reducing the risk of implementing ineffective or harmful changes to your product.
Improved ROI:
By investing in split testing and optimising your product, you can improve your return on investment (ROI) and ensure that your digital products are as effective as possible.
This is partly because you increase your conversion rates, and at the same time, a better user experience can lead to more returning customers, which in turn increases your Customer Lifetime Value (CLV).
Split testing tools and software
There are many tools and software solutions available that can help you run split tests on your digital solutions.
One of them is as simple as making a single change to your solution, giving it some time, and then reading the data against a comparable period (seasonality, peak periods, etc.) and using that data as an indication of whether the new initiative performs better—this approach also counts as “split testing”.
The weakness of this approach, however, is that you cannot make multiple changes at once, because then you will not know which changes produced the result. At the same time, it requires comparable periods to measure against, and you need to give the changes more time so you can collect enough data.
If you want to take your split testing to the next level, we recommend using a tool specifically designed for this purpose.
Some of our favourites include:
- A leading A/B testing and personalisation platform that allows you to test different versions of your product and analyse the results.
- A free solution from Google that allows you to set up and run A/B testing on your digital products.
- Another popular platform for A/B testing and conversion optimisation that offers a wide range of features and tools.
Best practices for successful split testing
To get the most out of your split tests and ensure your tests deliver accurate and useful results, it is important to follow a few clear steps:
- Define clear objectives that clearly specify which metrics you expect to move with the effort. This could be increasing the conversion rate for enquiries, more newsletter sign-ups, more items in the basket, reducing the bounce rate, and much more.
- Limit your test to one element at a time to avoid confusion and uncertainty about what is driving the change in results. Also, focus on only a few objectives at a time.
- Run your test for an appropriate period—long enough to gather a relevant amount of data, without dragging it out. The more users your solution has, the shorter your test period can be. Our rule of thumb is that you should have data from at least 1,000 users (not necessarily unique users).
- Analyse the incoming data, decide what you conclude from it, implement the fix/addition permanently, and move on to the next test.
Check out this blog post if you want to know why you should use user testing, as well as the different methodologies for carrying it out.
