Curious to see how your content is performing with your audience? The best way is to gather data straight from your ideal customer. But polling every person that comes to your website is time consuming.
That is where A/B testing comes in. Also known as split testing it is the process of comparing two pieces of marketing material and measuring how each one performs.
This may seem a little overwhelming so let’s break down what split testing is and why it’s important.
What Is Split Testing?
Split testing takes two versions of a web page or email and shows visitors each page alternately. The first visitor would see page A, the second visitor would see page B, the third visitor would see page A… and so on. At the end of the test you’ll be able to see which version of the page works best with your audience. Think of it like a competition.
What Are The Benefits?
The main benefit of split testing is to improve your marketing and conversion rates. It helps you determine if your marketing materials are helping or hindering sales. A/B testing lets you know what words, phrases, images, videos, testimonials, and other elements work the best. More conversions mean an increased number of leads or sales from the same level of traffic. Split testing also helps to improve user engagement as you’re actively improving your website to better appeal to your visitors.
When Should You Do Split Testing?
The good thing about split testing is that it can be done at any time. If you’re looking to grow your business, try out a new website design or get a better return on your investment, then you should consider testing and updating your content as often as possible.
What Can You Test?
Split testing isn’t limited to only one element. You can run split testing on a wide variety of things. These are the top four elements we recommend testing:
Element #1: Headlines and Copywriting
Your headline is the first thing people see when they land on your web page. If it doesn’t grab your visitors’ attention within the first 3 seconds, they won’t stick around.
Element #2: CTA
Your call to action tells readers what you want them to do. It needs to entice the reader to take action.
Element #3: Images, Audio, and Video
Images should enhance your content not take away from it and test video testimonials to see if they perform better than written ones.
Element #4: Subject Lines
Email subject lines directly correlate to open rates. If a subscriber doesn’t see anything they like, the email will most likely end up in the trash.
Split Testing Tools
Google Optimize is a great split testing tool or try SplitHero. If you’re A/B testing emails, most email service providers will have built-in testing tools.
Split testing is the most effective way to see what resonates with your audience. By testing your content frequently you’ll ensure you never miss a potential customer or client.
Need some help?
If you like to know how your content perform and would prefer a professional to help you test it, schedule a strategy call to see if we’re a good fit to help you test your content and reach your business objectives.
