The Beginner’s Guide To A/B Split Testing

The Beginner’s Guide To A/B Split Testing

As the pace at which the world goes digital increases, it’s no secret that your business should have a website. 

If you’re selling products at scale, there’s so much you stand to gain with a well-built and well-optimised eCommerce website. 

A strong website helps build a great first impression, attract and create a solid client base, amplify brand awareness, and do so much more, giving you another channel to achieve your business goals. 

Whilst you might think your website is perfect, there is always room for upgrades and fixes. What’s more, upgrading from time to time can help you increase your traffic.

It’s always a good idea to test new updates before putting them up. What this basically means is that you cannot simply predict what would work without testing it first.

A/B split testing makes this possible by splitting your audience so you can test variations of your upgrades and campaigns before you roll things out. 

To make it simple for you, the experts at Actuate have put together a guide on how A/B split testing works. 

Let’s take a look!

A/B Split Testing Explained

The logic behind A/B split testing is quite simple. You essentially present version A of your campaign to one half of the audience, while the other half is presented with version B.

Everyone who visits your website is going to react differently to the changes they see. The difference in their response is valuable data that you can use. Since everyone behaves differently, you are able to get a better understanding of what works and what doesn’t.

For example, you might want to test if moving your “Buy Now!” button to the top of your homepage increases click-through rates. With A/B split testing, there would be an alternative webpage that implements the new placement. 

Half of your audience will be directed to this webpage, while the other half is directed towards the original. This happens over a period of time to collect data. 

After you receive the A/B testing analysis, you will find out whether there has indeed been an increase in click-through rates due to a change in placement.

The A/B Split Testing Process

1. Pick Your Variable

When you wish to optimise your website, you may have a number of changes you want to make. However, it’s better to test one specific variable separately to obtain true results. 

While it’s possible to test more than one variable at a time, you should test them one at a time. We do this because it is possible that a combination of  variables might affect consumer behaviour, and it becomes too difficult to pinpoint exactly what has caused the change. 

2. Identify Your Goal

Before you go ahead with the test, you need to decide upon your exact goals. What are you trying to measure? What do you want to achieve out of this test? 

It’s important to choose a primary metric to focus on before you run the test. This way, you’ll receive more focused results which will pave the way for a more successful website optimisation.

3. Split Your Sample

A/B testing split traffic is basically an equally divided website traffic. Your sample is the number of people you are testing. For A/B testing, you are required to split your sample equally in two groups. 

Additionally, an important tip to remember is that if your sample size is large, your results are going to be more conclusive. 

4. Select an A/B Testing Tool

A/B testing tools basically help you to be better equipped to compare your alternative website with the original. Using A/B testing tools is important to the test to be able to understand the results.

Google Analytics is one of the most efficient tools for A/B split testing. It lets you compare up to ten versions of your webpage and offers detailed insights. Remember to give it time to collect enough data to be able to produce conclusive results. 

5. Make Appropriate Changes

Once the A/B testing analysis is complete, you can compare the insights you receive. If one variation is better than the other, you can update your website with the more favourable changes. 

However, it is possible that the alternative version is not better than the original. In this case, your results will be marked as inconclusive. You should then continue with the original version or run another test.

Contact Actuate Agency for eCommerce Strategy and Development

At Actuate, our experts and trained professionals can help you figure out how you can upgrade your webpage. Be it A/B split testing, eCommerce optimisation or design and UX, we’ve got you covered.

As a results driven agency, we have produced digital solutions for many huge international brands and businesses. Create the best eCommerce websites with our help, using Magento, Aero and Shopify. 

We also offer a range of other services; click here to learn more about them.

Contact us for any inquiries or reach out to us on 0161 672 0877!