Why A/B Testing Still Matters

If you’ve been in business for a while, it’s tempting to believe that you know everything there is to know about how to be an entrepreneur. Or if you’re a techie, it may be too easy to think that with the myriad of options available for digital marketing, old school methods are now obsolete.

While that may be the case sometimes, such as creating a MySpace page, there are other true and tested methods that still make sense today. A/B testing is one of them.

Cliff Notes for the Newbies

 If you’re just getting started, here’s a short crash course: A/B testing (also known as split testing or bucket testing) simply means testing two different websites, promotional and marketing strategies or email campaigns for your business, to see which one performs best. The advantages from A/B testing are enough to offset the additional time it takes, and well-planned A/B testing can make a huge difference in the effectiveness of your marketing efforts.

While A/B testing may seem like a minute detail, the right strategies will yield quantifiable results that will make your heart sing with joy.

For example:

1. It focuses on your target market: Your business is not about you. It’s about how you can add value to your target market’s lives. Therefore, you need to provide a format and content that your audience would Keep them at the forefront of your marketing strategy by paying attention to what they want. 

2. Increase subscribers: Even if a lead doesn’t turn into a sale upon first visiting your website, opening a newsletter or clicking through from your ad, providing consistent free content delivered to their inbox or on their social media feed, will keep you in their minds. And down the road, when they are ready to make a purchase, they will (a) think of you and (b) already be familiar with the quality you provide thanks to your content. So, focus on the strategies that will get you the most subscribers. With newsletters, you can do A/B testing to see which one provides the most compelling call to action. Or, on social media you can do A/B testing to see which audience creates the most engagements and interactions with your ads. 

3. Stay competitive: Your competitors are probably doing it – and even if they’re not, wouldn’t you like to have an advantage over them? So, don’t fall behind over something so basic. 

4. Increased profits: By knowing what makes leads tick, you can tailor your marketing efforts to their preferences. Not only would you have a clear idea of which format, message or offer yields the highest response, but you also get to focus your budget on a clear strategy with proven results. 

Just keep in mind that A/B testing is worth it only if you already have a high traffic website, a long list of email leads or a large social media following. Otherwise, it would be an exercise in futility. Also, don’t go into it blindly. Have a plan, and test out theories based on your market research. Narrowing down the most effective elements of a promotion, and then combining them, can obviously make your marketing efforts much more profitable and successful. Lastly, make people happy when they visit your website, open your newsletter or find you on social media. After all, happy customers are loyal customers.