A/B
testing
Elevate your performance
Did you know, that a successful A/B test can increase your conversion rate by 49%? At Traction we use A/B testing as a way to compare two different versions of the same ad, or content to see which performs better. You can A/B test nearly everything including Google Ads, emails and webpages, and most tests will isolate and compare specific elements, such as copy, colours and buttons.
A/B testing is an efficient and effective system for enhancing and optimising marketing over time. It helps you to develop high-performance digital assets that maximise the return on your marketing investment.
Using science to develop high performance marketing
You’re setting up a campaign and want to maximise ROI? First, create option A, the control, and then create option B, the variant, in which one element from the control is changed. This allows you to isolate how that element affects digital performance.
You randomly divide your target audience into two groups. One group is shown option A, the other is shown option B. You run these campaigns concurrently over a set period of time, and collect data on click-through rate, conversion rate, engagement and other KPIs.
Test complete, you compare this data to see which version of your ad performed better. You then make further changes based on these new insights and test again. You repeat the process over and over, improving your KPI results every time, until you’re satisfied with your campaigns performance.
Why do we focus on testing?
A/B testing is the ultimate way to enhance your marketing efforts. Using real people and hard numbers, it reveals what resonates most with your audience. It therefore allows you to generate a better return on your marketing investment.
A/B testing is unique to digital marketing. Traditional print, broadcast and outdoor advertising doesn’t offer the same positive feedback loop between brand and audience. Sure, focus groups can help to optimise your message pre-campaign, but there’s no easy way to test or enhance that message after the campaign begins.
This is what makes A/B testing so powerful: it reveals exactly what potential customers want from you and your marketing, and lets you make enhancements on the fly.
“A/B and multivariate tests underpin our marketing approach. Over the years we’ve refined our strategies to the point that we now outperform global benchmarks every single time. And we don’t limit it to digital; we encourage our clients to split test everything from sales playbooks to feature requests.”
– Chris Clarke
Have a sneaky peek at some of our foundational tests…
Colours
Which combination of colours make your marketing pop? It might be a surprise to learn just how influential colour psychology is: according to HubSpot, up to 90% of an initial impression comes from colour, colour can increase brand awareness and recognition by 80%, and colour can influence 85% of customers’ purchasing decisions.
This is why Google A/B tested 41 different shades of blue to find the button that performed best when the company introduced ads to Gmail. As a result they added an extra $200 million of ad revenue to their bottom line.
Buttons
The entire point of most emails, ads and landing pages is to ‘convert’ the audience by getting them to click on a button. Your buttons are therefore one of the most beneficial places to focus your A/B testing efforts.
Between text, colour, size, shape and position, there are a surprising number of button elements to test and enhance. A few traits are universal, however: the design should be eye-catching, the copy should be compelling, and the button should be positioned prominently on the page.
Tone of voice
Just as important as what you say is how you say it. Tone of voice is rather intangible and subjective, but A/B testing can help to quantify it, by directly comparing one version of copy against another.
The most effective tone of voice will be the one that resonates best with your target audience. You probably have an intuitive sense of whether your voice leans more funny or serious, casual or formal, irreverent or respectful, enthusiastic or matter-of-fact, but A/B testing can be a useful and methodical way to clarify those thoughts and write better copy.
