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Benefits of A/B Testing for Your Website

Updated on March 24, 2024
Posted on July 1, 2014 by Michael White

 

Benefits of A/B Testing for Your Website

A/B Testing is the secret ingredient of successful websites. You may be thinking, “A/B testing is no secret–even presidential campaigns use it.”

The secret about A/B testing is that while “everybody” talks about it, most businesses don’t do it. This means that using A/B testing on your website gives you an advantage over your competitors.

A/B testing, also called split testing, studies customer behavior by testing hypotheses about how website visitors react to different versions of website content. For example, are potential customers more likely to click on a button that says “buy now for 20% off” or on a button that says “order now for free shipping”?

Results of A/B Testing

Numerous case studies show that when companies modify content based on A/B testing results, they experience

  • Reduced bounce rates
  • Increased conversion rates
  • Higher conversion value
  • More sales

Benefits of A/B Testing

Improved content

The process of A/B testing leads to better website content because you must discuss which content is valuable and why. As you generate the variables to be tested, you create a list of potential content improvements.

More profitable companies

A/B testing can cause organizational shifts that increase profits. Organizations using A/B testing value data over opinions. Resources are spent on implementation, not debate. These companies are nimble–they quickly adapt to changes in the marketplace and changes in data. Decisions are made quickly and mid-course adjustments are expected.

Lower risks

A/B testing reduces risks inherent in big decisions like pricing and strategy. Testing customer behavior before making decisions increases the likelihood of success. A/B testing helps companies target their resources for maximum results, increasing the ROI, whether the return on investment is defined in short-term success or long-term customer loyalty.

Why A/B Testing Works

A/B testing lets you see which content causes visitors to:

  • Spend more time on your site
  • Click through to additional pages
  • Sign up for more information
  • Make purchases

A/B testing for websites lets you see which versions of content cause your target audience to take the actions you want them to take. If your goal is to have a visitor join your mailing list, you can test different call to action designs to see which one leads to the most sign-ups. Instead of trying to predict what visitors might want or do, you test your theories. You see what website users actually do when presented with different options.

 

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