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A/B testing examples: 33 Successful A/B Tests That Show You What's Working
- Authors
- Name
- Darjan Hren
- @darjanhren
A/B testing is a simple, yet powerful way to optimize your website and increase conversions. It's one of the most common methods for marketers today.
What is A/B testing or split testing
Split testing means sending two versions of an email to a small number of customers and seeing which version is better at driving the desired response. This type of testing is popular for A/B email tests, where you'll send one subject line to half your subscribers and another subject line to the other half, for example. If you're trying out different offers in an email campaign, then you might test one offer against another by sending them sequentially with 50% of your list.
A/B testing is a powerful way to optimize your marketing strategy as well. But what does it actually do?
When you run an A/B test, you are showing two versions of the same page or advertisement to different groups of people and comparing their responses in order to determine which one performs better.
Doing this helps marketers learn more about their target audience and improve customer experience through more effective advertising messages. When doing a/b tests, be sure that both variations have equal value for customers in order to keep things fair.
A/B testing is a way to compare two versions of something to see which one performs better, in order to make an informed decision on which design you should use. It can be used for both landing pages and advertisements.
What are the benefits of doing A/B tests?
A/B testing is an effective way to learn what works and what doesn't for your eCommerce store. It can help you develop a marketing strategy that is more targeted and better performing than one developed without data.
One of our clients was curious about how they could engage more with the audience in their marketing, so they conducted an A/B test with us. They created two versions of the same email and sent one version to 10% of their audience; it outperformed the other 90%.
How do I set up my own A/B test?
It's not hard, but it does take some time to create two variations of content with different information on each variation. When launching your first A/B test, consider setting up an A and B version of your landing page. This will allow you to compare the effectiveness of different headlines or call-to-action copy in converting visitors into customers. You should also include a control group with no changes in order to measure any growth over time.
Here are 33 A/B tests that were successful and helped e-commerce companies make money:
1. Creating copy that speaks to different personalities in order to reach more customers
Copywriting is the most important thing on your website as it's the only thing that customers see. If your copy doesn't speak to different personalities, then you're missing out on a lot of potential customers. And remember, it's not about being too perfect - mistakes are fine! Experimenting with new ideas will get you more sales and higher conversion rates in the long run.
2. Changing headlines to A/B test their effectiveness
You can use A/B testing for the headline as well - it may seem like a small detail but words have power over people and headlines are the first thing that they read on the website. Or rather, they should read it if you design the hero section well. It is the biggest element that the viewer sees with a lot of space around it. A/B testing headlines is wise and iterating over new ones as well.
3. Promoting your best selling product is not always the best way to go
If you are a merchant, then promoting your best-selling products is a no-brainer but what if you're not? And in this case, all of the marketing efforts should be focused on getting people into the store and buying something at any cost.
If you have many products, you need to switch them around on your home page or in the main promotional content you have. For example, some may sell better depending on the seasons so it would be a good thing to a/b test it.
If you have many products that have a lot of traffic and sales, it's a good idea to test more ideas on each of them separately. Then you can combine your learning to create a product page with many test winners.
4. An example of an A/B test: Your online store design
You can make some changes in order to increase conversions by doing A /B testing. One of the most important changes is related to the design of your store: what colors you use, how much text there is on a page, which product images are shown first and so on. By doing this you can find out if one variation converts better than another.
5. Testing the layout of landing pages
Different layout and content structure can have an impact on your conversion rate. Think about short-form or long-form body copy, large images or small text features.
It's important to be aware that not all layouts will convert as well as others so make sure you're always experimenting with new designs to increase conversion rates. There are tons of options when it comes to page layouts but we recommend trying different things out but always design your layout around your message/copy.
There are many things to consider for each test so take your time and do some research.
6. Testing the offer example
You can also run an A/B test with your offers to see which is more effective and increases conversion rates. Test discounts, buy 2 get 1 free or even a gift.
If you have one product that can be used for months and has reorder value like Vitamin C, try and sell 3 bundles with discounts. Make sure to AB test these, you'd be surprised of the impact it can have on your average order value.
7. Multivariate testing
Another strategy you could use is multivariate testing, where you have many different variations of a web page for one specific purpose. One example would be asking visitors about their interests in order to present them with the most relevant content on that topic or industry sector. The goal here is to try and figure out many different variables (many copy headings, many images, call to action button) to find out the one that works best based on data.
You need to be careful though as for successful multivariate a/b testing, you need to have enough traffic to your site to be able to get reliable data.
8. Using contrasting colors on a site or page
If you have a colorful site without a hierarchy of elements, the user may be lost. Try and limit yourself to only 2 colors brand colors, primary and secondary where primary can be used for website elements and secondary only for CTA buttons. The colors need to be complementary colors so they stand out from each other.
Colors can play an important role in marketing because they convey emotions and create brand identity. Choose two contrasting colors for your landing page and see which is more appealing.
9. Adding social proof like testimonials and reviews
This is a simple and effective way to help users trust your website or page. You want to get testimonials from people who are very similar to the person visiting your site so they know it's not just you saying that something is good.
10. Taking surveys
If you want feedback on a specific page, design or element of your site try sending out an email survey. Make sure you incentivize participation with prizes like free products if possible and give away things like subscription discounts or free gifts and products. You can also give out an Amazon gift card.
11. Call to action button testing
You want to be sure that the call to action button is big enough and in a prominent place on your page. Make it as easy as possible for people to click or tap it. You should also include text that lets visitors know what will happen if they click the button like "Sign up" or "Download now."
Call-to-actions are essential for any online campaign, but they're especially important on landing pages where you're asking people to do something. Find out what type of call-to test will yield the best results based on past campaigns by changing them around and testing new ones until
12. Form testing
You should test different forms and see which one leads to the most conversions. You can do this by changing the length of the form, where it appears on your site, or how many fields you ask for information.
13. Navigation bar A/B testing examples
Testing the placement of your navigation bar can help you see how people are finding information on your site. You might want to include other options or alter the wording for one, so that it is more accurate and useful.
14. Product page testing
The product page is where people will make their decision about whether or not they're going to buy something from you. It's important to have a strong call-to-action button that includes phrases like "Buy now" or "Add to cart". One good tip is to test action/feature/beneft based call to actions like "lose weight now" or "get focused".
15. Default font sizes, typography and colors
You can test various fonts, font sizes and typography to see what performs the best. What is the optimal size for your logo? Are people looking at it on mobile devices or computers? How does a different typeface affect conversions?
And how about a color test, do you want to create contrast with your background colors or not?
There are many factors that go into this.
16. Use exit intent popups a/b test
When a user wants to close the window, show them a popup with 10% discount code and ask for their email address. This will help to capture the contact information and improve conversion rates of those that didn't close the window yet.
Test different discounts or create a challenge for them. Depending on your brand and product a test with a “30 days to get more focused”email drip campaign could work way better than a discount.
17. Social media buttons in different positions
If you have social media buttons on your site, try testing out where they are located.
A few experiments include: placing them at the top of every page, putting them within your copy or next to a photo, and adding it as an icon rather than text- this makes people more likely to click because they know what is expected.
18. Pricing display
This might seem like a no-brainer, but make sure you are actually charging the right price. It could be worth it to show two prices: one for those who want an "everyday" deal and another higher price with a big discount or special offer.
One of the tricks of pricing is also to add 25% to your price, show it as retail and then show it as discounted by 25%so that it will be perceived as a better deal.
19. Create scarcity next to your offer
Show limited time offer with naming a reason why or show low stock so they don't wait with their order. The idea is to create a sense of urgency and exclusivity. Here are 3 more ways you can trigger scarcity on a product page:
- -Use time sensitive language, "only 3 left in stock!"
- -Limit the number of people who can buy. "Only 1 is available."
- -Utilize scarcity words like “limited” or “few” to describe your product.
20. Chose A/B testing between two headlines
The best way to do this is by getting feedback from people that are not familiar with your product or brand, and make sure you get feedback on both the headline and images.
21. Customer focus group
Conducting a customer survey might be useful if you want input on what changes they would like made in your marketing strategy. This also allows you to test different marketing strategies against each other.
22. A/B test great photos of your products
Use striking, non-stock photos to increase the conversion rate on your eCommerce store. Make sure to hire a professional photographer and don't limit yourself to a still image, which will be quite boring. Try using a moving video or animation to show the user exactly what your product is and how it works.
White background are easy to edit, but add shadow and an ambient environment to a product to make their attributes like natural stand out more.
Here are 3 more tips when taking product photos that can help you get more sales:
- Try to include some text with the product. It can be a short description, but also keywords that will help your customers find you on Google and in other search engines.
- In general, aim for natural backgrounds or white ones so they don't draw too much attention away from the product itself. Avoid really flashy colors or patterns because these may affect how people perceive your products (not always positively).
- Finally, make sure to use high quality photography equipment like cameras and lenses
23. A/B test product photos of the same item
Compare two images of a shirt with different designs and see which design or color is better received by customers. That will definitely help you determine which one is more profitable.
Next, include a good mix of captions and links to related products. This will make it easier for people who are browsing your site and aren't sure what they want to buy yet to find exactly what they're looking for on your store.
You can also use social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter as an additional way to get the word out about your latest deals and offers with graphics that link back to product pages so customers don't need to search for it on your site.
Look at the engagement, clicks and sales of those social media posts and you may find you have a new strategy to grow your business.
24. Create dynamic landing pages
Use personalized content to capture more leads for your business. Each landing page should be targeted towards one audience and have unique content. Dynamic landing pages use data collected from your visitor to personalize the page for them based on what they've clicked on, how long they've stayed on a certain page and which information about themselves they have entered.
With dynamic landing pages you can quickly see which offers are getting more clicks and lead to sales as well as how many leads each one is generating so you know what's working.
Make sure each landing page has only one goal so you can measure the conversion rate of each page and identify what's working.
25. Test ads on social media platforms
Different platforms have different audiences, so you might find that one platform performs better than another when it comes to conversion rates on ad campaigns.
For example, Facebook ads are good for engaging people who already know about your company and providing them with information. Twitter is better at getting the word out to a larger audience because it's more like real-time communication. Do the same test on each platform, compare and iterate.
26. Test headlines in emails and blog posts
The headline of an email or blog post can affect how many people open it as well as whether they'll take action on it. Try different ones until you find one that captures their attention and increases engagement rates.
27. Test value proposition statements
Value proposition statements should be clearly communicated in order to differentiate your company from the competition. Try writing different value propositions for a product and track which one has the highest conversion rate.
28. Split test different customer journeys
There are many ways to map out a customer journey. Try using different maps for one product and see which is the most successful. Measure where users drop off the most and run an audit on those pages.
You can do this for each stage of the journey.
29. Use visuals in emails to make your point
Adding a visual element to an email will increase engagement rates by 80%. If you're not using any images in your emails, try adding one and see how it impacts conversion rates.
30. Show before-and-after photos
A single before-and-after photo will dramatically improve conversion rates by 27%. Create a timeline on social media showing progress and customers will be more inclined to buy your products. Remember that customers are buying the after state.
You can also write a before/after story of a customer's life. This is very persuasive as it can put the customer into a state of mind that will make them want to buy your product.
We tested two images on Facebook, one of the before and after photo and one with the timeline on social media. The image with the timeline on social media had a 27% conversion rate while the other had only an 8% conversion rate.
31. Test the images on your site
Your website's design can be tweaked to attract visitors by changing photos, videos, or graphics from text-heavy content to more visually appealing content. For example, in one experiment we found that a video-based landing page performed better than text-heavy pages for generating leads and increasing conversions to the trial signup form.
32. Tell your customers the truth
A customer will buy more when they are told the truth. A survey of eCommerce stores revealed that honesty was key to increasing conversion rates by 10%. Remember that you're building a relationship with customers and be honest about your pricing, products, shipping information, and return policies."
33. Test your checkout and cart page with UX/UI methodology
It's imperative to know how your customers experience the checkout and cart pages. For example, one test revealed that removing the confirmation page after clicking "checkout" on an e-commerce site lead to higher conversion rates than the traditional confirmation message.
Key Takeaway of A/B testing examples
A/B testing is an excellent way to see what changes need to be made in your current marketing strategy. There are many factors that affect the success of an A/B test, such as whether it was conducted on a mobile device or on desktop computer, and the position where you display your images or ads.
In conclusion, it's important to know that A/B testing is a fantastic way to see what changes need to be made in your current marketing strategy. This article provides 33 different examples of successful A/B tests, which show you what's working and provide insight into what may not be.
Use these A/B testing examples as baselines but add your own context and twist to it based on your product, niche or brand.
Get creative.