When you\u2019re working on a website, you may often rely on your intuition and experience to decide what designs work best. However, using data to make informed decisions is an even better approach. The question is: How can you figure out which design users will prefer?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The answer lies in A\/B testing<\/a>, which is the process of presenting two versions of a web page to visitors and collecting data about which one they prefer. With this information, you\u2019ll be able to create pages you know users will love based on concrete data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this article, we\u2019re going to give you a crash course in A\/B testing, and explain why you should consider conducting tests on your website. Then we\u2019ll teach you how to A\/B test your site, and introduce you to some WordPress plugins that can help. Let\u2019s move over to the lab!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n A\/B (or \u2018split\u2019) testing is a process where you take two versions of an element and display each to a random sample of your visitors. The goal is that, with a large enough sample size, you can gain insight into which version your users prefer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Imagine, for example, that you\u2019re adding a new Call To Action (CTA) to your landing page<\/a>. You\u2019re not sure what design will work best, but you\u2019ve narrowed the choices down to two options. If you set up an A\/B test, you can track which CTA your visitors respond to better, by measuring how many clicks each version gets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s just a basic example. In practice you can use A\/B testing to measure all kinds of variables. In fact, A\/B testing is something you can benefit from in a broad range of situations, whether it\u2019s for a website, a product design, an email campaign, or something else entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re an experienced enough developer or designer, you might be able to rely on your intuition to determine what designs work best. However, if you really want to know what your users want, running some tests is a smart idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s break down exactly how A\/B testing can benefit you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s more, you can use A\/B testing for all kinds of variables. However, there are<\/em> some limitations to what you can A\/B test, which we\u2019ll talk more about in a moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The good news is that you can get informative results by testing almost any element on your website. You might create variations of your: <\/p>\n\n\n\n The possibilities are just about endless. However, there are a few mistakes new A\/B testers sometimes make when choosing what to test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, you should only test one highly-specific element at a time. For example, don\u2019t change your button\u2019s text and color \u2013 only pick one aspect to alter. Changing multiple variables will make it harder to analyze your data, because you can\u2019t be sure which factor influenced users\u2019 behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is<\/em> an alternative testing strategy known as multivariate testing<\/a>, which you can consider using if you want to test multiple elements in combination with one another. However, A\/B testing will give you the clearest and most specific results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The second mistake people sometimes make is focusing only on the big elements, and passing over the small details. For instance, it\u2019s obvious that it can be beneficial to test your button\u2019s text and color. However, you can also get interesting results from testing button styles, shapes, and sizes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, it\u2019s best to avoid testing new content that you\u2019ve just added to your site. If you published some new copy yesterday, you\u2019ve not going to get accurate results from using it in an A\/B test. There\u2019s no way to account for whether users\u2019 behavior is due to the existence of the new element, or the changes in your variations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you run an A\/B test, it helps to think of your website as a lab. If you want to get accurate results, you\u2019ll need to follow strict procedures to make sure the data you gather is accurate. Here\u2019s the approach we suggest you follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Technically, you can run an A\/B test for almost any variable you want. However, an ideal test subject should meet several criteria:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In particular, without enough traffic, the results you get won\u2019t be statistically significant. A few dozen visits doesn\u2019t make for a reliable sample size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you have a subject in mind, you need to set a goal for your test. There are several metrics you might use as your goal, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, let\u2019s say that you intend to run an A\/B test for a CTA. In that case, the appropriate metric to track would be clicks. To put it another way, the goal of your test will depend on what its subject is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At this point, you have a variable and a metric to test. Now you need to formulate a hypothesis in order to run your experiment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To elaborate on our earlier CTA example, here a few potential hypotheses you might test:<\/p>\n\n\n\n All three of these are perfectly fine hypotheses. However, it\u2019s important to remember that you can only test one of them at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now you can finally put your test into action. To do this, you\u2019ll need to use an A\/B testing tool that enables you to show visitors both versions of your test subject (we\u2019ll introduce a few options in a moment).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In our experience, a successful A\/B test requires a sample size of at least a few thousand visitors. The smaller your sample pool is, the less reliable your results will be, so you don\u2019t want to rush the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you have enough data, you can end the test and determine which version performed better according to the goal you set. Then it\u2019s just a matter of implementing that version on your live website and reaping the rewards!<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a lot of third-party plugins and other tools you can use for A\/B testing your website. What follows are some of the best options available. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The first thing you need to know is that Nelio AB Testing<\/a> requires you to sign up for a plan in order to use it. If you decide to pay for the plugin, you\u2019ll get access to an A\/B testing tool that enables you to run experiments on your pages, posts, and custom post types.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With Nelio AB Testing, you can compare headlines, widgets, CSS, and even entire themes. Plus, you\u2019ll get access to highly-accurate heatmap functionality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whereas our previous pick enables you to test almost any element you want, Popup by Supsystic<\/a> focuses solely on pop-ups. With this plugin, you can create and A\/B test pop-ups that drive conversions. You\u2019ll be happy to know that this plugin is free, and it supports an unlimited number of pop-ups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is another specialized A\/B testing plugin. WordPress Landing Pages<\/a> provides templates to help you build effective landing pages, and it also has built-in cloning capabilities so you can easily create variations for testing. It supports both single-element and multivariate tests, letting you pursue whichever route makes the most sense for your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With Instapage<\/a>, you get tools to build landing pages as well as A\/B testing functionality. You can use this plugin\u2019s intuitive builder to put together stunning pages for your site, and then run tests and collect data in your Instapage dashboard. It also provides heatmaps so you can see where your visitors\u2019 attention is drawn, and enables you to track a variety of goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Google Optimize<\/a> is Google\u2019s official A\/B testing platform. If you\u2019re already using Analytics, Search Console, Adwords, and\/or PageSpeed Insights, then Optimize is a natural addition to your website management toolbox. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Optimize is free to use, and integrates with Analytics and Adwords to collect user data for your tests. It walks you through the process<\/a> of setting up those tests in a way that\u2019s easy to understand. Plus, you can now integrate Optimize with your website faster, thanks to the Google Site Kit<\/a> plugin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, Split Hero<\/a> is a WordPress-specific A\/B testing service. There\u2019s no plugin to install here, just a range of plans you can sign up for. This tool enables you to create up to four variations using the familiar WordPress editor or your preferred page builder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like Optimize, Split Hero walks you through the testing process, so that even less experienced users can easily get used to its features. This platform also compiles your data into an easy-to-read dashboard. Overall, it\u2019s a highly comprehensive solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A\/B testing enables you to \u2018poll\u2019 your audience without them even knowing. That way, you\u2019ll get access to quantifiable data you can use to improve your pages and provide your users with a better digital experience<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To run a successful A\/B test, you\u2019ll need a WordPress web host<\/a> that provides you with rock-steady performance and support in case you run into any issues. That\u2019s something we can promise on all our plans<\/a>. Check them out today!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When you\u2019re working on a website, you may often rely on your intuition and experience to decide what designs work best. However, using data to make informed decisions is an even better approach. The question is: How can you figure out which design users will prefer? The answer lies in A\/B testing, which is the…<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":177,"featured_media":107222,"template":"","resource-topic":[913,904,912],"resource-role":[896,906,897,903,899],"resource-type":[916],"class_list":["post-67956","resource","type-resource","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Is A\/B Testing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why Should You A\/B Test?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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What Can You A\/B Test?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How to Run A\/B Tests<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Step 1: Identify Potential Test Subjects<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Step 2: Decide on Your Goals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Step 3: Choose a Hypothesis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Step 4: Run Your Test and Analyze the Results<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Tools to A\/B Test Your WordPress Website<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Nelio AB Testing<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Popup by Supsystic<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
WordPress Landing Pages<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Instapage<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Google Optimize<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Split Hero<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A\/B Testing & The WordPress Digital Experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n