Conducting a Meaningful A/B Test
Tech startups need to invest in marketing campaigns that drive rapid growth, but how do they know what works and what doesn't? A/B testing is a simple method for checking how effective one message is versus another. Sometimes also called split testing, A/B testing is a critical part of startup marketing that helps companies achieve laser-focused campaigns.
What Is A/B Testing?
A/B testing is one aspect of conversion rate optimization (CRO) and refers to trying out new versions of existing marketing materials to see which resonates better with particular segments of your target audience.
You can run A/B testing on webpages, email marketing campaigns, direct message services, and even design features of your MVP.
A/B Testing Benefits for Startup Marketing
Being able to consistently improve your marketing efforts brings any number of benefits including:
Improved ROI by reducing spending on ineffective campaigns
A better understanding of client pain points and needs
Reduced website bounce rate—between 26% and 40% is considered good
Better brand reputation
When you make things easier for your leads, clients, or even just casual visitors to your blog, you become a trusted entity in your market. This is foundational for long-term growth and attracting investors.
How To Conduct a Meaningful A/B Test
You must adopt the scientific method when A/B testing. That means only adjusting one variable at a time. Otherwise, you won't ever be entirely sure what it was about your changes that prompted more (or less) engagement.
For example, if you change the color of your "buy now" buttons on your pricing page, you can't change the design from horizontal to vertical. Even if the new page gets you great results, you won't know which of these design features caused the success.
You must also ensure that "A" remains the same in all your A/B testing. If you have five different ideas for email nurture marketing, you need to ensure that you choose one to be a "control." This means that while your "B" emails may change in structure, format, or wording, your control email stays the same for fair and accurate comparisons.
Follow these steps when A/B testing:
Gather data on current performance
Suggest a change and predict the outcome—this is your hypothesis
Create a variation (B) to compare with (A)
Decide how you will test and measure results and for how long
Conduct tests, gather data, decide which variation was the best, and implement it!
Effective A/B testing can continue indefinitely as long as you're consistently collating data about your digital interactions with customers.
Final Word
We love diving into the high-level granular data that drives effective digital startup marketing practices like A/B testing. If you want more support at this level, book a 15-minute introductory call, tell us about your company, and let us match you with a marketing expert who can help you achieve consistent growth.
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