30 A/B Tests To Improve Conversions

What is A/B testing? It is also referred to as split testing and it is a method used by marketers to compare two variables to see which one performs best. For example; One image of a product and another image of a person using a product. Which image performs best? 

 

The goal of running A/B tests is to determine which variable is more effective in achieving a desired outcome – engagement, clicks, conversions, or reducing bounce rates. Here is a list of 30 A/B tests that you can try in your business. 

1. Get clear on what you want to test: Only test one variable at a time to ensure accuracy and be very clear about what you are measuring. Does it increase click-through rate or conversion rate?
2. Prioritise your tests: Focus on the most impactful tests first such as headlines, call to action, images, and copy. Make sure you always have a control group so that you can see if your tests are working or not.
3. Run A/B tests for sufficient time: Give yourself enough time to get the numbers or the results you need to make a decision. This can vary based on budget and traffic. A good rule of thumb is to run A/B tests for two weeks.
4. Consider variables: Think about things like seasonality or men vs. women audiences or times of the month. Make sure that you are comparing like for like so that you have accurate results.
5. A/B test mobile response vs. desktop: Many people still engage with your products for the first time on a mobile device but make purchases on a desktop. Test to see the user experience and results between the two.
6. Iterate, improve and learn: Constantly test everything. If something is working well, keep running tests to see how you can improve it. Learn from every test and scale what works and reduce what doesn’t. A/B testing is an ongoing process.
7. Pricing strategies: Test different prices for your products. Think about discounts or bundle options. Possibly look at a low front-end product and multiple upsells or cross-sells on the backend.
8. A/B test creatives vs. copy: The first thing that gets people’s attention is the creatives. Split test creatives to see which ones resonate with your audience. Then look to test your copy to help increase conversions.
9. Document and analyse:  Keep records of the A/B tests you have implemented. Write up a little note as to why you think one test worked and another didn’t. This will help further down the line when you are looking to run more A/B tests or you need management to sign off on a particular direction.
10. Social proof: Test to see whether social proof increases conversion. Does having testimonials or reviews on your website increase trust and conversions or not? Do trust seals or security badges help or hinder your performance?
11. Page Layouts: Test to see how different page layouts impact your conversions. Does an image or a video work well as a header? Does long-form copy perform better than short-form copy? Do two columns work better than single columns?
12. Review the buyer journey: How many clicks (steps) does it take a prospect to make a purchase? Are you like Amazon with 1 click purchase or do your prospects need to take multiple actions to become a customer?
13. Popups: Test to see whether popups improve your lead generation. They could be exit popups, lead magnets, time on site or once a particular action has been completed. These are great for prospects who are not ready to buy.
14. Headlines: A/B test your headlines to make them attention-grabbing. Most people skim a website so your headlines need to grab attention. Test question headlines vs. statement or solution-based headlines.
15. Content Frequency: A/B test how often you need to post or communicate with your audience. What time of day works best, how many times a day, week or month should you post? When is your audience online?
16. Personalisation: When emailing your audience, include personalisation like first name vs. company name, job titles, company size, revenue, location, and days of the week.  Split testing subject lines and personalisation increases engagement.
17. Copy Length: With advertising, websites and email automation, compare to see whether a longer more detailed copy works better than a shorter more precise copy. A better understanding of your audience will help determine your copy length.
18. First name vs. Company name: When sending emails do you have an increased open rate when you send it from the company name or from a personal name? Research shows that sending an email from a woman vs. a man has a higher open rate.
19. Email Signature: Does including a signature with links to your social channels and website improve the engagement in your email automation?
20. Ad Placements: When running paid ads, test to see which ad placement works best for your product. Don’t automatically choose the ‘automatic’ or ‘recommended’ placements. A/B test to see which works best for your brand and budget.
21. Audiences: A/B Test your audience segmentation. Look at demographics, interests, lookalikes, custom audiences, and specific events. Get really specific to define your ideal customer segment.
22. Call to Action Text:  Test to see which CTA text performs best. Is it Learn More, Buy Now, Get Started, or is it more intention-orientated text like ‘Yes, I want to 10x my revenue’ or ‘ Show me the secrets to growing my business’?
23. Local vs. Global targeting: Do local campaigns perform better or worse than global campaigns? Factor in things like culture, language, time zones, power of currencies and deliverability of products. Get it right locally before you scale globally.
24. Pricing vs. No pricing: Test to see how your campaigns and landing pages perform when you include pricing on the page vs. not including it.
25. Introducing scarcity: Does scarcity increase conversions – only 5 spaces left, limited time only and the offer ends soon. Scarcity can help increase conversions if done correctly and it is authentic.
26. Video Creatives: Test to see whether video performs better than static images. Research shows that videos increase engagement. Short videos of 10 – 30 seconds are short enough to test.
27. Chatbots vs. Live Chat or No Chat: A/B test to see whether having a chat function on your landing page increases conversion. Test to see whether chatbots or live chat performs better or whether it is a drain on resources.
28. Payment Options: Experiment to see whether including something like PayPal or Apple Pay on your checkout page increases conversions. Including alternative payment options, especially with global campaigns can increase conversions.
29. Free Trials and Demos: Look to see how many people sign up for free trials and demos and become clients. This is a great lead nurturing technique for those prospects who want to try before they buy.
30. Post-Purchase Communication: Once someone has made a purchase, A/B tests to see whether post-purchase communication persuades them to make another purchase. Test upsells, downsells and/or customer retention.  

 

Remember that A/B testing is an ongoing process and the key to success is continuous learning, tweaking and optimising. Be patient and methodical with your A/B test and you will start to see results in your marketing campaigns. 

The A/B test suggestions above should help you optimise different aspects of your marketing campaigns. Remember to analyse your results thoroughly at the end of each test and record them for future campaigns. By identifying the most cost-effective tactics, you can significantly reduce advertising costs while maintaining or improving campaign results.

If you need any with your digital marketing campaigns or any aspect of growth marketing, please get in touch.