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The Complete A/B Testing Complete Guide

A/B testing is the kind of practice that SaaS and software companies must become experts. Why? Because SaaS developers that decide to run experiments on different versions of their website or landing pages have a lot to gain, from valuable insights to new customers. However, A/B testing endeavors are more than what meets the eye. Let’s dig in and see what exactly these efforts imply and why your growth-oriented organization would benefit from them.

Breaking 3 A/B Testing Myths

Testing skyrockets sales.

False! Any experienced digital strategist will tell you that while A/B testing is an excellent tool for any SaaS company, it might not substantially increase your sales. Testing doesn’t set out to increase conversion. Its purpose is to identify potential errors or improvements that, once eliminated or applied, can lead to a boost in website visitors or potential customers. All strategies you use have an ultimate purpose, conversion rate optimization, but when fragmented, each step might have a different objective. This is what happens to A/B testing. Its statistical significance is considerable. Its power to increase sales immediately may not be accurate.

A/B testing is straightforward.

False! It’s quite the opposite. When you perform A/B testing on a SaaS product landing page, you need to be highly attentive when finding interpretations. Data matters greatly when trying to make sense of the result of your test. Speaking of your conversion rate and way to optimize it, how do you think that happens if you get the result interpretation wrong? Running tests and then analyzing finding is a matter of experience, and you must give yourself time. Don’t force positive results because there isn’t such a thing. Data is data, and you need to make sense of it correctly.

A/B testing brings quick results.

False! All tech developers want quick fixes, but it’s not happening this time. You must go through the entire A/B testing process, which is also part of a more comprehensive marketing strategy. Everything takes time and patience, from clarifying what needs testing to understanding the data and implementing the findings. You can’t go expecting to see actual results immediately after making the changes.

What is A/B Testing All About?

The A/B tests hold several benefits for SaaS companies, both in terms of boosting the conversion rate, the number of site visitors, and, most importantly, collecting qualitative data to later on, use to fine-tune your sales strategies. To achieve these goals, it is a must to understand this tool. So, what is AB testing?

Sometimes referred to as split testing, AB testing is comparing two versions of the same landing page, website or sales pages, email messages, pricing plans, or any other online asset to establish which one performs better.

When performing these tests, you can:

Gather data to run focused strategies
Identify errors
Understand different audience segments
Increase average order value from existing traffic

The 5 Steps To Effectively A/B Testing

The goal is to gain more traffic, but this is a challenging and experience goal. So, instead of investing most of your business resources into achieving this goal, you might be better off focusing on conversion optimization from the traffic you already have. To do that, you must first understand where friction pops up in the customer journey and how to reduce it. A/B testing is the tool that helps you obtain this type of data. So, let’s dive into how you can put this tool to work in a structured and effective manner without jeopardizing the result.

Step One: Do Your Research

Start by understanding how your website is doing before conducting the A/B test. Look at the aspects that interest you, anything from CTAs to B2B website design options depending on what you want to test. Each digital asset has focused elements, so collect data on those. Given that these elements will be tested, you want to see data showing if the results can be improved.

Step Two: Set your Direction

Conduct targeted testing instead of aimlessly gathering information. Create data-backed hypotheses to help you analyze the data collected from your research. Make observations on your data and determine how you plan on testing the elements you believe would significantly impact your macro goals.

Step Three: Create Suitable Variations

You need to have multiple versions of the elements in your testing program. Create a different variation from the one you already have for each component based on the previously set hypothesis.

Step Four: Start Testing

Once you have multiple pages ready to test, go for it! Begin your testing and let the data come in for a set period. The test duration is significant to the validity of the process. Consider your initial research and calculator the time keeping in mind the average period you achieve the current conversion rate, the number of site visitors, and so on.

Step Five: Analyze and Implement Findings

Once the entire testing period is completed, you can gather and interpret the findings. It is essential to wait until the test concludes to adequately compare the results with the data you already have. In your analyses, consider metrics such as the direct impact on conversion rates, traffic increase, average order value, etc. Additionally, if the test turns out to be inconclusive, repeat the test, considering however some of the data and insights collected.