Split Test: Improve Your Marketing Campaigns

Split testing refers to running a test on two different variations of a page to optimize conversion rates. This article comprises everything you need to know about a split test.

It explains the basics of split testing, how it works, and why you should consider using it for your marketing campaigns.

What Is a Split Test?

A split test, also known as A/B testing or multivariate testing, is a controlled and randomized experiment on a web page to boost conversions. This test enables marketers to evaluate the performance of two different versions of a website against each other.

The two versions include a control (the original) and a variation (the experiment). Incoming traffics to your website is spread out between the two variations without letting the visitor know about the experiment.

Split testing compares several versions of your web pages, such as your landing pages or homepages. It then helps you identify which one has a better conversion rate for your visitors.

A detailed performance report is then generated based on the visitors’ engagement. It shows a statistically significant improvement or difference in user behavior.

Difference Between Split Test and A/B Test

Split testing and A/B testing are terms that are frequently used interchangeably. The difference between the two is subtle and relies only on one strong focus.

An A/B test involves only two website versions that are in direct competition with one another. However, a split test describes how the traffic is equally distributed between two existing website or web page versions.

Why Should You Conduct a Split Test?

Most marketers do split tests for a variety of reasons. One of these could be they think a part of their marketing strategy is not performing effectively. The test could also be conducted if they believe a web page can provide better results in terms of leads and sales.

The potential benefits of split testing include the following:

• Better insights on customer engagement and responses
• Increase visitor engagement through web traffic
• Creating engaging and cost-effective content.
• Removing uncertainty or ambiguity in the performance of a new promotion or marketing campaign by eliminating assumptions
• Lowering the risk by getting an idea of how the test changes will perform before the permanent implementation of the changes.
• Obtaining meaningful information that can spur advancements within the business

To conclude, split testing is a cost-effective method to enhance your marketing and website performance.

Best Practices for Split Testing

Split testing is the process of looking at a website or advertising campaign and testing different combinations of text and images. This is to see which combination generates the best returns. Whether testing forms or web pages, some of the best split testing practices are as follows.

1. Elimination

Before running a split test, you must eliminate the best-performing pages or ads. This allows you to focus your attention exclusively on the pages or ads that aren’t working. Also, keep fewer elements on the page and eliminate those that divert attention from the conversion objective.

2. Pay Attention to the Call to Action

The last call to action that your customer will see is the final step toward conversion. The call to action should be a button that triggers the desired action. So, make sure your CTA text resonates based on the target audience.

3. Aim for the Overall Goal

Instead of testing specific pages’ objectives, keep the website’s overall goal in mind. Do not target just one landing page. Go for the entire website’s result, which could be a higher conversion rate, increase in revenue, overall audience, foot traffic, and social engagement.

Give balanced and reliable experiences

To enhance conversions at every stage of the process, provide equal and consistent experiences. Keep testing changes constant across the visitor flow. Your goal is to provide a continuous experience that is seamless to the user. It should easily enable visitors to decide how to interact with your product.

Essential Steps for Split Testing

You can use split tests during the development of your marketing campaign to evaluate what is and isn’t working. This will help you make necessary changes before embarking on a large-scale campaign that potentially harms your business. Necessary steps must be considered for split testing to be successful.

Observe your website data

A successful split testing starts with your website data. You must check whether you are making the most of the information you have about your website traffic. Use website analytics software to identify weak spots in your conversion funnel, bounces, and landing pages. This will assist you in choosing the best strategy and setting priorities for testing ideas.

Generate a strong hypothesis

You must not base a split test on your instinct or feelings. Make the assumption of the split test on a solid base. So that you will know why the results are what they are at the end of the test. Try to generate a strong hypothesis describing the site’s primary goal.

Test your hypothesis

After formulating the hypothesis, it’s time to build a version of the website to compare it to the original page in a split test. You can utilize insights from website data as a benchmark for measuring your results to decide which version is more effective for the audience.

To Wrap Up

It’s not enough to say, “I want to attract more visitors, sales, or customers.” Instead, you should aim for your goals and construct testable hypotheses about what you expect to happen following your marketing campaign.

Once you decide on these points, you should collect data, run split tests, and make data-driven decisions for better conversions.