How A/B testing can revolutionise your websites conversions

As digital marketers, we're constantly looking for ways to optimise our websites to drive better results. After all, no one wants to see the 96% of visitors to their site leave without taking action. Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) is at the heart of this, and one of the most effective techniques within CRO is A/B testing.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore how A/B testing (also known as split testing) can revolutionise your website’s conversions. We’ll cover why it’s essential, walk you through the process of running successful tests, and provide real-world examples of tests that can significantly impact your bottom line. Whether you’re looking to improve form submissions, product sales, or overall user engagement, A/B testing is the key to making informed, data-driven decisions.

What is A/B Testing?

A/B testing is a simple yet powerful method of testing different versions of a webpage or element on your website to see which one performs better. The idea is to create two variations of the same page—Version A (the control) and Version B (the variant)—and then split your traffic between the two. By comparing the results, you can determine which version leads to a higher conversion rate.

In practice, A/B testing is often used in conversion rate optimisation (CRO) to test changes in key elements such as:

• Call-to-action (CTA) buttons
• Landing page designs
• Product page layouts
• Headlines and content
• Images and videos

Ultimately, A/B testing helps you make informed decisions based on data, not gut feelings or assumptions.

Why A/B Testing is Essential for Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO)

Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) is all about improving the effectiveness of your website in turning visitors into customers. A/B testing plays a crucial role in CRO because it allows you to identify and test elements of your website that directly impact user behavior. Here’s why A/B testing is essential:

1. Data-Driven Decision Making: A/B testing eliminates the guesswork. Instead of relying on intuition, you can make decisions backed by real data. This leads to more effective website changes and better results.
2. Improved User Experience: By testing various elements like button placement, content, and layout, you can make decisions that enhance the user experience. A website that’s easy to use and meets user needs is more likely to convert visitors into customers.
3. Maximise ROI: A/B testing helps you identify what works and what doesn’t on your site. By making small, data-driven tweaks, you can drastically improve conversion rates without having to completely redesign your website. This maximises the return on investment for your existing traffic.
4. Continuous Optimisation: CRO is not a one-time project; it’s an ongoing process. A/B testing allows you to continuously improve your website and adapt to user preferences and trends. By regularly running A/B tests, you can ensure your site is always optimised for conversions.
5. Increased Sales: Ultimately, A/B testing helps increase sales. By testing elements like product page layouts and CTAs, you can identify what drives users to make a purchase or complete an action, leading to higher sales and better business outcomes.

If you’re in the UK and you haven’t started using A/B testing yet, now is the time to begin. Many UK businesses have seen substantial improvements in their conversion rates by embracing CRO split testing.

Step-by-Step Guide to Running Successful A/B Tests

Running A/B tests can seem like a daunting process, but with the right approach, it can be easy and highly rewarding. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started.

Step 1: Define Your Goals

Before running any test, you need to know what you’re testing and why. Your goal should be clearly defined to ensure you’re measuring the right metrics.

For example:

• If you want to increase sales with A/B testing, you might test your checkout process or product page to see which layout encourages more purchases.
• If your goal is to increase lead generation, you might test the placement of your form or the wording of your CTA to encourage more sign-ups.

Pro Tip: Make sure your goals are specific and measurable. Use Google Analytics to track conversions and other important metrics, such as bounce rate, exit rate, and average time on page.

Step 2: Identify the Elements to Test

Once you’ve defined your goals, identify the specific elements you want to test. Some of the most common elements tested in A/B testing include:

• CTA Buttons: Placement, colour, copy, size, and design.
• Headlines: Experiment with different wording or formats to see which resonates most with your audience.
• Images and Videos: Test different types of images, such as product images vs lifestyle images, or experiment with video content.
• Landing Page Layouts: Test different page structures to see which layout converts best.
• Forms: Test the length of your forms, the number of fields, and the wording of form fields to optimise for user engagement.

For example, if you’re an e-commerce store looking to boost sales, you could test whether placing a “Buy Now” button above the fold increases conversions. Alternatively, you might experiment with different headlines on your landing page to see which resonates best with your target audience.

Step 3: Set Up Your Test

To ensure the validity of your results, it’s essential to set up your test correctly. Use A/B testing tools like Optimizely, VWO, or Google Optimize to run your tests. These tools will randomly split your site traffic between Version A and Version B, collect data, and provide you with reports on which version performed better.

When setting up your test, keep these factors in mind:

• Sample Size: Ensure your sample size is large enough to produce statistically significant results.
• Test Duration: Run the test long enough to gather enough data. Ideally, you should run your test for at least one to two weeks to account for fluctuations in traffic and behaviour.
• Randomisation: Ensure that traffic is randomly split between the two variations to avoid bias.

Step 4: Analyse Results

Once your A/B test has run for a sufficient amount of time, it’s time to analyse the results. This involves comparing the conversion rates of both versions to see which one performed better.

Key metrics to track during the analysis include:

• Conversion Rate: The percentage of visitors who completed the desired action (e.g., making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter).
• Engagement Metrics: Metrics like time on page, bounce rate, and exit rate can help you understand how users interacted with your site.
• Revenue (for e-commerce sites): If your goal is to increase sales, track the revenue generated by each version.

Tools like Google Analytics and heatmap tools can also help you gain insights into user behavior during the test. Look for trends or patterns that indicate why one variation performed better than the other.

Step 5: Implement Learnings

Once you’ve analysed the results and identified the winning variation, implement the changes across your site. If Version B outperformed Version A, make the changes permanent and monitor the impact over time.

It’s essential to continue running tests on different aspects of your site to maintain optimisation. CRO is an ongoing process, and regularly testing new variations will help you continue to improve your website’s performance.

Examples of A/B Tests That Impact Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO)

Here are some common A/B tests that can have a significant impact on your website’s conversion rates:

1. Call-to-Action (CTA) Button Changes

CTAs are critical to guiding visitors toward conversion. Small changes in your CTA button design can lead to big results. Here are some things to test:

• Button Text: Does “Get Started” perform better than “Sign Up Now”?
• Button Colour: Test different colours to see which attracts the most clicks.
• CTA Placement: Try placing your CTA above the fold vs below the fold to see which works better.

Example: Crazy Egg, a popular heatmap and A/B testing tool, tested two versions of their homepage CTA button—one in green and one in orange. The green button led to a 21% increase in conversions (source: Crazy Egg case study).

2. Landing Page Layout Tweaks

Your landing page is the first thing visitors see, so getting it right is crucial. Test variations of your landing page layout to determine what works best:

• Hero Image vs. Text: Does a large image resonate better with users, or is it the copy that draws them in?
• Form Length: Try shorter vs. longer forms to see how it affects user engagement.
• Social Proof: Add testimonials, reviews, or case studies to build trust and increase conversions.

Example: Unbounce ran tests on a landing page for a financial product and discovered that including a video on the page increased conversion rates by 50% (source: Unbounce).

3. Product Page Changes

If you're running an e-commerce site, your product pages are crucial for driving sales. Small tweaks can have a huge impact:

• Product Description: Test different copy lengths or formats (bullet points vs paragraphs).
• Product Images: Does a lifestyle image perform better than a simple product shot?
• Price Display: Experiment with different ways of displaying prices, like using psychological pricing (e.g., £19.99 vs £20).

Example: Amazon famously uses A/B testing to continually improve its product pages, testing everything from product descriptions to the placement of add-to-cart buttons (source: Amazon case studies).

A/B testing is a powerful tool that can transform your website’s conversions. By testing various elements, such as CTA buttons, landing page layouts, and product page changes, you can optimise your site for better user engagement, increased sales, and improved user experience.

If you want to increase sales with A/B testing or learn how to A/B test website conversions effectively, it’s crucial to have a structured approach. Follow the steps outlined in this guide, and you’ll be well on your way to making data-driven decisions that yield real results.

Remember, the digital world is always evolving, and so should your website. A/B testing allows you to stay ahead of the competition by continuously refining your site based on user behaviour. Get in touch today and we can help you.