What if you could change one element in your marketing and increase your conversion rate by 1 percent—or more? Gain more purchases and new customers? And do it in a budget-conscious way?

It’s possible, even on a small business budget, by employing a simple, but effective method any business can use: an A/B split test. You’ve probably heard the term, but maybe thought it was too complicated or you didn’t have anything to test.

Not true. An A/B split test can be one of the most basic ways to give your marketing a tune-up. It’s the perfect place to start when you feel your marketing isn’t working as hard as it once did or you want to validate a hunch.

An A/B split test involves comparing two versions of a marketing message—an A version (your control) and a B version (your test)—and comparing the effect each has on your conversion rate.

A split test can help show you how simple changes can increase things such as registrations, conversion rates, purchases or whatever end result you’re trying to impact. (Keep in mind that you only want to change one element; both versions need to be identical in every other way except for that one variation.)

How It Works

For example, say you want to increase the open rates of an email. Try using a different subject line. Randomly split your email list into two segments. Version A is the same email and subject line you’ve always used; version B is identical except with the new subject line. Then take a look at your open rates. Which one had the higher open rate?

• Maybe you want to increase the click-through rates in your email campaign. Questions you might ask include:
• How does that word “free” impact your click-through rate?
• Will offering a higher (or lower) discount impact it?
• Do you personalize the subject line or the email itself?
•  Are shorter subject lines more effective than longer ones?
• Will including a deadline increase the urgency?
• Which product feature resonates with your customers and prospects?

But remember, test one variable at a time. When version B outperforms version A, then that becomes your control and you can test other elements against it.

Elements to Test

• Depending on your goals, you can create A/B split tests for a variety of elements, such as:
• Calls-to-action—including wording, size, color, placement or even the kind of “click here” buttons you use
• Headline
• Product description
• Length of a form and its fields
• Layout and style of website page
• Product pricing
• Promotional offers
• Images on landing pages
• Length of content

Today it’s easy to run an A/B split test on just about any element of your marketing. Most email providers have this capability built in. But don’t limit your thinking or creativity; test both offline and online elements:

•  Sales letters
• Emails
• Facebook ads
• Google AdWords
• Landing pages and other website pages

Taking Guesswork out of the Equation

Testing enables data-backed decisions that shift the decision-making process from “we think” to “we know.” And knowing what your customers prefer can positively impact your branding.

Bottom line: Constantly testing can increase revenue, leads, registrations, downloads and more while providing your team with valuable insight about your customers.