Split Testing for your website

When creating a website for your business, you definitely have developed a business plan. Thus, you are aiming some actions to be performed and you pay accordingly the web programmer and developer to help you achieve these goals. Each business has different functions, and this is also valid in the case of websites.

A website is more than the business’ image, it should also allow the website owner to perform actions. Thus, the more effective the website is, the client will be happier. When it comes to the effectiveness of web pages, then you should think of split testing for your website, which is also referred to as the A/B testing.

What is Split Testing?

Split testing is a type of marketing testing tool through which an element is being split into 2 different versions and then exposed to a set of variables. Then, the response rates are being analyzed and conclusions drawn. When you are thinking of split testing for your website you should imagine various ways to determine which parts and configurations of a business have the greatest impact. Business owners usually conduct such tests to determine which sections require improvement and what types of upgrades can be implemented.

Split testing has become highly used in the last decade in interactive space especially in the case of advertisements, landing pages and emails. For instance, if your business focuses on presenting the city of Greater Chicago Area, then you can test various versions of the landing page and see which the most effective one is. This implies reaching a significant audience so that the results are meaningful and an accurate decision can be made.

Besides split testing for your website, there is also another method known as multivariate testing, which uses statistical modeling. Each of these methods has its own advantages, and in order to effectively create a website, performing split testing for your website and multivariate testing is useful and important.

Who should perform Split Testing?

Ideally, the web designer should perform split testing even if the client is satisfied with the website’s performance. “Good� performance is a debatable issue and it is best to perform split testing for your website, because when it comes to a websites, there are always things to improve to make it more attractive and appealing to the target audience.

Split testing is also in the advantage of the web designer since it helps him to get the right feeling regarding elements which are compatible being combined, depending on the specific elements of each business.

How does Split Testing work?

If you want to perform split testing for your website on your own, you should get informed regarding tools such as the Google Website Optimizer which is a good example of split testing platform. This is a free platform, user friendly and efficient. For a quick split testing, you should follow the steps below:

Determine the page you want to test – you should either choose the home page or another page of your website which receives a lot of traffic;

Identify and define the element which will be tested. Each element will be tested separately, each one at a time. Common elements are: headlines, images, opening paragraphs, etc;

Next, you should allow tracking by adding tags to the page in subject, the pages which will be converted and the variation page;

Add the URL of the website you are about to test;

Take a short preview before the test is going to be started;

Finished!

After these steps, the Google Website Optimizer will start split testing for your website by rotating each of the two versions for each visitor. You will then have access to the reports and statistical results, being able to decide which is the most suitable solution to be implemented.

Why use Split Testing?

This method is what differentiates elite website designers from regular ones, since it allows the opportunity and knowledge to create and develop the optimum combination of elements that eventually lead to maximum results and satisfaction for the client.

If are not yet convinced regarding the importance and usability of split testing for your website, then you should take a look at the following set of reasons and facts:

Split testing provides a better understanding on the visitors’ behavior related to your website and which are their priorities;

A/B testing is also used as a diagnostic tool to determine whether there are problems related to your landing page and other such issues. Based on the results of split testing, decisions are made.

If you are a perfectionist, then you will find split testing very useful since you can test any small part or aspect of your business, even minor elements which may allow you to gain a competitive advantage. You will be able to attract more visitors, enjoy more traffic and eventually improve the rate of visitors turned into long-term customers. If you are living in Greater Chicago Area, then by means of split testing you will be able to create a website which matches Greater Chicago Area residents as well as other people from all over the world.

However, if you want to rely your decisions only upon the results of split testing, you should perform these tests repeatedly.

In conclusion, split testing for your website is a useful, effective and reliable method for creating a website with a competitive advantage. As a web designer, it is recommended to use split testing often, while as a customer wanting a website developed you should ask for split testing for your website to be performed.