A/B testing is, put simply, a test that can be set up with Google analytics that splits your site visitors directly in half—one group being sent to your website in its current form, and the other to your site where one or more variables have been changed. One out of every two visitors to your site will see this new, optimized page and the click through rates, conversion rates, and many other metrics can then be studied to determine if these changes to your site are helping, or hindering, your conversion rates.
This sort of split testing reveals a great deal about the way your site works now and the potential benefits, if any, can come from the optimization tactics you are trying to implement.
This is exactly why A/B testing is so important.
No matter how great you, or your Internet marketing company, may think your new landing page design, call to action button, or content is—none of that really matters.
What DOES matter is what your audience and your consumer base thinks, and they only way to figure that out is by asking them, all without them knowing. Would you ever bet on one racehorse over another without seeing how fast or how well they run first? No.
By seeing which of two options most consumers respond to, you can use that as a clue as to which optimized element or optimized page is doing the most for your conversion and for your company. A/B testing allows you to do just that.
With successful A/B testing you can determine how well your site works in its various forms, how much time people are spending on each version, if they are responding to your calls to action, and converting into costumers.
Instead of taking a gamble, A/B testing allows you to gather quantifiable data that will help you make informed decisions in order to increase your conversion. With SEO, A/B testing is especially helpful because an improved site will lead to increased conversion, but with PPC advertising, A/B testing is nearly a necessity. Since you are paying for each click with PPC, you want the most for your money in the shortest time possible and optimized landing pages are way to do that. Increasing your clicks does not ensure that your conversion will increase too, so A/B landing page testing is what will ultimately make the difference, increasing your conversion and bringing you the most return on investment.
