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What is A/B Testing?

A/B testing is a very useful tool to gather information on changes made to a website. It simplifies the decision making process to develop an engaging user experience via a business’s website or media. 

A/B testing in other words is a controlled experiment to identify the difference between two independent groups by publishing two variants of a website, referred to as A and B, shown at random to two different groups, then statistically analyzed to identify the highest performing variant, thus improving the users experience on the website, in turn increasing conversion rates. 

How does it work?

A/B testing presents users with two websites. The first version (A) will have no change, and the second (B) version will have the desired modifications. Sampled consumers are then randomly assigned to version A or version B. Their engagement is measured by tools such as Google Analytics to quantify user’s engagement with each version. This data yields significant information regarding the modification, if it had a positive, negative, or no effect on the baseline, and sets a precedent for conversion rate optimization.

What is Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)?

Conversion rate is the percentage of users who perform a specific action on your website. In some cases this includes subscriptions or purchases made on a site. 

Conversion rate optimization is the process of increasing the percentage of users who perform a specific action on a website. Conversion rates are a result of several factors consisting of  website design or lack thereof, that drive customers to the site. A/B testing uses information gathered by tools like Google Analytics to increase conversion rates and ensure customer satisfaction on a business’s website. These adjustments can be applied to the front page, landing page and elsewhere to optimize the user experience. 

How are A/B testing and CRO similar and how do they differ?

A/B testing and CRO are both similar in the sense that they provide insight into increasing conversion rates, however, A/B testing is used as a tactic to improve on CRO. 

An excellent example of A/B testing utilization is Netflix to improve their CRO. For example, Netflix tests out their front page with different movie cards using a variety of fonts, text placement and images to better capture their audience’s attention. Netflix found certain aspects of their cards that generated different reactions from the art, and helped users find an experience they were looking for based on the art shown for movies and series. Thus improving CRO by making slight changes and user experience.