A Detailed Look At E-Commerce Type A and Type B Testing

An E-Commerce store has a simple structure where you sell products or services online and even when seasoned and built towards a consumer-based design the store still sometimes won’t give you the results you were hoping for. When you go to such a site you will see posts that simply ask you to go ahead and test different CTA’s or different headlines. However, it is important to note that the best performing websites would be the ones where the A/B test is planned and executed well.

Now you must ask what is Type A and Type B testing and why many marketers rave about it?

Type A and Type B testing also known as split testing is the scientific way of arriving at the truth, or at least the best option in a given set of conditions.

Website A/B testing broadly means testing two versions of a webpage to see which fares better with your visitors and earns you more sales or conversions.

It is just like running a laboratory experiment with a scientific method behind it. You might be running a reasonably successful company and making decent revenue out of it.

However, you are still skeptical about your conversion funnel, mediocre return on Ad spend and conversions.

But skeptics are of no help; giving a shot to A/B testing could be!

The chances are high that although you know where you are messing up, you can’t decide where to start the ecommerce testing from.

Remember, A/B testing is no magic!

It is like going to the gym regularly to get the results. You ought to be consistent enough to get the desired results while performing A/B tests for conversion optimization of your website.

For your A/B Testing to work in a systematic order, you must follow the following steps chronologically:

The Bright side to Type A and Type B Testing

Let’s have a look at the multiple advantages of A/B testing in detail.

1. Improved Content Engagement

All you need for A/B testing are some practical ideas for testing.

Generating ideas is the harder part, but while you are in the process of idea generating for A/B testing you are forced to evaluate every aspect of the content you wish to create and test. This means that as you consider and create variables for your Type A and Type B tests, you also create lists of potential improvements. Consequently, the simple act of running A/B tests invariably makes your final versions better for your customers.

2. Reduced Bounce Rates

When you put a lot of time and effort into creating pages for your website, it can be disheartening when visitors just “bounce” from your site without spending any time reviewing your content or viewing other pages. If this is happening to you, it’s time to look into optimization via Type A and Type B testing. Whether it’s tweaking fonts, headlines or anything else on your pages, the direct comparison performed with your AB Testing Data will help you find a winning combination of elements that keeps visitors on your site long enough to provide them with value from your content which may ultimately lead to a sale.

3. Increased Conversion Rates

A/B testing is the easiest, most effective way of creating content that converts more visitors into buyers. When you take the time to carefully craft two versions of your campaign, it’s relatively easy to see what works and what doesn’t. A/B testing two versions does take a little longer but — when done properly — will definitely help you convert more leads.

4. Higher Values

Not only does A/B testing help convert more site visitors into buyers, it also helps you achieve higher values for your products or services. Once you find a form/page design that seems to be converting, that doesn’t mean you should just leave it as is forever. After you find a design that is converting well for lower-end products or services, A/B test again with a more refined version to increase conversions for your higher-priced items and services. With just a little tweaking and some diligent Type A and Type B comparison testing, you might just find that customers are willing to pay for more expensive options that offer more perceived value.

5. Multi-functional

It’s hard to know what your site visitors will and will not like when they visit your website and that’s why A/B testing is so important. Whether it is Instagram AB Testing, Facebook AB Testing or any other Type A and Type B social platform testing, it comes in super handy for your digital business. When it comes to choosing things to A/B test on your site, though, many believe that the method applies only to forms, images, and actual text. However, you can A/B test just about any marketing and advertising campaign on and offline. Sometimes, it’s the smallest tweak that makes the most difference in finding a combination that engages readers and converts visitors.

6. Ease of Analysis

One of the best things about A/B testing is that it is so simple to analyze real, factual results. When analyzing data from an A/B test, it’s relatively easy to determine a “winner” and a “loser” based on simple, straightforward metrics (i.e. time spent on page, conversions, etc.)

Here’s an example of this: You create 2 business cards with a different marketing strategy and provide 2 separate phone numbers. The number that gets the most calls is the winning card.

7. Useful in Low Data Rate Testing

While more data is usually better for analyzing results, it’s not necessarily the case with A/B testing. Although you shouldn’t get misled by early results and throw in the towel too soon, you don’t need millions (or even thousands) of page views to see which versions are providing the best results. In fact, even if your site is new or produces only a few conversions a day (or per week/month,) you can still determine fairly quickly which version (A or B) your visitors and customers find most engaging. Even if you have a relatively small number of page visits, a quick look at the time on page, bounce rate (and conversions) can still help you determine a winner.

Test duration should be set based on a set of parameters. Use this AB Split Testing Tool, to help determine the duration your test should last.

8. Reduced Risks

In some cases, making major revisions to your site can result in considerable costs or significant strategy changes. A/B Split Testing tools can help you examine visitor and customer behavior on your site before committing to major decisions and help you increase your chances of success. In short, A/B testing helps you avoid unnecessary risks by allowing you to target your resources for maximum effect and efficiency, which helps increase ROI whether it be based on short-term conversions, long-term customer loyalty or other important metrics.

External factors can affect the results of your test. Be sure to factor in holidays, force majeure and any other occurrences which can impact customer behavior when planning your campaigns and tests.

9. Reduced Cart Abandonment

One of the biggest problems many online and e-commerce companies face is cart abandonment (or the act of placing something in an online shopping cart and then not following through with checkout.) Many estimates state that cart abandonment rates range anywhere from 40% to 75%. There are many reasons for cart abandonment, but tweaking when and where shipping costs are displayed, check-out page text and even colors may help you find a suitable combination that helps reduce cart abandonment and encourage more visitors to complete the checkout process. Your AB testing data is the best way to eliminate the guesswork to find that perfect combination.

10. Increased Sales

We’re finally at the most important benefit that an A/B split testing tool can provide for your business — increased sales! Fewer bounce rates, better customer engagement, more customer conversion, and other aforementioned benefits all lead to increased sales volume for your business.

In conclusion, your ability to easily have and manage multiple phone numbers can help your business generate more meaningful content for your customers through the use of tried and true A/B testing. Your business is unique and has special characteristics that make it irresistible to your target audience. Using A/B testing to experiment with marketing those characteristics to find the ideal combination for your customers not only provides them with better experiences, but it also breeds trust and confidence in your brand and company. When visitors begin to trust your company because of the value you provide, increased sales and loyal customers are a natural result.

Case Study

For a better understanding, hop on to the case study of Twice(acquired by eBay), one of our clients that we helped reduce cart abandonment for by progressively conducting their A/B Testing.