10 Tips for Best Landing Page A/B Testing Results

As a designer I understand that what visually appeals to one generation or population may attract absolutely no attention from another. A/B testing of inbound marketing landing pages is absolutely essential in order to gain the optimum click-through rate.

Using split testing or bucket testing to tactically create landing pages or calls-to-actions with the highest conversion rates is a crucial facet of lead generation best practices. Knowing how to create the best landing page A/B testing results can help greatly multiply the leads your company generates. Here are some tips on how you can most effectively use split testing.

1) Use technology to your advantage.

The Internet has made it extremely easy to perform bucket testing by allowing control and variable groups to interact with banner ads, emails, and landing pages. Click rates and mass e-mailings can make your test quick and cost-effective. An example of testing through e-mail would be to make the same offer to two groups using two codes and keeping track of how often and within what time span each code is used. Theoretically, the code used more often would be the more appealing to customers subconsciously. With landing pages and calls-to-action, advanced lead generation software, as found in the HubSpot Enterprise version, makes it easy to create tests and track results.

2) Know your customer base.

Each company has a targeted base of customers based on the company or service it provides. If you run a retirement home, neon colors and small fonts may not be ideal. Conversely, small children will not be attracted to a neutral palette or wordy content. Knowing a starting place for your design will make your A/B testing all the more effective.

3) Do not create lackluster pages or ads.

The better of two evils is still evil. Both the tested advertisements or layouts should be appealing to customers.

4) Beware of Multivariate Testing.

A/B testing is most effective when there are fewer variables. If you offer up two completely different ads or landing pages, you will have to go back and retest based on more of the minutia of the ad before coming up with a final draft. Notice in the above graphic, the only variable I created was the banner message and imagery, the rest of the page remained the same. If you have a starting point, you will save time and money by running fewer, more efficient tests.

5) Utilize A/B testing beyond advertising.

A/B testing is not only to determine initial appeal of a company to customers. Companies like SmileyCookie have used A/B testing on different applications and services (such as 'Next day shipping') to determine whether they could increase sales with minor tweaks. In the case study, SmileyCookie's new shipping policy upped their sales by 41%.

6) Play around with the placement of features.

I have found by moving graphics or layouts or changing text and buttons on landing pages is often the difference between getting a customer's business and getting disregarded. Slideshop.com increased their business 15% by optimizing their website, while Taylor Gifts increased their profits 10% by simply moving the add-to-cart button.

7) Research SEO options for your A/B testing.

Bucket testing is only as effective as the sample group that uses it. Utilizing Search Engine Optimization means that you can reach the largest target group possible and get better, more rounded results.

8) Read negative as well as positive results.

Sometimes, we fix things that aren't broken. When A/B testing provides a negative result, you can use that information to revert your website or advertising campaign.

9) Keep accurate track of your database and response rate.

Make sure that you utilize technology, such as HubSpot to track all of your split tests and conversion rates. Resist the temptation to draw conclusions too early. Allow your tests to run until you have hundreds (ideally thousands) of results in order to achieve statistical significance.

10) Know how to read your results.

A/B testing can be complex. Understanding the results of A/B tests and what they mean for your company can infinitely improve your sales and customer service rates. Try to anticipate what your customers may think when they view your landing page, and test simple variations that may be important to them. An example would be placing the price of a product or service on a landing page (or not). 

A/B testing is a simple, effective way to better understand your customers' preferences and needs.