With an A/B test one variety of my product or service is presented to group A and a second to group B. Then I check for different results between the two.

How this helps you

Do not base your product on what people say, but on how they behave. A/B tests show you what people do in reality. Measure the results and keep the best option going forward.

What is it?

A/B testing (also known as split testing or bucket testing) is a method of comparing two versions of a solution against each other to determine which one performs better. It is essentially an experiment where variants are shown to users at random. Statistical analysis of actual data is then used to determine which variation performs better for a given goal. The method originally focuses on 2 variants (A and B), but it is often used to test more than two variants. It is most applied in online settings, such as web design, user experience design and online marketing campaigns.

How does it relate?

Running an A/B test to directly compare a variations against a current version of your solution, lets you ask focused questions about the effectiveness of the changes. The idea is that you seek factbased validation on any potential solutions before selecting the right one to proceed with. A/B tests are commonly used in digital environment. It’s a powerful tool in factbased marketing.

Your next Waypoint

If you’re thinking of different directions for a new change, product or service, try selecting 1 or 2 variations to test within a smaller audience first. Make your decision on what to develop next based on the feedback you collect. If you want to use A/B testing for e-mail marketing, try Mailchimp: mailchimp.com/ab-testing. It is a great tool and easy to use. More useful background information on A/B testing can be found here: wikipedia.org/A/B_testing

All Waypoints