How To Do Mobile A/B (Split) Testing with Mobify
Over the past decade, digital marketing has evolved and become increasingly metrics-driven. As a result, techniques from traditional direct-response marketing have been reinvented and gained traction in the arsenal of digital marketers and e-commerce professionals.
A/B testing (or Split Testing, as it's sometimes called) is the most popular of these direct-response tactics to be reinvented for a digital age.
A/B testing or split testing compares the effectiveness of two versions of a web page, marketing email, or the like—in order to discover which has better response rate, better sales conversion rate, or the like. A classic direct mail tactic, this method has been recently adopted within the interactive space to test tactics such as banner ads, emails, landing pages or even entire websites. For instance, on an e-commerce website the purchase funnel is typically a good candidate for A/B testing, as even marginal improvements in drop-off rates can represent a lot of additional sales.
Now we can add mobile marketing as another compelling use of A/B testing.
A/B Testing With Mobify
A/B testing on your Mobify-powered mobile and tablet website is simple and easy to implement. Here's a quick guide on how to do it.
1. Choose an A/B testing service
Optimizely is a good choice and we have used it on Mobify.com.
Other options include Google Content Experiments, Visual Website Optimizer and our Vancouver friends at Unbounce.
Any enterprise-grade analytics application like Omniture SiteCatalyst or Webtrends will also have A/B testing baked in, so do a little Googling and you'll find the right choice for your situation.
2. Set up your A/B testing tag
For most of the A/B testing software options above, installation requires you to insert a JavaScript tag onto your web page or use an existing JavaScript tag. This tag triggers the A/B test, routes the traffic and provides the data for your reports.
For your Mobify-powered website, insert the tag below the Mobify tag in
the <head> of the HTML document.
If you're using any sort of tag management solution, you'll have to ensure your A/B testing tag is being included on every page you want it included on.
3. Create your A/B test for mobile
Now that your A/B testing tag is inserted you can set up your A/B test.
(If you're wondering what kinds of things you should consider A/B testing, we've included a list of ideas to start from below.)
Set up your A/B test variations and make sure you specify that it's meant to target mobile browsers.
In some A/B testing software, the setting to target mobile visitors setting may take a little searching to find – but don't give up, it's always possible.
For example, in Optimizely, to make sure your A/B test runs for your mobile visitors, specify the setting like this: Options -> Targeting -> + Add more conditions -> Position Conditions -> Use these browsers -> Any mobile browser.
4. Launch your mobile A/B test
Now you're ready to go. Launch your mobile A/B test and see how it performs.
Your A/B testing software ought to have a calculator built in to measure the statistical significance of your test as it runs. If it doesn't, here's an A/B split test significance calculator.
What kinds of thing should be A/B tested?
If you're stuck on what kinds of things on your mobile website that you need to A/B test, here's a list of ideas to start with. They will introduce you to the concepts of A/B tests in action and they may well provide you with some very good optimization value.
- Simplifying the main menu with fewer items.
- Moving your action button (in mobile commerce, the Buy or Add to Cart button) up or down on your product detail pages (with the goal of getting the buy button above the fold)
- Removing any element on your pages that's not essential
- Adding more product images to your product detail pages
- Hiding any optional fields where you require input from customers, such as on the checkout page
- Adding simplified payment options to steamline checkout like Paypal express
- Changing the words / shape / color or anything on your action button(s) – for example, from Buy Now to Learn More or Try for Free
- Adding small snippets of microcopy to tactical locations in your customer flow (See microcopy examples.)
Have other ideas for A/B testing or specific mobile A/B testing experiences to share?
Please add share them in the comments below.
Happy A/B testing!
