What is A/B Testing & How its Knowledge Can Benefit Your Career as a Digital Marketer?

Digital marketing has been increasingly gaining popularity across multiple industries – including healthcare, e-commerce, education, entertainment, retail, etc. By tapping into the power of the digital medium to spread ‘brand awareness’ and create an impact through paid campaigns – companies have been able to enter the same arena as the big shots within their respective industries. 

The concept of A/B testing has been making a mark in the digital marketing industry, which typically involves the creation of two variations of digital content/assets to determine which one performs better. Metrics measuring better performance would include the generation of leads, purchases, engagement and more. Some examples of such types of content pieces include social media posts, marketing emails, landing pages and display ads among others. 

This blog shall emphasize the importance of developing a skill in the field of A/B testing and the scopes it opens up for your career growth. Let us start by understanding, “What is A/B testing?”

Understanding A/B Testing in the Context of Digital Marketing 

A/B testing in digital marketing involves exposing the target audience to versions of specific digital assets, to record their responses. One-half of said audience will be presented with "Version 1" while the other half will be shown "Version 2". Subsequently,  the performance of each individual version will be analyzed based on particular conversion rate goals. This shall include noting down the percentage of the audience who do click on the pushed-out link, fill out a form, or buy the service/product.

Also known as Split tests, A/B testing is especially useful for businesses that otherwise find it difficult to tell which piece of content is making more of an impact, against which one. This conversion optimization strategy lets new businesses have a better understanding of the wants of their audience. Accordingly, they can improve their content, enhance user experience and take strides towards their conversion goals much faster.

Importance of A/B Testing in Digital Marketing 

It is, first and foremost, important to take note of the inevitably rising demand for professionals in the field of digital marketing before discussing the importance of A/B testing in particular. The right approach to digitally marketing a brand, specific products and services can lead to the company mission and soul blowing up, going viral and becoming sensational – the outcome of this scenario would be several sales pouring in!

In addition, professionals are equipped with the ability to produce the exact type of content that would not only strike a chord with new audiences but keep existing customers hooked for longer. 

In particular, A/B testing shall extend the necessary data required to mould the ad campaigns as per the wants and needs of the target audience. For instance, you can test up an A/B test to monitor the number of clicks for 2 different content titles. You may run the test for a week. In addition, you ensure that you run the same number of ads for each content option, on each day and at any given time. This will guarantee accurate results and dependable analysis outcomes. 

Based on the results, you can figure out which title is more likely to perform better (has more click-through). Accordingly, you can pick out the same type of optimized title, as opposed to a random pick. This shall help drive more traffic to the marketing campaigns in question. 

Businesses now realize the importance of minor tweaks in concepts, content pieces, and techniques – leading to notable boosts in the overall performance levels of sale-driven efforts. Thus, they are constantly looking to bring on board trustworthy field professionals who are equipped with the technical knowledge of A/B testing in digital marketing. The best way to hone such rewarding skills, opt for an online digital marketing course and set off on your path to success right away!

A/B Testing in Digital Marketing Implementation Across the Board

Here are some ways in which A/B testing knowledge comes in handy to a digital marketer specializing in these specific roles:

1. Email Marketer: As a tactic in email marketing, digital marketers shall employ the A/B test by curating two different variations of a marketing email. They can then send the emails out to different groups of prospects. Based on the responses, they can monitor the results and determine which email style has led to better, more fruitful outcomes.   
2. Text Ad Optimizer: Text ad optimizers can implement A/B testing to optimize the textual advertisements that show up at the top of the SERP results, which are parts of paid search campaigns. Marketers can test out the waters by trying out different headlines, ad extensions, different descriptions, and even URL options. This shall help conclude which version of the applied text ad styles results in the highest click-through rates among viewers.
3. Digital Marketers Working on eCommerce Websites: Digital marketers can implement A/B testing methods across eCommerce websites to boost conversions. By modifying sections like the home page design, product descriptions, recommendations, and checkout procedures - one can analyze and identify the versions that fetch maximized customer leads.
4. Landing Page Designers: Landing page designers play a crucial role in companies, with expertise in the application of A/B testing in digital marketing. They implement A/B testing software tools to try out varying elements across their landing pages. Marketers experiment with button placement and colour, ad copy, lead form design, call-to-action text, and other such on-page features. A/B testing across landing pages owes its importance to the optimization procedures for PPC (pay-per-click) advertising campaigns.
5. Display Ad Optimizers: A/B testing can be applied to display ad networks. Display ads have certain elements including the business logo, images, advertising copy, a call-to-action button and more. Marketers can experiment with such elements, their placement, the background colour or even the colour of a CTA button.

Final Word

Digital marketing has become a major field across industries based in and out of India. Businesses and companies are recognizing the importance of a viral online presence and hiring professionals with experience in achieving such a target. So, the job prospects within this sector are booming with the opportunity for growth. 

Now that you’ve also got an answer to ‘What is A/B testing’ and its use cases through various digital marketing efforts, you may be considering brushing up on its fundamentals to equip yourself with the right skills.

We recommend enrolling for an online MBA in digital marketing, a 2-year-long degree with an esteemed institution, the Amity Online University. Learn under the guidance and under the mentorship of industry-best educators, based internationally. Access a curriculum that is not only engaging but also aligned with the market trends!

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