A/B testing has long been a key tactic in fields like digital marketing and product development, where it helps inform decision-making and optimize campaigns. In fact, 77% of marketers use it.
Like with so many other areas of these sectors, artificial intelligence (AI) is opening up new possibilities for A/B testing, making it even more powerful. In this post, we’re exploring how AI is transforming A/B testing and how you can take advantage of these new capabilities.
A/B testing, also called split testing, is a process that involves creating two versions of a webpage, ad, or other asset to see which performs better.
For example, if you want to improve conversions on an ecommerce website, you might create two versions of your checkout page. You’d then split customers visiting the page into two groups and show a different version of the page to each group. By measuring the conversion rate of each group, you can determine which version of your checkout page converts the best.
Typically, this process involves manually creating two versions of a page and setting up tests, waiting for results, and then analyzing the data. Some limitations of this process involve long testing periods and a limited test scope, which can slow down decision-making.
As time went on, automation in A/B testing became more and more prevalent. And now, AI A/B testing is taking that to a whole new level.
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You can use AI in various parts of the A/B testing process, from test creation to analyzing results. Here are some of the key ways AI is transforming split testing.
Automated test design
Teams can now automate much of the test design process. AI test design tools can help you decide on the ideal sample size and test duration to ensure you get meaningful data. You can even use generative AI to create variations of your copy and visual elements.
Advanced analysis
With AI tools, real-time testing is a real possibility. Rather than waiting until the end of the test to assess results, teams can continuously monitor the data for insights with the help of AI. Tools can predict results, helping teams make adjustments more quickly. AI can also quickly analyze large datasets and spot patterns that might be difficult for people to notice.
Automated reporting
A/B testing automation tools can also provide automated reporting, including visualizations and dashboards. This makes it much easier to understand the data and present it to others. Ultimately, this means that you can take action on the insights from your tests more quickly.
Multivariate testing
Testing two variations is valuable, but you can get even more value from multivariate testing, which involves testing more than two versions of an asset. Managing these more complex tests manually can be tricky, though. AI, however, can easily manage the additional data that comes with multivariate testing.
Benefits of AI A/B testing
Over 80% of business leaders believe that AI will be important for giving their companies a competitive edge. One of the areas in which AI can provide business benefits is A/B testing. Here’s a look at the key advantages AI A/B testing can provide:
Increased efficiency: AI automates or speeds up many of the tasks involved in A/B testing, from test setup to variation creation to data analysis, significantly reducing the time it takes to run tests. According to a report from McKinsey, AI increases the efficiency of A/B testing by as much as 50%.
Improved accuracy: AI tools can quickly analyze large datasets and reduce human error, leading to more accurate results and helping teams make better decisions.
More frequent testing: Because A/B testing is so much more efficient and automated with AI, businesses are able to run tests more frequently, even continuously, multiplying the impacts of their testing.
Real-time personalization: AI tools can identify visitors and personalize the variations they see based on factors like location, demographics, and purchase history. This helps provide visitors with more relevant content and improves test accuracy.
Time savings: By automating the more repetitive and time-consuming tasks involved with A/B testing, AI-powered split testing tools free up time to focus on more high-level tasks like implementing test learnings, coming up with new ideas, and interacting with customers.
How to implement AI A/B testing
How can you implement AI A/B testing at our organization? Here’s how to get started.
Set goals
Before you start running tests, it’s helpful to know what elements of your business you want to improve. This will tell you what assets you need to test, what to change in your variations, and which tools will best suit your needs.
Choose a platform
Next, you’ll need to choose an AI split testing tool. Create a list of tools that allow you to test the elements you need to test. Then, start free trials and sign up for demos. Evaluate each tool based on the features it offers, including AI features, as well as its ease of use, scalability and available integrations.
Integrate your platform
Once you choose a tool, a key part of setting it up is integrating it with your existing platforms. The software you need to integrate it with depends on the types of tests you want to run. You might, for example, want to connect it with:
Website analytics tools like Google Analytics
Ecommerce or website building platforms like Shopify or Magento
Advertising platforms like Google Ads or Facebook ads
Customer relationship management (CRM) platforms like Nutshell
Train your team
Now you’re ready to start using your A/B testing tool. Train your team on how to use the tool, including the technical aspects of how to set up tests, how to assess results, and how to make changes based on test insights. The tool you purchased may offer training, or you can learn how to use the tool yourself and then host a training session for the rest of your team.
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Just like with traditional A/B testing, it’s important to follow some best practices to ensure you get the most value out of your efforts. Here are some of the best practices to keep in mind when using AI for A/B testing.
Remember the fundamentals
This first best practice may seem obvious, but it’s essential. When using advanced tools for automated A/B testing, it’s easy to forget about the fundamentals of A/B testing. However, it’s important to keep them in mind and not just rely on your AI tools to do everything correctly. This includes A/B testing best practices like:
Having a clear hypothesis
Testing only one variable at a time
Including a control version in your test
Not making mid-test changes
Checking for statistical significance
Ensure data quality
To get good results from data analysis, you need good data. Even the most advanced tools can’t give you meaningful results from low-quality data. That’s why it’s crucial to ensure your data is in good shape across all of the systems involved in your testing, including your CRM and website analytics tools.
Validate results with human expertise
While AI is extremely useful, it’s important to still include a human touch in your A/B testing process. AI can make mistakes and hallucinate. Plus, while AI is great at analyzing data and discovering insights about your customers, it can’t always tell you why your customers are thinking or behaving in a certain way.
That’s why it’s important to have someone double-check AI’s results and decide what actions to take based on the insights your tool provides.
Scale up gradually
When getting started with automated A/B testing and AI, you don’t need to start with running multiple continuous tests or complex variations. Instead, start with the things that are easiest to test while still being impactful. Then, as you start getting good results from these tests, start scaling up your A/B testing project.
Get more from your A/B testing with AI
A/B testing offers an excellent opportunity to reap the benefits of integrating AI into your business operations. AI can enhance the efficiency of your tests and the accuracy of your results. By establishing a robust AI A/B testing program, you’ll get valuable data you can use to improve your campaigns and make smarter decisions. Looking for an AI-infused CRM to integrate with your A/B testing tools? Nutshell can help you learn more about your customers, automate your sales and marketing outreach, and much more. Give it a try with a free 14-day trial.
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