A/B Testing – can you afford not to? #13NTCab Hugh Dwyer, International Rescue Committee Jacob Colie, Stage Coach Digital Tom Williamson Jackson River
Dec 19, 2015
A/B Testing – can you afford not to?#13NTCab
Hugh Dwyer,International Rescue Committee
Jacob Colie,Stage Coach Digital
Tom WilliamsonJackson River
Today’s Agenda
• Introductions
• What is A/B Testing?
• Testing Goals – what should we test?
• Testing versus Experimenting
• Crafting an A/B Test Plan
• Selling your plan
• Build, Measure, Learn
• Testing Tools
• Resources & Downloads
• QA
Slide 2A/B Testing
What is A/B Testing?A/B Testing:
A/B testing is an experimental approach to web design which aims to identify changes to web pages that increase or maximize an outcome of interest (e.g., donation conversion). As the name implies, two versions (A and B) are compared, which are identical except for one variation that might impact a user's behavior.
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What is A/B Testing?Multivariate Testing
Multivariate testing is similar to A/B testing, but tests more than two different versions at the same time.
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ChallengesWhat are some common challenges to doing A/B Testing?
• Resources – technology, time and people
• Data sampling size
• Is my list big enough?
• Are my results significant?
• “Do no harm”
• Lack of existing test data to build on
• Risk vs. Reward
To do A/B testing you need to have an Entrepreneurial Spirit!
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A/B Testing ChannelsChannel Testing
• Advertising
• Web
• Offline/Direct Mail
• Integrated (On and Offline)
• Segmentation
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Testing Goals – what should we test?
Channels and Audience Segments
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Snail MailEmailSearch
Website/Landing Environment
Advertising
New Audiences
Leads
New Donors
Multi-Year Donors
Testing Goals – what should we test?
Metrics and KPIs
• Establish benchmark metrics: what are you trying to beat?
• Average time on site/page
• Open rates
• Click-through rates
• Form conversion (donations, email signups, etc.)
• Average Gift
• Cost to acquire
• Cost per lead
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Testing Goals – what should we test?
Evaluating options
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• Alignment with strategy, context
• Examine conversion funnels and donor lifecycle: where are your challenges?
• Consider potential returns, & calculate ROI
• Where can you move the needle the most?
• Quick wins and low hanging fruit
Testing Goals – what should we test?
Variables
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Design elements
Persuasion assets
Offer elements
Benefits
Default ask
Products
Price points
Ask string
CTA
Multi-step forms
CTA Positioning
ImagesCopy
Media mentions
Premiums
Security seals
Testimonials
Achievements
Page layout
Expert ratings
Subject lines
Video
Keywords
Communications strategies
TimingFrequency
Cross-channel
Usability
Modal windows
Content
Testing Goals – what should we test?
Considerations
• Evolutionary vs. revolutionary changes
• Frequency and pace of testing
• Short-term vs. long-term
• Easy road vs. hard road
• Embrace (calculated) risks
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Getting started with A/B Testing• KISS – Keep it simple silly
• Define metrics to test
• Sustainer Acquisition
• Average Gift
• Gift String
• Conversion %, etc.
• Identify your top 3-5 items to test, and schedule them over X months!
• Decide how you will test each scenario
• Control group
• Minimum data required to validate
• Resources necessary
• Internal communications
• Implement each test
• Build, measure, learn – be patient
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Individual Test Cycle
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Identify KPI/Metric
How will you test?
Coordinate ResourcesImplement
Measure, Report, Analyze
Selling your plan
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Objectives Inputs Plan
Developing a business case
Analysis Recommendation
Resources & Downloads
Presentation Materials
• PowerPoint - www.jacksonriver.com/nten/ab_testing
Third Party Tools:
• Optimizely - www.optimizely.com
• Visual Website Optimizer - http://visualwebsiteoptimizer.com
• Google Content Experiments
• 8 Seconds - http://www.8seconds.net
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Questions and Answers
Contact info
• Hugh Dwyer
• Sr. Director, Information & Operations, International Rescue Committee
• Jacob Colie
• Senior Strategist & Principal, Stagecoach Digital
• @jacobcolie
• Tom Williamson
• CEO, Jackson River
• @tomwilliamson, @jacksonriver
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