A/B Testing
A/B testing (also called AB testing or split testing) can increase small business conversion rates by 10-50% when implemented correctly (and sometimes even more, see the case study section below for examples,) yet less than 0.2% of websites actively use A/B testing tools. This massive gap creates a huge opportunity for small businesses to increase their conversion rates, build their profits, and gain competitive advantage through data-driven website optimization.
Key Takeaway:
Many small businesses already have A/B testing and split testing capabilities built into their existing website builders and marketing platforms - they just don't know it. This comprehensive A/B testing guide reveals how to unlock these conversion testing features, or buy more powerful tools, and implement systematic website testing that delivers measurable results without breaking your budget.
What is A/B Testing? A Complete Beginner's Guide
Simple Definition: A/B testing (also known as split testing) is a method that compares two versions of a webpage, email, or marketing element to determine which performs better using statistical analysis. Instead of guessing what your customers want, you let them tell you through their actual behavior.
Why Test? Why Not Just Make the Changes and Save Time and Effort?
Great question. The answer is that most of us guess wrong about half the time. When we consider making a change to a webpage, we instinctively process it through our personal likes and dislikes, as well as our experience, and choose what we think will yield the best results.
Unfortunately, proven through hundreds of tests, most marketers guess correctly only about half the time. Even the most experienced A/B split testers, those who have run 1,000 tests or more, are still wrong about 30% of the time.
In short, if you rely on your personal opinion and choose not to test, you’re almost certainly leaving money on the table, with conversion rates unchanged and profits unrealized.
Trust me, it’s worth it to establish a culture of testing virtually everything in your company!
How A/B Testing Works: Step-by-Step
A/B testing follows a simple process:
- Create two versions (A and B) of the same webpage or element (most tools automatically do this for you)
- Randomly split your traffic between the two versions (again, most tools do this automatically)
- Measure performance using conversion tracking
- Analyze results for statistical significance
- Implement the winning version for all the traffic visiting that page
In different words, here's how split testing works: half your visitors see Version A (the original), while the other half will see Version B (your variation with one changed element). After collecting sufficient data, you can confidently determine which version converts better and implement the winner across all your traffic.
The Business Impact of A/B Testing for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses
The numbers speak for themselves when it comes to the effectiveness of website testing. A Harvard Business School study found that A/B testing adoption leads to a 5-20% increase in page visits. Currently, 60% of companies use A/B testing for conversion rate optimization, with another 34% planning to adopt split testing - but most of these are larger enterprises.
This creates a golden opportunity for small businesses. While your competitors rely on guesswork, you can make data-driven decisions that systematically improve your marketing performance. Unlike expensive website redesigns that can backfire, conversion testing lets you make incremental improvements with minimal risk.
Consider this: if A/B testing helps you increase your conversion rate from 2% to 4%, you've just doubled your revenue without spending an extra dollar on advertising.
Why Most Small Businesses Don't Use Split Testing (And Why They Should)
Many small business owners believe A/B testing is too complex, expensive, or requires massive traffic volumes. These misconceptions prevent them from accessing one of the most powerful tools in digital marketing optimization.
The Reality About A/B Testing:
- You can start website testing with just 1,000 monthly visitors to a page
- Many website builders include A/B testing features in the tools you're already paying for
- Setting up a basic conversion test takes less than 30 minutes
- Even "failed" split tests provide valuable insights about your customers
The truth is, if you're running any digital marketing campaigns, you can't afford NOT to use A/B testing. Every day you delay is potential revenue left uncollected.
Best A/B Testing Tools: Free vs. Paid Options Compared
Free A/B Testing Tools You Can Use Today - Start With What You Already Have
Before investing in standalone A/B testing tools, audit your existing website builder or marketing platform to ensure it meets your needs. Most modern platforms include robust split testing features that many users are unaware of.
Step 1: Check Your Current Platform for Built-in A/B Testing Tools
WordPress A/B Testing Solutions:
If you're using a website page builder on top of WordPress, you likely have access to powerful conversion testing capabilities:
Thrive Themes users get Thrive Optimize included with Thrive Architect ($167/year). This isn't just basic A/B testing - you get a visual editor, automatic winner detection, revenue tracking, and multivariate testing capabilities. The split testing tool works seamlessly on landing pages, regular theme pages, and forms (like opt-in forms) with built-in statistical analysis.
Elementor A/B Testing users have multiple options, including the free Split Test for Elementor plugin and AB Split Test. These website testing tools let you test page elements, sections, or entire pages without requiring external services. Since everything runs on your server, you maintain GDPR compliance and complete data control.
All-in-One Business Platform A/B Testing:
Kajabi includes built-in A/B testing for both email broadcasts and landing pages across all plans. You can test different headlines, images, calls-to-action, and even entire page layouts. The platform tracks winning metrics including clicks, opt-ins, gross merchandise value, and conversions, with automatic winner selection based on your chosen criteria.
ClickFunnels A/B Testing offers native split testing for funnels, pages, and emails with sophisticated conditional split path functionality. The platform automatically distributes traffic and provides detailed analytics, making it easy to optimize entire sales funnels rather than just individual pages.
Landing Page Builder A/B Testing:
Leadpages combines A/B testing with their drag-and-drop builder on Pro plans ($74/month when billed annually). Their unique LeadMeter tool provides real-time optimization suggestions as you build, helping you create higher-converting pages before you even start split testing.
Unbounce features Smart Traffic technology, which automatically directs visitors to the best-performing variant based on their specific profile. This approach extends beyond traditional A/B testing by leveraging machine learning to personalize the experience while still providing precise conversion testing data.
Step 2: Paid AB Split Testing Tools - Consider Investing in Standalone Tools
There are several A/B split testing tools designed to simplify and enhance the testing process. Evaluate upgrading to standalone A/B testing platforms if you encounter these limitations:
Traffic Volume Requirements: Your current platform has visitor limits you're approaching, or you need more sophisticated audience segmentation options for your split tests.
Advanced A/B Testing Features: You want multivariate testing capabilities, advanced statistical analysis, heat mapping integration, or custom conversion goal tracking that your current platform doesn't provide.
Multi-Platform Testing: You need to run A/B tests across multiple domains, platforms, or marketing channels simultaneously.Budget-Friendly Standalone A/B Testing Tools
If your built-in options prove insufficient for your conversion testing needs, consider these entry-level solutions:
Convert Experiences offers transparent pricing, starting at $299/month for 100,000 tested users (Growth plan) or $700/month for 250,000 tested users (Pro plan). They focus specifically on website A/B testing with a user-friendly interface and excellent customer support.
VWO (Visual Website Optimizer) pricing starts at $314/month for 50K monthly tracked users, scaling up to $1,265/month for Enterprise features. VWO offers a comprehensive suite that includes heatmaps, session recordings, and surveys, alongside split testing.
For larger budgets, Optimizely provides enterprise-level A/B testing capabilities starting around $1,440/month (paid annually), while AB Tasty offers custom pricing based on your specific conversion testing needs.
Additionally, there is a comprehensive set of tracking and testing tools available for enterprise-level customers.
A/B Testing Tool Selection Framework
Use Built-in Tools If:
- You're getting started with A/B testing
- Your traffic is under 50K monthly visitors
- You primarily test landing pages or email campaigns
- Budget is a primary concern for your split testing program
- You want to avoid learning new platforms
Upgrade to Standalone Paid A/B Testing Tools If:
- You need advanced segmentation features for your conversion tests
- Testing across multiple platforms/domains
- Require detailed statistical analysis beyond basic conversion tracking
- Have dedicated team members focused on optimization
- Need white-label reporting for clients
Key Questions for A/B Testing Tool Selection:
- What's my monthly traffic volume to the pages I want to test?
- How many split tests do I plan to run simultaneously?
- Do I need technical support and onboarding assistance?
- What's my realistic monthly budget for A/B testing tools?
- Do I need integrations with specific analytics platforms or CRM systems?
A/B Testing Tutorial: A Step-by-Step Implementation Guide
Success in A/B testing and split testing comes from systematic execution, not random experimentation. Follow this proven website testing process to ensure your conversion tests yield reliable and actionable results.
Phase 1: A/B Testing Setup and Planning
Choose Your Focus Page for Split Testing
Start with your highest traffic pages that have clear conversion goals. You need a minimum of 1,000 monthly visitors to a page for fast, reliable A/B testing; however, 5,000+ visitors will yield results faster and with greater confidence in your split tests.
Ideal pages for conversion testing include:
- Lead generation pages with forms
- Homepage (if it has a clear conversion goal)
- Landing pages from advertising campaigns
- Product pages with purchase buttons
- Email signup pages
Avoid A/B testing pages with multiple competing goals or extremely low traffic.
Form Clear A/B Testing Hypothesis
Never run split tests on random changes. Every A/B test should start with a clear hypothesis based on data or user feedback. Use this template for your conversion testing:
"If we change [specific element] from [current version] to [new version], then [specific metric] will improve because [logical reason]."
Here’s a good A/B testing hypothesis example: "If we change our CTA button from 'Learn More' to 'Get Free Quote,' then form submissions will increase because the new copy is more specific about the value and action."
Poor split testing hypothesis example: "If we test a red button, conversions might improve."
And here’s something I’ve found incredibly valuable - create a document tracking every test you run. For each test, list your hypothesis, what was tested, dates of the test, the numbers, the action derived from the test, and the next test you plan to run based on that information. This helps you be more intentional and allows you to answer questions in the future, possibly eliminating the need for a future test.
Test Only One Thing at a Time
What’s the most common mistake people make in split testing? They try to test multiple changes (variables) simultaneously.
The problem of doing that is that you can’t tell what part of the test caused your results to change. And, sometimes you’ll inadvertently create a situation where one change increases conversion, while another decreases it, resulting in no improvement.
That’s why we always recommend testing only ONE element at a time, especially when starting your split testing program.
What Tests Tend to Yield the Highest Conversion Rate Increases?
Many people ask, “What should I test?” There are many options, but most probably won’t give you a significant increase in your conversion rate.
That’s why we recommend starting with tests like these, which are common high-impact possibilities for conversion testing:
- Headlines (often the highest impact change in A/B testing)
- CTA button text
- Hero images or product photos
- Value propositions or benefit statements
- Form fields (number and types)
- Testimonials
- Social proof placement
Again, a reminder - testing multiple elements simultaneously in your A/B tests makes it impossible to know which change caused any improvement.
Use Free A/B Testing Calculators for Planning
Before launching any conversion test, use free online A/B testing calculators to determine required sample sizes and test duration:
- CXL's AB Test Calculator - Comprehensive planning and analysis tool with clear explanations for website testing
- Optimizely's Sample Size Calculator - Helps estimate how long your A/B test needs to run
These A/B testing tools prevent common mistakes, such as ending conversion tests too early or running split tests that can never reach statistical significance.
Phase 2: A/B Testing Implementation
Traffic Allocation for Split Testing
Use a 50/50 split for most A/B tests unless you have specific reasons to do otherwise. Ensure your A/B testing tool randomly assigns visitors to avoid bias from timing, traffic sources, or user behavior patterns.
Duration Planning for A/B Testing
Although split tests are measured by the number of results, not time, most small businesses simply don’t receive enough traffic to an individual webpage to achieve statistically significant results from a test quickly.
You should therefore plan on running conversion tests for a minimum of 1-2 weeks to account for weekly patterns in user behavior. However, the most critical factor is reaching statistical significance - many tests are stopped before achieving this, leading to false conclusions.
Most successful split tests on small business websites run for 2-6 weeks, depending on traffic volume. Resist the temptation to stop early if you see promising results in your A/B testing dashboard unless those results are statistically significant, as shown by a testing tool.
Phase 3: A/B Testing Analysis and Implementation
Statistical Significance in Split Testing
Aim for 95% confidence level before declaring a winner in your A/B tests. This means there's only a 5% chance your results occurred by random chance. Use one of these free A/B testing calculators to verify significance rather than relying solely on your testing platform.
Here are 3 free split test significance calculators:
1. VWO's A/B Test Significance Calculator
- URL: https://vwo.com/ab-test-significance-calculator/
- Features: Simple input fields for visitors and conversions, shows statistical significance with confidence levels, includes a sample size calculator
2. Evan Miller's A/B Testing Calculator
- URL: https://www.evanmiller.org/ab-testing/chi-squared.html
- Features: Multiple statistical tests available (chi-squared, t-test), detailed explanations of the math behind the calculations, no-frills academic approach
Each calculator will help you determine if your test results are statistically significant, typically using a 95% confidence level as the standard threshold for significance. You'll need to input your sample sizes and conversion numbers for each variation to get the significance results.
What if a Test Doesn’t Achieve Statistical Significance?
Most people are unaware that many tests fail to reach statistical significance when exposed to a reasonable number of participants. In fact, only 1 out of 7.5 A/B tests typically shows a significant improvement. This doesn't mean those conversion tests "failed" - they still provided valuable data about what doesn't work.
If, and when that happens to you, don’t feel frustrated. Feel glad that you now have an additional set of data proving that the change you tested was not sufficient to significantly affect conversions. Note the results in your testing log and proceed to the next test.
Interpreting Your Test's Results
It’s essential to consider more than just conversion rates in your split tests. Ask yourself about its:
- Practical significance (is the improvement meaningful for your business?)
- Consistency across different user segments
- Impact on secondary metrics
- Long-term implications
Document everything from your A/B testing program, including tests that show no significant difference. These insights inform future split tests and help build institutional knowledge.
Implementation After A/B Testing
When you have a clear winner from your conversion testing:
- Implement the winning variation for all traffic
- Monitor performance for 1-2 weeks to ensure results hold
- Plan your next A/B test based on learnings
- Share split testing results with your team to build a culture of testing
Common A/B Testing Mistakes That Hurt Your Results
Learning from others' mistakes in split testing saves time and prevents false conclusions that can hurt your business. Avoid these common conversion testing pitfalls.
Website Testing Without Sufficient Traffic
The Problem: Many small businesses attempt A/B testing with insufficient traffic, resulting in inconclusive results or false positives in their split tests.
The Reality: You need a minimum of 5,000 unique visitors for reliable statistical significance in website testing, though conversion tests can work with smaller numbers if you're patient.
The Solution: If website traffic is low, start with email A/B testing. 89% of US companies test email campaigns because you can get meaningful results with smaller lists. Test subject lines, send times, or email content in addition to website A/B testing.
The Biggest Mistake: Testing Too Many Elements at the Same Time in Split Tests
The Problem: Testing headlines, images, and CTA buttons simultaneously in your A/B tests makes it impossible to know which change drove results.
Better Approach: Test one element at a time in your conversion testing. Start with the element most likely to impact your primary goal. Once you have a winner from your A/B test, test the next element.
Exception: Only test multiple elements if you're comparing completely different page concepts (like comparing a long-form vs. short-form landing page) in your split testing.
Stopping Split Tests Too Early
The Second Biggest A/B Testing Mistake:
80% of conversion tests are stopped before reaching statistical significance. Early results from split testing are often misleading due to small sample sizes or timing factors.
Why It Happens: Business pressure to make quick decisions, excitement about early positive results, or impatience with the A/B testing process.
The Solution: Set test duration in advance based on traffic calculations for your conversion testing. Stick to your plan regardless of early results. If you must check A/B testing results early, do it only as a sanity check, not to make decisions.
Ignoring Mobile Users in A/B Testing
The Problem: For most businesses, over 60% of web traffic is mobile, yet many only test desktop experiences in their conversion testing.
The Solution: If you have sufficient traffic, run separate A/B tests for mobile and desktop users. Mobile users behave differently and may respond to different optimizations. At a minimum, ensure your split test variations work well on mobile devices.
A/B Testing Implementation Checklist: 30-Day Plan
Week 1-2: A/B Testing Setup and First Split Test
Week 3-4: Monitor and Learn from Split Testing
A/B Testing Examples: Real Case Studies with Results
Learning from real-world examples helps you understand what's possible and avoid common pitfalls. These case studies demonstrate that significant improvements often come from seemingly small changes.
Case Study 1: Beckett Simonon - Website A/B Testing Strategies for an Ethical Shoe Company
The Business: Beckett Simonon sells handcrafted leather shoes online with a focus on ethical manufacturing and sustainability. Like many direct-to-consumer brands, they needed to improve their paid acquisition effectiveness while maintaining their premium positioning.
The Challenge: Despite having quality products and strong brand values, their conversion rates weren't meeting expectations. They suspected their product pages weren't effectively communicating their unique value proposition to visitors arriving from paid ads.
The Test: Rather than redesigning entire pages, they decided to test adding a storytelling panel that highlighted their sustainability practices and craftsmanship process. This wasn't just marketing copy - it was authentic content about their ethical business practices and the skilled artisans who create each pair of shoes.
The Results: This seemingly simple addition resulted in a 5% increase in sales conversion rate with an annualized ROI of 237%. The test proved that their target customers genuinely cared about the story behind the products and were willing to pay premium prices when they understood the value.
Key Lesson: Don't underestimate the power of storytelling in e-commerce. Values-based messaging can significantly impact purchase decisions, especially for premium products. Sometimes adding context is more powerful than removing friction.
Case Study 2: Zalora - Conversion Rate AB Testing for a Fashion E-commerce Platform
The Business: Zalora operates as a central e-commerce platform specializing in fashion across Asian markets. With millions of visitors and thousands of products, even minor improvements in conversion rates translate to substantial revenue increases.
The Challenge: Their analytics revealed that many users were adding items to their cart but abandoning the checkout process. Customer service data suggested that shoppers were unaware of key benefits, such as free returns and delivery options, creating uncertainty at the crucial moment of purchase.
The Test: They redesigned product pages to display trust signals and guarantees prominently. They tested three variations:
- Control: Standard product page with minimal policy visibility
- Variation 1: Prominently displayed free return policy and delivery information with clear visual hierarchy
- Variation 2: Alternative layout placing policy information in different locations
The Results: Variation 1 achieved a 12.3% increase in checkout rate. The improvement stemmed from better CTA button uniformity and the strategic placement of trust signals where users needed reassurance the most.
Key Lesson: Hidden value propositions are missed opportunities. Trust signals, such as free returns, guarantees, and delivery information, should be visible exactly when customers need that reassurance to move forward in the buying process.
Case Study 3: PriceCharting - Landing Page Split Testing for a Video Game Pricing Tracker Site
The Business: PriceCharting provides current and historic pricing data for video games, helping collectors and gamers make informed buying and selling decisions. They monetize through premium features and detailed reports.
The Challenge: While they had good traffic to product pages, click-through rates on their primary call-to-action weren't meeting expectations. Users seemed interested in the content but weren't taking the desired action.
The Test: They tested a simple change to their CTA button text:
- Version A: "Download"
- Version B: "Price Guide"
The Results: This minor text change led to a staggering 620.9% increase in click-throughs. The new copy is better aligned with user intent and clarifies exactly what value they'd receive.
Key Lesson: Sometimes the most minor changes yield the most significant results. Word choice matters enormously in calls-to-action. "Price Guide" felt more valuable and specific than the generic "Download," better matching what users actually wanted.
Case Study 4: Ubisoft - Sales Page Conversion Testing for a "For Honor" Buy Now Page
The Business: Ubisoft, the gaming giant, was optimizing the purchase page for its "For Honor" video game. Even large companies benefit from systematic testing to improve conversion rates.
The Challenge: Their "Buy Now" page had a complex buying process that required significant scrolling and multiple decisions. Analytics revealed that users were dropping off at various points in the process.
The Test: They completely overhauled the page to simplify the buying process:
- Reduced up-and-down scrolling requirements
- Streamlined decision points
- Simplified the entire purchase flow
- Made key information immediately visible
The Results: Conversions increased from 38% to 50% (a 32% relative improvement), and overall lead generation increased by 12%. The simplified experience removed friction that was preventing purchases.
Key Lesson: Complex buying processes cost sales. When in doubt, simplify. Every additional click, scroll, or decision point is an opportunity for users to abandon the process.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About A/B Testing
How much traffic do I need to start A/B testing?
Ideally, you'll want a minimum of 1,000 monthly visitors to the page you want to test, though 5,000+ provides more reliable results and faster conclusions for your split testing. Focus on your highest-traffic pages first to get meaningful data quickly from your conversion testing.
If your website traffic is low, start with email A/B testing. You can achieve statistically significant results with email lists as small as 1,000 subscribers when testing elements such as subject lines or send times.
How long should I run an A/B test?
Run split tests for a minimum of 1-2 weeks to account for weekly patterns in user behavior, but continue until you reach statistical significance. Most successful A/B tests run 2-6 weeks, depending on traffic volume.
The key is patience with your conversion testing. 80% of businesses stop A/B tests too early, leading to false conclusions. Use the free calculators mentioned in this guide to determine the right duration for your specific split testing situation.
What if my A/B test shows no significant difference?
Don't be surprised, this happens in about 86% of split tests - it's completely normal! Use it as a valuable learning experience: either your hypothesis was incorrect, or the change wasn't impactful enough to matter to users in your conversion testing.
Document your A/B testing findings and proceed on to test something else. "Failed" split tests often provide the most valuable insights about what doesn't matter to your customers, helping you focus future conversion testing efforts on more impactful changes.
How much should I budget for A/B testing tools?
Many website builders include split testing features in plans you're already paying for. Check your current platform first before buying additional A/B testing tools.
If you need standalone conversion testing tools, budget $300-1,000/month depending on your traffic volume. Also factor in 5-10 hours of staff time monthly for A/B test management and analysis.
Can I run A/B tests on low-traffic pages?
Start with email A/B testing, social media testing, or ad copy testing if website traffic is low. These channels can provide quicker results with smaller audiences for your conversion testing.
For A/B testing on your website, focus on your highest-traffic pages first. You can also increase traffic to specific pages through targeted advertising campaigns to reach the minimum sample sizes needed for split testing.
Document your findings and move on to testing something else. "Failed" tests often provide the most valuable insights about what doesn't matter to your customers, helping you focus future efforts on more impactful changes.
Can I do email A/B Split Testing?
Absolutely, in fact, email AB split testing is a great idea, especially if you don't have a lot of day-to-day traffic to your site.
Another advantage of email testing is that you typically receive answers in days, if not hours, which is something most sites cannot do with webpage testing strategies due to low traffic volumes.
With email conversion testing, you can measure elements such as subject lines, calls to action, copy length, image inclusion, specific image testing, CTA buttons, tone, and copy, among others.
Contact your email service provider to determine what options they offer for email A/B split testing. Alternatively, you can conduct the test yourself by randomly splitting your list into parts and sending different versions of the email to each part.
Ready to Start A/B Testing? Get Expert Guidance
A/B testing transforms guesswork into growth, but getting started with split testing can feel overwhelming. The difference between successful conversion testing and wasted effort often comes down to having a proper strategy and executing it effectively.
Want personalized guidance for your specific business?
Book a free 45-minute A/B testing strategy consultation where we'll:
- Audit your current tools and identify built-in split testing capabilities
- Review your highest-impact A/B testing opportunities
- Define your needs, whether it’s initial setup and training, complete done-for-you implementation, or something in between
- Determine how our team of professional marketers can help you improve your conversion rates and profitability through split testing