Split Testing is a random experiment designed to test which of two or more marketing creatives is more effective in driving traffic and conversions. The effectiveness of nearly identical versions of the same item with just a slight variant is compared to see which is more successful in accomplishing a desired outcome.

For example, when UK career site WikiJob tested two different landing pages for their numerical and verbal assessment test preparation service, split testing revealed that having customer testimonials on the landing page increased sales by 34%.

Marketing creative that can be split tested, include:

• A square blue button vs. a round red button
• A call to action that reads “Ask for a quote” vs. “Request a demo”
• A square ad vs. a rectangular ad
• A link to another web page vs. a link to a PDF

It’s understandable that the potential complexity of implementing split testing can seem overwhelming. There are technical challenges to overcome in both producing and randomly testing two different versions of calls to action, emails, landing pages, website graphics etc. that may cause consumers to act towards a desired outcome. Additionally, analyzing the data created with split testing can be a daunting task. The range of what can be split tested can be overwhelming in itself and narrowing down what to split test to begin with is a very complex business decision. Hence, many marketers don’t follow through with the process.

The trick to getting started with split testing, however, is to take it one step at a time. Choose just a few key items to split test – items that will provide actual insight into better ways to convert customers. One of the most critical items advertisers and networks can test when refining the creatives that drive conversions is the landing page a customer is sent to during the conversion process. A landing page is a great starting point when implementing split testing.

Another tip for getting started is to use software technology to manage your efforts. If digital marketers take the time to create multiple versions of creatives, they can use technology to reduce the burdensome tasks of delivering different versions of landing pages to consumers, and tracking and analyzing the results. This makes it easier to use split testing to gain a much clearer picture of customer behavior.

With just a little effort and the right technology, digital marketers can use the split testing method to optimize landing pages, which ultimately leads to increases in email clicks, page views and conversions.

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