Ecommerce Split Testing Best Practices

Split Testing Best Practices #

Have you ever wondered why some split tests boost conversions while others miss the mark? It's not just about having the right tools—it's about following proven best practices.

If done incorrectly, split testing wastes money and time, and can even lower your conversion rate. But when done right, it lets you test web designs, split traffic, and find what works for your audience.

Here are 11 best practices for successful split testing.

Planning Your Split Test #

When you plan your split test, you need to consider the following:

• Set the Right Expectations
• Understand Your Technical Limitations
• Identify Testing Opportunities

Set the Right Expectations #

Wrong expectations lead to disappointment and lost money. Don't base your goals on other companies' success stories. Every website is different, and your results may vary.

Set realistic goals for your conversion program. Aim for a 20-30% increase in conversion rates per year to cover the cost of running the tests. You can also calculate the ROI you want from your CRO investment.

For example, if you invest $80,000 and want a 3X return, you'd need a 24% conversion rate increase on $1 million in sales.

Need to understand that not all split tests will be successful; if that were the case, we wouldn't need split testing. Don't panic and keep in mind in our experience, roughly 1 in 7 tests is successful.

Understand Your Technical Limitations #

Without the right resources, split testing can become a bottleneck. Make sure your team has Shopify developers or a CRO agency that can handle 2-4 tests per month. You also need analytics tools to track the results.

Some tests may require complex code changes or tool integrations, so plan your resources accordingly. Working with a Shopify agency can help you navigate these technical challenges.

Ensure you can accurately measure your results before starting any tests. Failing to plan your measurement strategy beforehand can lead to wasted time and resources. Remember, split testing involves inherent risk; a variation might underperform compared to the original. Therefore, a well-defined measurement plan is crucial.

For example you might want to customize the checkout but in Shopify it is not possible to do basically. You can customize and run some tests on cart page but you can't do it on the checkout page. So, you need to know the limitations of the platform you are using.

CRO Agencies can help you with this; usually, this is included in their services.

Identify Testing Opportunities #

Start by finding conversion problems on your site. Create buyer personas, analyze data, and conduct surveys to understand where users struggle. Then, list the problems with a clear hypothesis for how to fix each.

You might need to hire a Shopify CRO Agency to go through your store and provide testing ideas. Shopify CRO Agencies specialize in this and they already know all those "genius" ideas that can boost your conversion rate.

Next, prioritize the problems based on their potential impact, the page's traffic, and the ease of implementing the test.

Implementing Your Split Test #

Create a Strong Hypothesis #

Each test should be driven by a clear hypothesis. For example, you might hypothesize that adding social proof to your homepage will increase conversions by 10%. Focus only on changes related to the hypothesis to keep your test results clear. Though 10% is a huge number in terms of conversion rate optimisation, even incremental improvements can significantly impact results over time.

Incorporate social proof, such as customer reviews or testimonials, and test their placement on your product pages. See if displaying these elements prominently increases trust and encourages more purchases.

Determine Sample Size #

Before running a test, calculate how many visitors you need to get valid results. Online calculators can help you estimate the sample size based on current conversion rates and expected improvements.

Testing with too few visitors can lead to inaccurate results.

Limit the Number of Variations #

It's tempting to test many variations at once, but that can muddy your results. Instead, limit your variations to under seven for most websites. This keeps your data cleaner and makes it easier to draw conclusions.

Post-Test Analysis #

Retest Winning Designs #

After finding a winning design, run another test to validate your results. This helps confirm that the changes work long-term and aren't affected by seasonal factors or other events.

Learn from the Results #

Every test provides valuable insights that can inform your future tests. Look for lessons learned from both successes and failures to improve your marketing and site design. Consider collaborating withcustom theme development experts for effective implementation of successful test results.

By following these 11 best practices, you can turn split testing into a powerful tool for conversion rate optimization. Stay focused on learning from each test and continue improving your website's performance.

Split testing is an essential part of conversion rate optimization. To keep your momentum, consider Shopify development services and see how we can help implement these changes on your store.

For more on tracking conversions and simplifying your testing, check out our step-by-step guide on how to track conversion in the simplest way. Explore the latest trends in ecommerce testing to stay ahead of the competition.

Shopify for $1/month + Earn 1% of all sales as subscription credits, up to $10,000.