Improve In-App Conversion Rates with A/B Testing

Mobile Apps are loaded with possibilities for businesses. They literally put a direct connection to your company, its products, and services in the hands of your customers and prospects, enabling a clear line for marketing messages, engagement, and purchases. The question is how to make sure that your app creates conversion results. A big part of the answer is in A/B Testing.

A/B Testing Defined

A/B Testing is a way to evaluate user interaction with two or more different versions of an app. First, we randomly distribute version A and version B (or more) to potential users. Then, by measuring interaction with both versions, we determine which one is more likely to achieve our client’s objectives for things like ease of use, accessibility, and engagement – all of which yield better conversions.

What to Look for in an A/B Test Process

The key to productive A/B testing is to ensure that the differences between the A and B versions of the app are clear and measurable. Include too many variables, and it will be impossible to gauge which components are driving differences in your testers’ behavior. Include too few, and you waste time while gathering granular information over iteration after iteration. The right app developer will help you design an A/B test that connects the right updates to the behaviors and outcomes that will be most beneficial to your business. And they should deliver the results of those tests in a clear, cogent, actionable report.

Benefits and Advantages: Why A/B Testing is a Worthwhile Investment

As you and your development partner evaluate how different versions of your app can drive conversion behavior, you can – and should – leverage your A/B testing process to offer insights into other potential success factors. Whether you’re planning an app update or you’re about to launch version 1.0, the right A/B testing partner will help you:

• Improve user engagement. Simple tweaks to the buttons, font styles, colors, headings, and images can improve your user interface, making it easier to read content, reach out for information, and make purchases.

• Simplify analysis. A/B Testing can simplify your ability to analyze and identify how people engage with different components of your app. By identifying core differences, you won’t have to wonder whether any given variable will make a difference to your audience. You’ll know.

• Make low-risk modifications. A/B Testing will demonstrate where your app will benefit from minor, incremental changes instead of full-scale revisions. Additionally, focusing on maximum output with minimal modifications can reduce the risk of threatening current conversion rates.

• Roll out changes with confidence. The right app development partner will help you determine which A/B variation performs best and the statistical significance of your results. In other words, you won’t have to worry about the potential negative repercussions of any given app update.

• Learn what works for different audience groups. Your users have diverse preferences and needs. Well-designed A/B tests will deliver segmented results, demonstrating which variables perform best for each of your audiences.

• Observe the impact of new features. A well-designed A/B test helps us explore and understand how newly added features may affect engagement, conversions, and revenues.

• Attract and retain more users. When users see content they like, they’ll stay on your apps longer. Testing to find the type of content, interface, and messages your audiences want will help you create a better app that can increase downloads and encourage users to keep the app on their phones.

• Save money. App development, maintenance, and updates cost money – but smart A/B testing can help you avoid unnecessary expenses and focus your investment on achieving the greatest possible strategic advantage.

Putting an App on the Map (or List) – A Real-World Case Study

One of our clients in the rental industry had a mobile app that showed their properties graphically on area maps and in-list views. Although the app provided access to both views, they wanted to determine which one to show as the default. Our A/B test demonstrated that the ListView outperformed the Map View by nearly ten percent – enough to give our client the confidence to revise the overall app experience to highlight the List View first, offering a secondary option to show the properties on a map. Although the updated app is still early in its release cycle, the client saw a 33% increase in downloads as well as a 16% increase in user sessions.

Can You Afford NOT to Do A/B Testing?

The stakes are high when you seek to engage your prospects and customers through new apps and updates. The wrong choices can be costly, while the right ones can deliver meaningful engagement connection, conversion results, and above all, a return on your investment. A/B testing delivers the advantages that make the difference.