A/B & Multivariate Testing is easy, right? Well actually, no, it's not, particularly in big companies where, in addition to the skillset you need to run effective testing, you'll need the ability to navigate blockers like risk aversion, politics and red tape.

1. A/B & multivariate testing in big companies
@laurenceveale
www.iqcontent.com

2. A/B & Multivariate Testing...
Easy, right?

3. Wrong!

4. What’s so hard?
• Complex CMS & code
• Politics
• Risk aversion
• Red tape: Policies & procedures

5. “Oh Fuck”

6. New dog, old tricks

7. What to test
Ad copy
Site content
Email
Radical design change (ab)
Page elements (mvt)

8. "The headline is
the most important
element. It is the
telegram which
decides the reader
whether to read the
copy"

9. Buy now
Buy now
Buy now
Buy now
Add to cart
Add to cart
Add to cart
Add to cart

10. Call to action
What’s around it (context & contrast)
Predominant brand colours
Size, shape
Labels
Buy now

11. Where to test first
Top entry pages
with high bounce rates. Pages
with good traffic and clear
purpose & conversions
Buy now

12. Biggest loser,
most dramatic results

13. Where to test
Checkout flow
1 2
3 €

14. What to test
Expectation - does the
page people land on match
the promise made?

15. What to test
Clarity of page purpose
visual hierarchy, clarity and
purpose of content

16. What to test
Urgency: are we influencing
this?
Buy now only 3 left

17. What to test: trust

18. What to test
Distractions

20. results are only as
good as the
hypothesis being
tested
(not opinions)

21. Forming an
hypothesis?2

22. I’m on Twitter
Follow me on twitter
You should follow me on twitter
You should follow me on twitter here.

24. UX

26. Getting all this done
in a big company

27. Getting all this done
Find allies -
motivated &
enthusiastic
(they’ll help you get stuff done)

28. Getting all this done
Include everyone
who needs to be,
don’t do sneaky AB
(this gets buy-in)

29. Getting all this done
Start small
(remember the Biggest Loser)

30. Getting all this done
Take time on
designing the test
(results are only as good as the hypothesis)

31. Tell a good story
Use the results to
start a good story...
(not just about this test, but about testing-driven optimisation)

32. Give credit
To everyone
involved