3 A/B Tests That Totally Took Us by Surprise (Catch You at the Opties!)

A/B testing is a crucial aspect of nexus-security’s marketing strategy. We split test virtually everything, including banner ads, registration forms, landing pages, and more. Some may disagree, but even comparing two burritos counts!

One of our go-to tools for A/B testing is Optimizely. This comprehensive solution simplifies and accelerates our testing process. We love discovering tools that enhance audience understanding, but it’s even better when those tools acknowledge our efforts. Recently, Optimizely recognized us as a finalist in their inaugural Opties 2014 awards! The Opties celebrate Optimizely users “who craft exceptional online experiences and transform data into action.” Being recognized is an honor.

nexus-security is a top contender in the “Testing Hero of the Year” category. Our rigorous A/B testing gives us confidence, but the official results won’t be announced until OptiCon on April 17 in San Francisco. As we anxiously await the announcement, let’s explore how nexus-security leverages Optimizely and A/B testing for effective audience targeting.

Optimizing Landing Pages with A/B Testing

We used Optimizely for A/B testing during last year’s Grade and Get Paid Marketing Makeover contest. Our goal was to identify the landing page that yielded the highest conversions.

The Experiment

  • The control landing page (A) had a button that, when clicked, directed visitors to a separate page to enter their email for a contest entry.

  • The variation (B) replaced the button with an embedded submission form and removed the “Enter Here” navigation to minimize entry points.

The Outcome

  • The variation (B) led to a 128% surge in contest entries and a 58% increase in users completing all three stages of the process.

A/B Testing for Banner Ads

We use various banners to showcase our offers, products, and services. While click-through rates (CTRs) are important, we wanted to understand if contextual relevance – aligning banners with blog post topics – impacted CTR.

Following A/B testing best practices, we started with the hypothesis that contextual relevance would affect banner CTR.

The Experiment

  • Initially, we ran A/B tests to determine which banner designs had the highest CTRs.
  • The top-performing ads were then pitted against each other to identify the most effective banners.
  • Finally, we experimented with banner placement to see if contextual relevance improved the CTR of the winning banners.

The Outcome

The A/B tests disproved our initial hypothesis.

  • We assumed contextual relevance would be significant, but it wasn’t.
  • Banner placement had minimal impact; design was the deciding factor.

Interestingly, banners with images of people consistently performed worse than graphical banners.

Refining Forms Through A/B Testing

Forms are crucial for lead generation, making them a frequent target for A/B testing. Too much information deters visitors, while too little hinders lead qualification. Our A/B testing team aimed to find the most effective form.

The Experiment

  • We designed two thank-you page variations after a webinar to encourage PPC audit completion using our AdWords Performance Grader Plus.

The Outcome

  • Embedding the form directly into the webinar thank-you page (A) proved significantly more effective than using a “Get Your Free Report” button redirecting to the AdWords Performance Grader Plus homepage.
  • Enhanced visual separation increased conversions. Color and headline adjustments in the variation boosted stage one Grader completions.
  • Adding an image to illustrate the grading process and presenting it as a “bonus” further increased full Grader completions.

The examples above focus on visual elements, but A/B testing is equally valuable for advertisers aiming to maximize SEM return on investment. This applies to keyword research, ad copy, and more.

In the eBook “How to Increase ROI from SEM with A/B Testing,” nexus-security founder and CTO Larry Kim highlights how testing PPC elements like bid amount, long-tail keywords, and negative keywords can significantly enhance AdWords account performance. Larry emphasizes rigorous ad copy testing, noting that top AdWords accounts prioritize high commercial intent keywords. To learn more from Larry, get your copy of the eBook here.

While we eagerly await the Opties 2014 winners announcement, we extend our best wishes to the other finalists. Meanwhile, we’d love to hear about your A/B testing strategies in the comments!

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