The basis for effective affiliate marketing is data. Even so, many business owners base their decisions on their opinions rather than facts backed by data, particularly when it comes to affiliate marketing. However, this may result in lower conversion rates and decreased website performance as a whole. Fortunately, before making any changes to a website, avoid this mistake by doing an A/B test.
Sometimes referred to as a ‘split test,’ this is a low-risk, high-reward method for figuring out which parts of the website require work. Make efficient, data-driven improvements armed with this knowledge. This article will explain how A/B testing works for affiliate marketing and walk readers through the process of setting up split testing.
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What is A/B testing?
A/B testing may seem strange to many people, but the practice has been around for some time! Usually, the process entails comparing many versions of the same item, such as text ads or product listings, to determine the best choice. For example, show two versions of the same design to the same audience. When the data from before and after each adjustment is compared, it can help determine whether the adjustment improves the design.
The technique of developing two distinct versions and displaying them to the same audience is known as A/B testing. Instead of speculating, this technique helps in data-driven decision-making! Keep track of which design performs better and choose what would work best for the particular set of visitors.
Why do we need A/B testing for affiliate marketing?
There are several reasons to conduct A/B testing for affiliate marketing:
- It is necessary to assess the conversion funnels.
- The testing provides information on the reactions of the audience to changes made to the website or to the marketing initiatives.
- It aids in identifying problems that affect how users interact with the website.
The return on investment can significantly change as a result of accurate A/B tests. It may help determine which marketing tactics are most effective for the business and the product by conducting controlled experiments and collecting data.
It is inconsiderate to launch a promotion without testing it first if there is a chance that one variation is performing two, three, or even four times better than another without putting significant capital at risk.
Testing can significantly enhance company outcomes when done consistently. Long-term decision-making and creating more successful marketing plans are made simpler when the user knows what works and what doesn’t (and has the supporting data).
What are the types of A/B tests?
When doing A/B testing, marketers frequently have the following objectives for their company:
Increasing web traffic
The number of individuals that click on the title of the website’s hyperlinked blog posts or webpages can be altered by testing various titles. As a result, website traffic may rise.
Increased conversion rate
The number of visitors that click the CTAs to get to a landing page can change for different CTA placements, colors, or even anchor text. This could improve the number of website visitors who fill out forms, send their contact information, and subsequently ‘convert’ into leads.
Reduced bounce rate
The bounce rate of a website can be decreased, and visitor retention increased by experimenting with different blog post openers, fonts and featured photos.
Abandonment of lower carts
As much as 70% of people who buy online typically depart with products still in their shopping carts. This is referred to as ‘shopping cart abandonment,’ which is obviously bad for any online retailer. However, this abandonment rate can be decreased by experimenting with different product images, checkout page layouts, and even shipping price displays.
How to do A/B testing: where to implement tests?
Many web engineers and designers will A/B test every small change they make to a website. They will then compare the results using tools like heat maps that track users’ cursors as they browse the site. However, this is not always necessary. Affiliate marketers may need to focus only on the following sections.
Landing pages
A/B testing the landing pages is one of the most crucial actions to increase affiliate marketing earnings. This will ensure that the right page is being used to drive sales and reach as many people as possible.
For landing page A/B testing, take these important actions:
- Ensure that the sales per page is feasible.
- Keep track of each variant’s performance and keep in mind where it converts the best (i.e., mobile or desktop).
- For upcoming campaigns, adjust as necessary, especially if one landing page variant is performing noticeably better than the other.
Try to also keep the following things in mind during A/B testing for landing pages:
- When possible, use conventional website colors and design elements. This will demonstrate consistency throughout your website, increasing the likelihood that users will click on links provided without being put off by what they discover when they reach the destination URL (i.e., the home page).
- According to psychological studies, utilize color psychology to boost conversion rates among website visitors who have varying emotional responses. For instance, the color red may arouse sentiments of rage or anxiety in some potential customers, discouraging them from clicking the link on the landing pages of your affiliate marketing campaign. Negative feelings are rarely connected with the color green. The color blue is a good option for the background.
Call to action buttons
One of the most crucial aspects of a landing page is a call to action (CTA). Therefore, testing various A/B iterations is essential. The ‘click here’ button can be changed to the ‘get your bargain’ button. Try to change and test the location, copy, shape, frame, and shading of the CTAs. Find out which CTA placement brings more traffic. Since this is where the affiliate link resides, choose the version that is easiest for users to click.
Video and images
Many businesses that decide to incorporate affiliate marketing into their overall company plan will provide their affiliates with a variety of ready-to-use marketing tools, such as videos, audio and photos. That’s because not every piece of content will resonate with every audience.
A/B testing for affiliate marketing is the most effective way to determine which materials work best with the audience. It is best to monitor the lead conversion rate for a video advertisement. It is the proportion of viewers who take action after seeing the video and turn into leads in the pipeline. This can determine how many people randomly clicked on the video and how many were truly interested in knowing what the video was all about.
Conclusion
It’s critical to keep in mind that nothing in affiliate marketing—as in so many other aspects of the business—is definitive. Adjusting to a changing market, the audience will expand and change, trends will change, and what was once a successful marketing strategy may be ignored now.
The marketing content should be continually tested to stay updated. Test different descriptions each time the affiliate partner modifies what they are giving. Test how the audience responds to new video resources when they are sent. Also, test any modifications made to the landing page of the website! That is the smart way to conduct A/B testing.