In ecommerce, there's no room for guesswork. 

You can't grow your business by relying on hunches or a random story you saw on Facebook. What you need are data-driven solutions tailored to your ecommerce website. 

That's where A/B testing comes in.

A/B testing (also called "split testing") is the process of simultaneously launching and testing multiple variants of the same content. This can be anything — from a CTA button to an entire product page. 

With the right approach, A/B testing offers the fastest route to measurable results for optimizing your ecommerce conversion rate, improving user engagement, or maximizing ROI. 

This post covers everything you need to know to leverage A/B testing for your ecommerce business. 

But first, let's dig a little deeper.

What is A/B Testing in Ecommerce?

A/B testing is the gold standard when it comes to analyzing and optimizing ecommerce performance. Not only does it allow you to gather and analyze performance data faster, it can also be fine-tuned to fit your specific optimization goals. 

Whether you're optimizing an entire product page or just a single headline, A/B testing is guaranteed to fast-track your progress. 

Here's a closer look at the A/B testing process: 

• Step 1: Prepare your variants — First, prepare two or more versions of your content. Your starting point will be the "control" version, whereas the altered version(s) will be your variant(s). 
• Step 2: Split traffic between the versions —  The next step is to split your ecommerce traffic between the different variants. You can streamline this with a specialized A/B testing tool, which also lets you control the allocation of traffic between the versions. 
• Step 3: Measure performance against a specific metric — Lastly, you need to compare each version's performance against a specific metric or Key Performance Indicator (KPI). This can be conversion rate, click-through rate, bounce rate, page engagement time, or transaction value. 

TL;DR: The goal of A/B testing is to track the performance of each version, compare the results, and determine which version is worth keeping. Just don't go chasing home runs. Take one step at a time and focus on getting consistent improvements. Remember, from the lens of an established ecommerce business with thousands of customers, a single-digit improvement can have a massive impact on your bottom line.  Benefits of A/B Testing for Ecommerce BrandsBefore we go any further, here's a quick rundown of the benefits of A/B testing for ecommerce businesses: 

• Increase conversion rates — A/B testing will get to the root of your ecommerce conversion rate, whether or not your website is performing within expectations. It will reveal improvement opportunities faster than with a traditional trial-and-error approach. 
• De-risk ecommerce website changes and updates — Using A/B testing keeps your content's original version (control version) intact while you test the performance of new versions. This effectively diminishes the risks involved with rolling out full-scale website updates. 
• Improve the user experience — You can refine the user experience by A/B testing specific page elements like menus, fonts, and visuals. Just remember to implement performance optimization measures since some A/B testing tools may cause a noticeable dip in page loading speed.

As an example, Dylan Ander, co-founder and CEO of Split Testing and Heatmap.com, underlines the importance of attaching performance optimization to A/B testing. He also recommends that ecommerce brands run performance tests twice per week and gather customer feedback through testing. What You Can A/B Test on an Ecommerce WebsiteReady to A/B test your ecommerce website from top to bottom? Start with the following key areas to maximize your results: 1. HomepageYour homepage has plenty of moving parts that can make or break the user experience. Everything — from hero images to CTA buttons — can have a profound impact on the customer's experience. Just remember to pay attention to the small details, such as:

• CTA button color and size
• Page typography
• Menu structure 
• Social proof (e.g., ratings, "as seen in" sections, and testimonials)

Here's a tip: focus on the elements that appear above the fold. These are the first things a customer sees upon arriving at your site. 

2. Product PagesIn an ecommerce site, the product page is where the money is. And, as far as A/B testing goes, product pages should be among your top priorities. Keep in mind that the purpose of product pages is to make customers feel good and confident in your brand. They'll need every bit of information they can get to empower their purchase decision — and it's your responsibility to give it to them quickly. Be sure to emphasize the following elements: 

• Delivery fees and information
• Product images, videos, and other media
• "Add to Cart" button placement, color, style, and positioning
• Product details and specifications
• Trust signals (e.g., safe checkout and money-back guarantee)

3. Checkout ProcessFun fact: roughly 80% of all online shopping carts globally are abandoned before completion.If you're an average ecommerce brand, just imagine the amount of sales you're losing to shopping cart abandonment. Fortunately, you can also use A/B testing to iron out the creases and enhance your website's checkout process. Some ideas for streamlining the checkout experience are:

• Avoid multi-step checkout pages
• Enable guest checkout
• Use pop-up modals wisely (but sparingly)
• Present product recommendations where they make sense
• Mind your link and button placements

4. Navigation and MenusWebsite navigation systems, like sidebars, mega menus, and inline links, work together to create a seamless browsing experience for customers.Having a confusing or unclear menu can deter customers from exploring your ecommerce website. This, in turn, hurts the user experience and the profitability of your ecommerce store. Apart from menus, consider experimenting with other navigation elements like search bars and dynamic "featured" sections.

5. Promotional ContentA/B testing can also be used to optimize promotional content, such as pop-ups, PPC ads, and marketing emails. For on-site content, you can switch up variables like timing, visuals, and automated triggers (i.e., exit intent). When it comes to external content like ads and newsletters, you'll have additional variables to play with — from audience targeting to keywords. Most third-party marketing platforms come with built-in A/B testing tools. For example, Facebook lets you configure and enable A/B testing for ads straight from the campaign editor. 

How to Run an Effective A/B TestAt this point, you probably already have a list of target content to A/B test. You're just about ready to get to work — but first, a couple of things to ensure success: Step 1: Build Your "Hot List" of Assets to A/B TestFirst things first, you need to create a list of high-priority assets to put at the top of your A/B testing queue. To get meaningful results as soon as possible, focus on high-impact areas like your homepage, product landing pages, and content pieces with a high bounce rate.You should be able to easily pinpoint these areas by analyzing your ecommerce conversion funnels — the progression of customer interactions that lead from discovery to action. Here's a teardown of the typical ecommerce conversion funnel: 

• Awareness (e.g., social media ads, informative blog posts, and statistics)
• Interest (e.g., product comparisons, downloadable PDFs, and FAQ pages) 
• Desire (e.g., case studies, product reviews, and special offer pages)
• Action (i.e., checkout page)  

Step 2: Set Measurable GoalsNext, set measurable and realistic goals for each asset on your A/B testing hot list. Choosing something vague, like "improve sales," won't provide a tangible reference point for evaluating your results. But if you set "increase weekly sales by 150%," you can accurately tell if you missed the mark, hit your objective, or exceeded your target. Take note that you also need to set a specific timeline for the A/B testing period. Targeting a timeline of at least two weeks ensures you gather sufficient data for your optimization efforts. Just remember to avoid excessively long timelines where other variables might come into play and skew the results, like sales holidays and product seasonality. Step 3: Create Your VariantsThe real work begins once you start creating content variants. This process depends on the A/B testing tool you use. For example, with VWO, simply use the native drag-and-drop page builder to create your variants — allowing you to insert and modify popups, banners, videos, buttons, and other elements. 

Don't know which changes to implement in your variants? Feel free to work with a consultant or sit down with your team to brainstorm ideas. Another plausible strategy is to conduct competitor analysis and break down what the top brands in your niche are doing. Step 4: Split TrafficThe next step is to decide the traffic allocation between your variants. Most A/B testing tools use an even split across all versions by default, which simplifies the analysis process that follows. If you want to reduce risk, allocate more traffic to your control version and split the remaining between the updated variants. 

While it may take longer to generate conclusive data about your variants, allocating more traffic to the original version is much safer for ecommerce sites that already get thousands of dollars in sales. Step 5: Analyze ResultsAfter the testing period, you should be ready to analyze and compare the performance of your variants. Modern A/B testing tools come with reporting tools that immediately highlight key takeaways.For example, VWO clearly indicates the best version based on a pre-defined metric. 

Although key takeaways are useful, you should still dive in and crunch the numbers to spot possible anomalies that can influence the results. For example, you might have suffered a server outage that prevented your test from gathering sufficient data. Some variations may also randomly receive more visitors from a specific traffic source. If everything checks out, it's time to proceed to the next step.Step 6: Iterate and ScaleA/B testing doesn't stop at one round. It's best used as an ongoing optimization strategy in which your iterations keep getting better and better over time. After each round, roll out the best-performing version and start looking at other elements to optimize. Alternatively, you can keep fine-tuning your previous target element and compare it against variations you haven't tried yet. Common Mistakes to Avoid in Ecommerce A/B TestingAvoid the following pitfalls to make the most out of A/B testing: 

• Testing too many variables at once — While you can definitely achieve positive results with multiple changes per version, you still have to isolate the exact detail that had the biggest impact. This is important for molding your strategy for future iterations. 
• Stopping tests too early — Don't get overly excited for sudden huge gaps in performance between variants. Ecommerce is a big numbers game, and performance over time is definitely more important than short-term spikes. 
• Ignoring segmentation — Again, remember to inspect the audience dimensions between variants. Focus on variables like traffic source, device type, operating system, and location.
• Not planning your timeline properly — As much as possible, avoid A/B testing periods that will include sales holidays and high-demand seasons. While you can adjust the numbers to address these events, it's easier and more reliable to run your test during long periods of typical customer behavior. 
• Focusing only on conversion rate — While conversion rate is important, there are other metrics and KPIs that can lead to considerable changes in profitability. Think Average Order Value (AOV), Customer Lifetime Value (CLV), and churn rate. 

Tools for Ecommerce A/B Testing Aside from VWO, there are other tools you should consider for your A/B testing efforts:

• Hotjar — A popular heatmap tool that visually tracks user engagement across different areas of your page. It also comes with built-in A/B testing features to help you build better-performing iterations.
• Crazy Egg — Similar to Hotjar, Crazy Egg is also a heatmap tracking software with an A/B testing tool right out of the box. You can also use it to analyze technical reports, like errors and traffic analytics. 
• Optimizely — This particular tool is a pound-for-pound alternative to VWO. While it's equipped with more advanced features, the tool also has a steeper learning curve. 

ConclusionA/B testing allows ecommerce businesses to make sense of the chaos and make solid, data-backed steps toward growth. It's a low-risk, high-reward optimization strategy that every brand should have at their disposal. Whatever you do, never go overboard with your variations. Ecommerce empires aren't built overnight. Focus on the long game, stick to calculated adjustments, and remember that small wins only lead to long-term success if you're consistent. In the meantime, don't forget to implement performance optimization tactics to ensure faster load times and seamless user experiences throughout the testing timeline. Nostra AI's Edge Delivery Engine is a plug-and-play solution that lets you achieve near-instant loading times regardless of traffic source. Learn more about the power of edge delivery and see what it means for your ecommerce business by booking a demo here!