Should you run the same test across all devices? 

Or let me rephrase, should you be A/B testing on mobile or desktop separately, or not? 

Well, the correct answer is of course that you should run separate tests on mobile and desktop. 

That is a no-brainer…

But when you answer that question, the way I did, you generate another smaller, tangential question such as: 

Most of us in the conversion optimization world know that we should always be learning. 

And as any experienced optimizer knows, the only way to continually learn is through rigorous experimentation and documentation. 

But all too often, small startups put themselves at a disadvantage by frowning upon the documentation part or viewing it as an optional formality. 

Unknown to them, not documenting experimentation insights makes building a meaningful experimentation program challenging and impedes learning. 

By documenting your A/B testing insights, you can ensure that you and your team constantly learn, improve, and can quickly reproduce results.

Not to mention, it’s …

Do you know what’s easy to do? 

Setting up and running A/B tests. 

Do you know what’s difficult to do?

Coming up with winning A/B test ideas! 

Yes. Anyone can come up with A/B testing ideas but not everyone can come up with winning A/B testing ideas.

This is why 1 out of 7 tests succeed.

How far out do you need to plan your holiday A/B testing strategy?

Some online retailers take two weeks to plan. Some take a couple of months. And, others need a few weeks to prepare. 

There seems to be no right or wrong answer to that question. 

At some point, I used to think that it was impossible to come up with and execute a successful holiday testing program in few days. 

That was before I witnessed our CRO team create and execute one three days before Black Friday. 

Yes, it’s a true story! 

How many A/B tests do you run every month?

How about every year?

Now. How many tests should you be running every year?

You probably don’t know the answer to the third question.

You’re not alone – most marketers can’t answer that with confidence.

If you are new to testing and want to explore personalization, you first have to play with easy-to-use tools before taking a deep dive into a pool of complicated tools. 

One of the most common easy-to-use testing tools is from Google and it’s known as Google Optimize. 

When it comes to Google Optimize, I’ve realized that marketers have a love and hate relationship with the tool. 

Some marketers enjoy using Google Optimize for their experiments. And other marketers totally hate it. 

This is a clear indication that Google Optimize has a good, bad, and ugly side – it depends on …

The value that Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) brings to the table is now indisputable. Although we still come across top executives who are still skeptical of its value, the CRO concept has proved its worth to the mainstream. 

However, most organizations’ implementation of a CRO program is still not optimal, which could be why some managers are still skeptical. 

While the outcomes associated with a good CRO program are obvious, ranging from improved conversions to high retention rates, the suboptimal optimization program’s consequences are frequently overlooked. And they can hurt your business where it matters the most – ROI. 

I bet you’d agree that you might lack a certain degree of direction in your testing program when you aren’t clear on your business goals. 

Essentially, you end up getting pulled in opposite directions – and that can cause a lot of confusion, which then leads to an optimization program that doesn’t add to the business’s growth. 

That’s why it’s important to consider aligning business goals with conversion goals.