Mobile app a/b testing is constantly becoming a new normal for developers, designers, builders, and marketers. But what precisely is this a/b testing for mobile apps? How to conduct a/b testing on mobile apps? And how to do it the right way?
If you are also searching for the answers to these queries, we are sure that you will get your answer by the end of this blog! Let us get acquainted with everything you need to know about a/b testing in mobile apps!
What is a/b testing for mobile apps?
A/B testing, often referred to as a bucket or split testing, includes comparing two options and later analyzing their outcomes.
A/B testing can often be used to test, analyze and compare anything. However, it is often associated with mobile applications and websites.
While talking about mobile applications, it is primarily used for conversion rate optimization. Online businesses often optimize their website landing pages and enhance the return on investment with the help of app a/b testing.
Benefits of A/B Testing for Mobile Apps
App a/b testing is an industry-wide practice offering ample benefits to the users. Conducting the a/b testing can help high confidence level marketers to have in their analysis.
However, the ample benefits the a/b testing for apps provides:
- Optimizing the in-application engagements
- Learning what appropriately works for the diversified groups of audience
- Gaining a better understanding of the user’s behavior
- Observing the impact of the new features
- It helps eliminate the guesswork
- It allows the application marketers to rely on the data-driven conclusions
- Better resources use
- It provides a better ability to view application store experiences based on the user’s viewpoint
- It lets you analyze the engagement metrics
- It helps you attain the greater business objectives
And an astonishing fact about the a/b testing is that you cannot afford to avoid it.
This can help you ensure that the application is in its best possible state.
Different A/B Testing Types for Mobile Applications
There are two essential app a/b testing types that are more relevant to the developers and marketers. These types execute with identical principles but have diversified functions.
In-app a/b testing
With this a/b testing type, developers can see how modifications to the application’s UI and UX design can impact the various metrics, including engagement, session time, stickiness, LTV, and retention rates.
A/B testing for marketing campaigns
A/B testing is an excellent way to optimize conversion rates if we talk specifically about the marketers.
It helps drive installs and successfully retarget the users. For instance, finding out which ad creative can work best for any new user acquisition campaign can be figured out with this testing.
How does the app a/b testing work?
Every test generally starts with hypothesis formation. And the definitive instance of this includes the register or sign-up links.
Once the objective is identified, and the test options are recognized, the driving users towards the page begin.
However, this traffic is randomly distributed between several variations and the controlled versions.
There you can see a lot of comparable elements like different call-to-action styles, overall design, and many more. If you are testing app paywalls to boost revenue, there are some paywall elements you should be test on.
And the app a/b testing is a definitive helpful aspect to identify the icon’s effectiveness, descriptions, screenshots, directions, prices, headlines, store search outcomes, and many more.
This is an excellent data-based technique to test the different marketing strategies. However, it is also essential to ensure that you have enough users to get the appropriate outcomes.
The work needs to be done with a simple rule that includes “DBA”!
DEFINE! BUILD! APPLY!
- Define the reasons for which you are conducting the testing.
- Create the a and b, both testing scenarios.
- Apply the data acquired from the tests to make more informed decisions.
How to Conduct App A/B Testing?
App a/b testing is basically a cyclical process that can be used continually to optimize the application and associated campaigns.
Here is the complete guide on conducting the testing to get the right results.
1. Developing hypothesis
Developing a hypothesis marks the initiation of the entire process. This includes researching and analyzing the available information and creating a hypothesis based on the outcome.
Without proper research and analysis, it is challenging to define which variables are required to be tested.
For instance, if we talk about the e-commerce app and your hypothesis is having fewer products on the app launch so that it increases the session time.
What exactly needs to be done? Can it be pitched with a generic strategy?
Well no!
This hypothesis needs to be made earlier. That is during the prior research and may include the analysis of variables like defining the number of products to be displayed on the homepage.
Here’s a checklist to be analyzed before moving towards implementation:
- What exactly do you want to test?
- What is the goal of this test?
- Who is the targeted audience?
- How to proceed with the implementation phase if the hypothesis is disproven or proven too?
Pro-Tip!
In case you are struggling to define the tests, start by outlining the problem you would like to resolve. This is an excellent beginning point to define and will help monitor how to resolve the issue.
2. Segment your target audience
With the hypothesis done and variables defined well, you are all set to test these variables on the targeted audience samples.
However, it needs to be noted that multiple variables may give a lower confidence level during the entire analysis. This is because recognizing what variable has affected the whole campaign’s performance will be much more complicated.
You need to first segregate the audience group based on some variables.Then expose the segregated audience to the A and B versions.
3. Identify and Analyze variants
Now is the time to analyze and identify which variants deliver the best outcomes.
Prefer to look at every essential metric that may be influenced as this enables us to learn much more by conducting a single test only.
4. Performing the a/b tests on mobile apps
Once you have formulated all the theories and determined the variants for which you want to perform the testing, you must create the two different variations of the homepage. These pages need to be precisely the same with the difference in the elements you are looking forward to testing.
At this stage, ensure to have enough users to attain significant outcomes.
5. Review the outcomes
There are a large number of factors that are required to be considered before coming to a final outcome.
So make sure to consider everything to verify the results appropriately.
6. Implementing modifications
If the analysis results are positive, you can confidently pitch a larger audience to the successful modifications.
However, if the test was not conclusive, then this is also considered the valuable data that can be utilized while updating the hypothesis.
7. Adapt the hypothesis and then repeat it again
A/B testing on mobile apps allows businesses to develop their own hypothesis over time. So it is always beneficial to perform testing to explore new ways to augment the conversion.
BECAUSE THERE IS ALWAYS A CHANCE TO IMPROVE!
However, always continue to build the hypothesis on some raw and fresh data and then try to implement new tests.
Check out a guide on how to conduct A/B testing to optimize app paywalls.
Best practices to perform A/B testing!
To attain success, always choose to adopt the best practices to perform A/B testing.
This includes:
- Defining what exactly you would like to test.
- Try to be open to the surprises within your analysis.
- Do not ever cut short the tests for the immediate results (this includes even if you do not see the expected outcomes)
- Do not interrupt the tests with any additional modifications.
- Learn from performing your own tests rather than just reading the case studies.
Final takeaway!
App a/b testing is an excellent tool that allows the developers to recognize the growth metrics in the landing pages, which makes the significant enhancements depending upon the outcomes and understanding of their customer’s behavior.
These metrics analyses and insights can help drastically determine what is correct for the applications to breeze in the corporate world.
Enhance your user in-application experience with Appflow.ai’s subscription analytics and A/B Testing.
App A/B Testing: Your Comprehensive Guide
