What is A/B testing? A/B testing is one of the oldest and simplest ways of informing decisions. It involves comparing two similar entities and deciding which is best (aka “optimizing for performance”). 

How does A/B testing work? Let’s say you’re getting ready to send your company’s monthly newsletter. You’ve narrowed down the subject lines to two choices. You create two groups. One will receive Newsletter A and the other will get Newsletter B. You then compare open rates, unsubscribes, click-throughs and see which performed better – Newsletter A or Newsletter B.

Why is A/B testing important to marketers?In this data-driven world, you need to show proof in the form of numbers and percentages to determine what works. If you want to improve something on your website or app (e.g., button colors, font styles, copy, etc.), then create two versions: A and B. Version A might be the current one, and version B has a change you want to test, like a different color for a “Buy Now” button. It’s the democratic process in the truest sense, as the audience’s natural reactions decide what works.

Who needs to know what A/B testing is:Of course, in a world of infinite options, the binary approach to user feedback can be a little too simple. But if the purpose is to fine tune an offering to an audience, A/B testing remains an essential tool for any job or company that does any marketing whatsoever (i.e., “every business.”) 

Still, A/B testing is primarily associated with these roles:

• Digital marketers
• Content marketers
• Email marketers
• Paid search marketers
• Social media marketers
• Web designers
• Product managers
• eCommerce businesses
• SaaS companies
• B2B companies
• B2C companies

Use A/B testing in a sentence: “To understand your audience’s preferences, you can apply A/B testing to various aspects of your email marketing campaigns, such as subject lines, sending times, call-to-action buttons, and body content, depending on your business and subscribers.”