Shopify A/B Testing – Ways to Increase Conversions & Sales Rates

Any business out there puts a major focus on boosting sales. With that purpose in mind, whole websites with custom design and software optimization are built. But what if you have a fully-featured dedicated corporate site or landing, yet it doesn’t bring any profit or income boosts? You need to define what exactly the issue is and which performance flaws you should mend. One of the most efficient methods out there is to conduct an AB test for your Shopify web store.

What is A/B testing?

A/B testing or bucket testing is a marketing method that allows juxtaposing the efficiency of two variants of a single solution based on certain identical factors. In such a way, you can come up with the most inviting types of copy, color schemes, sets of images, and other assets or even 

To conduct an A/B testing, you need to subdivide your target audience into two conditional groups. Two variants of one solution are demonstrated to two groups of users respectively. The most efficient results are defined based on the compared feedback of both. 

For instance, your marketing expert may have a hypothesis that if you customize the color scheme of your resource, making it softer and more tranquil, conversion rates may grow due to the user feeling warmer and more welcomed on the site. A good chunk of users, however, may prefer classic design decisions and minimalism. A/B testing allows identifying the difference between those opinions and going for the most business-profitable solution (or even testing a sale separately). 

Notice that A/B testing is a method that fits comparing two options exactly, no more, no less. For more options that need to be compared and measured in efficiency, other methods are used.  

How A/B Testing Works

Conducting an AB testing in Shopify environment consists of several stages, with each dedicated to a certain complex of events:

• Data collection. Everything starts with gathering information about which elements in particular could be customized or enhanced. These can include whole pages that indicate low conversion rates or significant bounce rates. Specialized systems that track traffic behavior are used for that. 

• Goal definition. Next up, an ultimate objective should be defined based on a set of readings and requirements that can make the element more efficient. 

• Hypothesis. You should also define why and how exactly the updated version of the element will be better. For example, why and how it would increase the number of incoming calls from potential clients. 

• Options. Then it is on to settling with two alternative options and implementing them with the help of a specialized service.

• The experiment. The alternative options are launched in public access and user behavior is analyzed from there on out. 

• Analysis. All the results are analyzed and juxtaposed. The initial purpose here is to see whether the defined difference is statistically significant or not. 

Why Your Shopify Store Needs A/B Testing

A/B testing ultimately allows you to objectively evaluate which type of a certain page would work better, attract and hold more users, eventually increasing conversions and sales rates. Surely, you can simply go with your intuition, but you need precise data if you want to make significant, felt changes. 

A/B tests are most necessary when you:

• Update or customize the design (font types, backgrounds, images, etc.);
• Addition of new widgets & plugins (e.g., buttons, chats, etc.);
• You need to change the number or size of order forms (e.g., add a “Buy now” button);
• You need to customize product description on the website (clarify nuances, remove irrelevant info);
• You need to customize prices;
• You need to add pictures or copy.

How AB Testing Works

If you are looking to figure out how to AB test on Shopify, you should first define which element you need to test with the help of this method. 

Homepage

The homepage is the main page – it is the first thing a potential client sees when they come across your brand. That’s why you should check the homepage traffic on the regular and conduct testing if you see negative spikes in traffic or conversion rates. Color schemes, item numbers, copy and images, type fonts – all that can be juxtaposed for emphasizing the most efficient decisions. 

Product page

Particular product pages should necessarily be checked for utter descriptiveness and informativity. Users view these pages to see only the most necessary information. And there shouldn’t be too much of it, only the essential points. Font type also plays a pretty important role here. In terms of the overall performance – how long does it take for your pages to load? That is another aspect that can be checked and optimized via bucket testing. 

Checkout page

This is, as opposed to the homepage, the last thing a user sees if they do decide to become your client. Checkout fields should be concise and there shouldn’t be anything cumbersome about them – don’t confuse your clients about making their payments. 

Product pricing

Similarly to overall descriptions, pricing should be utterly concise, be made in the comfortably-perceived font type, and have an optimal background.

Images

The location of pictures on your web pages may also play an important role in the overall perception of users, try not to stamp out all the text info with them. You should add lots of visuals to engage a modern user, but you shouldn’t overdo it and do everything with taste. 

Subscription forms

Any formal subscription form on the site should be as accessible and simple as possible. Otherwise, potential customers may be put off with the cumbersome looks of these formal fields. 

And don’t forget about testing changes in Shopify retail software as well after every significant customization.

The Best A/B Testing App & Tools for Shopify

There is a number of specialized software tools for the implementation of A/B testing. They make the expert’s work easier, optimizing many related processes.

This is a software service for testing website UI/UX. It is a perfect fit for an online shop based on the Shopify platform. It ultimately allows you to conduct A/B testing, gather and analyze user behavior data, and such. All in all, you can use this Google software to:

• Add, change or hide website elements, such as text blocks, images, and buttons;
• Juxtapose several landing pages at once;
• Efficiently test pages with different designs;

Optimizely

This one is intended especially for conducting thorough A/B testings. Its major capabilities include:

• Conducting simple experiments with images and buttons;
• Connecting scripts;
• Adjusting targeting;
• Testing time and audience distribution;

There are several licenses to choose from, each with an individual set of features. 

VWO

This is a whole platform for implementing A/B testing and personalizing web stores. The service has a visual editor to help you customize the site without involving any development specialists. 

Unbounce

This is quite an accessible online service to help you create landings, targeted pages, as well as to conduct A/B testing. It also allows creating and customizing registration forms for users.

Summary

We can safely say that A/B testing of an eCommerce store based on Shopify can ultimately point at which web elements should be customized or replaced in order to boost the overall traffic and conversion rates. Conducting such a split testing, you go from identifying the flaws to collecting the related data and fixing them based on it. 

There is special software to help you in your efforts, both paid and freeware. A/B testing can be a pretty automated procedure if you know from which side to approach it.