Why You Should Be Using Multivariate Testing

Is Testing Strategic?

WDG provides our clients with a process that constructs effective websites. We focus on the fundamental elements of strategy, design, and development when building a site. We must utilize the strategy phase effectively. Not only do we use strategy at the beginning of the process but in the end as well.

Testing usability and efficiency after building a site can provide the client with the highest satisfaction. Using multivariate testing to ensure that your site is performing as efficiently as possible is extremely important and is often a forgotten portion of the strategy.

What is Multivariate Testing?

In a constantly changing digital world, it is imperative to adjust and adapt in order to maximize conversions. There are many methods to approach this, but a tool that WDG has found to be the most effective is multivariate testing. Also commonly known as multi-variable testing.

Multivariate testing is an analytics tool that experiments with multiple variants and determines which variables perform best. WDG uses testing to continuously improve site performance for clients even after their redesign is complete. Site visitors are randomly assigned variables and tests are performed on their behavior. These variables are generally small changes to the content, design components, verbiage, etc. Statistics regarding the performance of these various changes are produced.

Why use it?

Reference the data collected in order to improve your site. Testing can be an endless cycle since preferences change, technology improves, and thousands of variables exist. You must be deliberate in your testing. Think critically about what it is you are trying to achieve. Strategize about what to test in order to remain efficient.

Again, multivariate testing improves the performance of your site and ensures you are able to meet conversion goals. Ultimately if you are achieving your goal, no matter what it is, you are improving your bottom line. Testing conversion goals ensure your site changes are quite literally paying off.

How should you use it?

Deciding what to test can be somewhat challenging. When testing different variables it is smart to be strategic. The first step is to determine the goal of your site; are you trying to sell a product, encourage downloads, or increase membership? From there, determine the goal of each page; what is your call to action (CTA)? If customers should click a button, test different variables that would encourage that action. Change the color, the text, the shape of the button, etc., to determine which will be the most effective. Changing the content on the page or the location of the CTA may also be valuable to test. All different combinations of variables can be made using multivariate testing.

Multivariate testing can be more effective than simple A/B testing. Many different combinations are available with multivariate tests, not just two distinct variables. Have more questions about how you can maximize your site through multivariate testing? Contact us, we would love to talk!