The Varieties Of Split Testing Software Experience | Internet Marketing

By DominicDeLong
Total views: 2
Word Count: 636

Split testing works. Use it well, and you will improve your conversion rates, and, thus, your profits. And, if you are advertising, or have significant product costs, raising your conversion rate just a little can raise your profits a lot. But there are many different kinds of split testing software out there.

I can't discuss every feature of every testing tool out there, but I can give you a major overview of the different kinds of split testing software.

The first main division is between simple split testing (single variable) and multivariate testing.

Single variable split testing is very simple. You just try stuff and measure the results. And all you need is a tool that rotates and keeps score.

There are a few simple split testing tools available. Some are free and some cost money. Google offers a free tool, though you do have to have an Adwords, and an Analytics account to use it.

Single variable testing can be slow. How would you like to test 10 times as much with the same amount of traffic? Well, you can. You use a method called multi-variable, or multivariate testing. This allows you to test several elemens on your page simultaneously.

So there's the main distinction between single variable testing and multivariate testing. But once you get into the realm of multivariate testing the options seem to multiply again. One difference among multivariate tools is between tools that are hosted on someone else's server, and ones that you install on the same server as your webpages. Hosted solutions can be slower, and more expensive, but you don't have to install any software.

Google Website Optimizer is a hosted plan. But it requires you to have an Adwords account and an analytics account. There is also a reporting delay. Other hosted plans include SiteSpect, and Offermatica. The Split Test Accelerator an MuVar are installed solutions.

Taguchi testing is only one kind of multivariate testing. There are also "full factorial" tools, and random independent rotators. When you run a Taguchi test, you run only a small fraction of the possible combinations of your factor levels. You might, for instance, run only 18 pages to test 4374 combinations. This is made possible by orthongonal arrays. This allows you to find the best combination with out running through all of them. You do have to be careful about your factors interacting negatively with each other, but if you take care as you design your test, you can avoid the bulk of the problem with these. The Split Test Accelerator, Vertster, and Kaizentrack are Taguchi testing tools.

When you run full factorial tests, as you would with Google's Website Optimizer, you create a few factors, and a few options for each factor, and the software cycles through each combination. So, if you have 5 factors with 2 options each, you would cycle through 32 different pages. FFT can be used like a Taguchi test for small test designs. Or, if you run a lot more traffic to it, you can deal even more effectively with interaction effects by just letting all the interactions (good and bad) play out. Note that you can't run as many combinations with full factorial tools as you can with a Taguchi too.

Some multivariate tools randomly serve the options for each factor independently from what is served for the other factors. This can lead to more flexible test design, but also to more interaction effects and other statistical noise, leading to longer tests.

There are other distinctions and features worth noting. And each solution has a different mix of pros and cons. But this should get your oriented a bit before you make your decision.

About the Author

Dominic DeLong has used split testing software for years to improve landing pages.

You are here Articles > Internet Marketing