Key A/B testing concepts explained

A/A testing is a statistical test performed to compare two identical experiences on a random set of users. While the traffic is distributed equally among both variations, the objective of an A/A test is to validate a statistical test that it returns no difference in conversion rates between the two experiences.

A/B testing is an experimentation process where two or more versions of a web page/product/app (or an element of a webpage/product/app) are tested on the audience for specific goals to measure which version creates the highest impact on business metrics.

A/B/n testing is a method used in website optimization to compare multiple versions (A, B, and potentially more, hence the "n") of a webpage, feature, or element.

In the digital world, ‘above the fold’ in a website means the content a visitor sees when your page loads before they scroll down.

Account-based marketing (ABM) is a strategic marketing strategy focussing on a few large and important or potential accounts which hold a greater promise of adding to a business's bottom line.

Ad viewability is a key metric in digital advertising that tracks the number of ads served by digital advertisers which are actually seen by users.

Affiliates act as intermediaries between businesses and potential customers by utilizing various marketing strategies to drive traffic and generate sales.

Alt text is a snippet of descriptive text-based substitute for non-text content or an embedded piece of HTML code that conveys the meaning and context of a visual item (photos, graphics) in a digital environment such as web pages, PDFs, or apps.

Anchor text refers to the visible clickable words that help in moving from one web link to another. It is usually displayed in a different color and could be underlined. A good link text informs the user of the context/outcome of clicking that link.

App personalization is the process of customizing the in-app experience to a user's unique requirements and preferences.

An interface/intermediary that allows two applications/programs to talk to each other.

Authority sites are the websites that the search engines consider to be of high-quality.

Average order value (AOV) refers to the average amount of money spent by a customer when they place an order on a website, mobile app, or in-store.

Backlinks refer to clickable links on one website pointing to another website. If a website links to your site, then you have got a backlink from them. If you link to another website, then that website has a backlink from you.

Banner blindness refers to internet consumers' tendency to ignore or miss banner advertisements, making them useless.

Baseline conversion rate is the existing conversion rate of a website, which an A/B test attempts to improve.

Bayesian is one of the two mutually exclusive sets of statistical fundamentals (the other one being Frequentist statistics) that can be used to model any statistical problem. Bayesians consider the parameter of interest to be subjective (a distribution of possibilities) described by a belief distribution that is updated on observing data.

Behavioral science represents the study of human behavior through the use of systematic experimentation and observations.

Behavioral targeting allows marketers to target customers based on their web-browsing behavior with relevant content that improves campaign effectiveness.

‘Below the fold’ refers to the bottom section of a web page that is only visible after scrolling down.

A “bounce” occurs when a user visits a website and leaves without interacting or performing any action. The bounce rate refers to the percentage of visitors who bounce off a site.

Brand Engagement is the process of building and sustaining a customer’s commitment/attachment to a brand.

Breadcrumb navigation, usually shown as a secondary navigation bar at the top of a webpage, is a feature that reveals the hierarchy of the website and the user’s location within it.

Bucket testing is a technique that compares the performance of two or more iterations of the same page.

Cost per thousand impressions (CPM) is a paid advertising option frequently used to calculate how many thousands of individuals your marketing or advertising item has made an impression on.

A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is an effective tool for businesses to manage customer interactions and relationships.

Controlled experiment using pre-experiment data (CUPED) is a variance reduction technique used in A/B testing.

A call to action (CTA) is a written instruction in marketing campaigns that encourages or prompts website visitors to take the desired action.

Campaign scheduling allows you to plan when your campaigns will start and stop, making sure they reach your target audience at the optimal times. You can set start and pause dates and times, and even repeat your campaigns on a set schedule. Scheduling your campaigns helps you avoid conflicts, optimize your data, and maximize the impact of your campaigns on your target audience.

Canary testing is the process of employing actual users in a live (production) environment to test a new software version or functionality.

A canonical URL is the preferred version or the best representative of a web page amongst a group of duplicate pages.

Cart abandonment occurs when customers add items/products to their online shopping cart but leave the website without making a purchase or completing the transaction.

Churn Rate is a metric that refers to the percentage of customers who unsubscribe from a service and discontinue any kind of engagement with an entity over some time.

Click area is the clickable or tappable part of links and buttons on websites and apps. It is the area that gets highlighted while hovering over a button or link.

Click-through pages are standalone web pages designed with a singular purpose: to entice visitors to click through to another page, typically a sales page or a registration form.