A/B Testing

A/B testing is a way of using randomized experiments with two variants, A and B, which are the control and treatment in an controlled experiment. A/B Testing is often used in web development and marketing, as well as in other forms of advertising, Other names for A/B Testing are:

• randomized controlled experiments
• online controlled experiments
• split testing

The goal is to find changes to web pages that maximize an the likelyhood of an action like:

• Making a sale
• Clicking on an advertisement
• Liking a page
• Making a referral

In an A/B test two versions (A and B) are compared, which are the same except for one variation that might impact a user's behavior. Version A might be the currently used version (Control), while Version B is modified in some respect (Treatment). For example, on an e-commerce website the purchase funnel is typically a good candidate for A/B testing, as even small improvements in drop-off rates can cause a significant gain in sales. Significant improvements can be seen through testing elements like copy text, layouts, images and colors.