Advertising testing: the peculiarities of organising the research
The effectiveness of advertising depends on how well the marketing strategy matches the interests and characteristics of the target audience. Predicting which creative will be well received by consumers is often extremely difficult. Experts use A/B testing to find the right option. This involves comparing different approaches to find the best one.
When developing the ideal strategy, it is essential to understand that no universal tool exists. The same call to action (CTA) will produce different results for the same consumer category. Therefore, experts advise marketers not to spend much time searching for the perfect one. It is better to focus on the main objective of the promotion. The cost of advertising should be less than the profit from it.
Different conversion points can be considered as a variant of A/B testing. They can be any parameter of a marketing activity that can be the subject of measurement. For example, you can compare the number of real customers with the number of potential customers.
Key steps of testing
Conducting tests involves several basic steps. The first is data collection. One available option is reporting in the Google Analytics service. With its help, you can get a variety of data that will allow you to see an accurate picture of the promotion. Important information for marketers are:
- growth of new subscribers;
- site traffic and the length of time visitors stay on the site;
- the number of clicks and tracking which of these resulted in a targeted action.
All this data will form the basis for the development of several hypotheses. These will be confirmed or disproved by testing. An in-depth analysis of various aspects of marketing activities should form the basis of the hypotheses. In this case, specialists take into account market trends, consumer behaviour, competitors’ experience and other characteristics.
A well-constructed hypothesis allows you to:
- better track consumer motivation;
- focus on the objectives of the research;
- structure the activities.
You can do the testing yourself, but it is more convenient if you use a specialised service. They help you get accurate results and minimise errors. Marketers recommend running one test at a time. Otherwise, it will be difficult to understand precisely what caused the indicators to change. It is essential to consider the duration of the test. The test should last from two weeks. Only after this period can you assess the presence or absence of momentum.
There are no primary or secondary characteristics when looking for an effective creative. Sometimes, testing different shades of the same colour can significantly improve conversion rates. Competitive advantage can be in small things that can be difficult to track when developing an overall marketing strategy. The more testing options presented to consumers, the better the chances of finding the best choice.
