“Always be testing.” There’s a reason why app developers embrace this mantra for improving engagement and performance with their apps. Performing A/B tests with your app can ultimately help you:
A/B testing is an essential part of learning and growing when developing your app business. When conducting A/B tests, users are randomly placed into different segments, and each group is shown either the A or B experience.
After enough users go through the experiment in separate cohorts, you can see the results and understand which version leads to the higher conversion or response.
The purpose of A/B testing is to understand how your users are converting. It also helps you understand user behavior and preferences so you can be more strategic in the type of systems and features you build, in addition to analyzing performance and measuring conversions.
You can test and analyze just about anything—quick examples of A/B tests may include:
At its core, A/B tests compare two versions of the same variable to see the impact.
When running tests, best practices include:
Always start with a hypothesis so you can analyze the results and make the necessary changes. No matter how much you think you know or understand what your users are doing, confirming it with an A/B test will allow you to have more confidence in making your next decision. Improving your conversion metrics will help you drive higher profits and performance within your app and ultimately scale your business. Gaining a better understanding of the user’s behaviors and motivations ultimately improves the overall quality of your app.
Here are three A/B tests you should run to improve your profits.
According to one report, 55 percent of mobile app users abandon an app one month after downloading and 21 percent of mobile app users abandon an app after only launching it once. This means retention should be at the top of mind when testing your app. How frequently your users return to your app within a specified timeframe (usually 30 days) is your retention rate.
Test at every stage. Here are a few considerations for what to test after a user has downloaded your app:
Onboarding is considered one of the most important A/B tests to better understand user experience. It’s the first time a user engages with your app so it’s critical to understand at which point users are finding success with your app.
Make a great impression from the get-go. This includes ensuring users understand your app’s unique features and benefits, which helps keep them engaged.
The key findings during the onboarding phase should be to understand when users find value in your app.
Here are A/B tests to help improve your onboarding:
Your app’s copy is a crucial part of the user experience and a strong way to sway what the user does.
It is also a big part of getting noticed in the app stores, also known as ASO or app store optimization. Once the user finds your app, make sure the copy and messaging are concise, emotional, and action-motivated and show the value to motivate users to take the next step. Whether it’s to share the app on social media channels, leave a review on the app store, or make an in-app purchase, testing the impact of your copy should be an on-going process.
Here are some ideas for A/B testing:
A/B testing is a useful tool to help you identify what to improve upon and what to double down on. The benefits may include:
The discoveries resulting from your A/B tests can lead to significant business improvements and help you understand your audience and their behavior.
Watch AppLovin’s Ask the Dev to find out how Etermax improved their testing and ROI.
