How do you segment and target your audience for A/B testing?

1 Define your goals and hypotheses

Before you start testing, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and how you expect to achieve it. Your goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Your hypotheses should be based on data, insights, or assumptions about your audience and their behavior. For example, you might have a goal to increase sign-ups by 10% in one month, and a hypothesis that adding a testimonial to your landing page will boost your credibility and trust.

2 Identify your segments and criteria

Next, you need to decide who you want to include or exclude from your test. Your segments should be based on meaningful criteria that relate to your goals and hypotheses. You can use various sources of data, such as analytics, surveys, feedback, or personas, to segment your audience. For example, you might want to segment your audience by demographics, location, device, behavior, or stage in the customer journey.

3 Choose your targeting method and tool

Once you have your segments, you need to choose how you will target them for your test. You can use different methods, such as random sampling, cookie-based targeting, URL-based targeting, or custom targeting, depending on your needs and resources. You also need to choose a tool that can help you implement your targeting method and track your results. There are many tools available, such as Google Optimize, Optimizely, VWO, or Unbounce, that offer various features and functionalities for A/B testing.

4 Test your targeting and variations

Before you launch your test, you need to make sure that your targeting and variations are working properly. You can use tools like BrowserStack, Ghost Inspector, or UserTesting to test your variations on different browsers, devices, and scenarios. You can also use tools like Google Tag Manager, Google Analytics, or Mixpanel to verify that your tracking and reporting are set up correctly. You should also test your targeting with a small sample of your audience to ensure that they are seeing the right variation.

5 Monitor and analyze your results

Finally, you need to monitor and analyze your results to see if your hypotheses are validated or rejected. You should use statistical methods and tools to determine if your results are significant and reliable. You should also look for any unexpected outcomes or insights that might reveal something new about your audience or their preferences. You should also consider the impact of external factors, such as seasonality, competition, or trends, on your results.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?