The end of Google Optimised - what does it really mean for marketers?

Now the dust has settled, we can now understand what this really means for businesses.?

It wasn’t long ago that Google Optimise was the hot new A/B testing feature, but the rumours were true and the Sunset has officially been announced. You will no longer be able to run any A/B testing using the Google Optimise platform, cry!?

[Google Optimised, formerly called Google Website Optimiser, is an analytics and testing tool created by Google. The platform allows users to run experiments with the aim of increasing conversion rates and overall user experience.]

As predicted, not only have Google made job cuts, but they have discontinued a product line. Google Optimise will no longer be available after 30th September, 2023. Current experiments and personalisations will still be active until this date.?

What does this mean?

Marketers currently using Google Optimise will need to find an alternative solution for their website testing and personalisation needs.?

Planning of the migration process to another platform needs to be implemented sooner rather than later to ensure a smooth transition and avoid any disruption to current testing and personalisation efforts.?

It’s possible that Google Optimise will find a new home within GA4, the sunset comes with promises of investment into experimental features in GA4.

Although unfortunately, there are no confirmations of what and how this will look within the feature as we all know GA4 is still an unfinished product in itself. However, this announcement is another reason marketers must familiarise themselves with the tools of GA4, since Google has promised the move of A/B testing there.?

The discontinuation of Optimise comes from Google moving investments over to more robust A/B testing capabilities such as GA4. They have said that their focus is now on providing effective user experience improvement tools through GA4. Despite the longevity of Optimise, Google states that it does not meet the evolving demands of their customers.?

Marketers are not happy with the change and it comes as no surprise as Google is yet to announce what and how Optimise will be replaced.?

But where do we go from here?

Google plans to provide a solution to Google Optimised in GA4 by expanding the A/B testing capabilities, but it’s unlikely the features will be available by the time Optimise is sunset.

There are talks of Google integrating with other A/B testing partners, which may allow those that currently use a third-party tool, to transfer their testing data to GA4.

It is important to communicate changes in processes to teams, clients and stakeholders and ensure that any ongoing testing or personalisation campaigns are not negatively impacted by the transition to the new platform. Optimised users are encouraged to download their data before it becomes unavailable in September.?

Although this is annoying to say the least, this gives you the opportunity to find a platform better suited to your needs. Start researching alternatives, there are plenty out there but of course, the first place to start is GA4. Hopefully you have already started to implement GA4, as that is where the next ‘version’ shall we say, of Optimise will sit.

Alternative platforms might be the future!

Looking for alternative platforms or products in this vast digital space can be scary. You need to narrow down your expectations and what you want the product to achieve in order to choose successfully.

Our friends over at Webeo can help to improve conversion rates, and act as an alternative to Google Optimise. Alongside their website personalisation software, they offer A/B testing to test which personalised versions of your webpages are hitting the highest conversions. Adding a new tech platform during a website rebuild is perfect timing as you can A/B test your current website to test which variables are increasing your conversions.?

Google optimised will go down in marketing history as one of the most short-lived, but most loved digital tools. We just hope that Google commits time to finalising GA4 so we are not left without an affordable, and beginner-friendly A/B testing option, instead of battling with Microsoft for ‘AI Digital Giant’ status!?