ln terms of website optimisation processes, multivariate testing (MVT) is one of the most beneficial tools any business can employ.
Multivariate (also known as multivariant) testing can lead to dramatic improvements in key metrics on your website. By comparing complex combinations of multiple changes, we can discover which version of your website or webpage performs most effectively, and most profitably.
What is Multivariate Testing?
In A/B Testing, we divide traffic to your site between two variations only: version A and version B. Multivariate testing works similarly, but splits traffic between several variations of a page with multiple changed elements.
MVT is a particularly useful tool for website optimisation if you need to test the impact of many or more radical changes on a page, rather than simply changing one element. But it’s not only for use with websites. We also use multivariate testing across other forms of digital marketing. It is commonly used to test ad copy in PPC ads, trying our variants of headlines and copy combined in different ways to discover which performs best.
In the case of PPC multivariate testing, the number of variables it’s possible to change is limited. With a website, on the other hand, testing can become far more complex. Since there are more elements to change, it becomes far more important that you begin with a carefully crafted hypothesis.
With larger volumes of variables, the sample size of visitors to your site must also be larger. Without a bigger audience, your ability to reach a statistically significant result is reduced. This is why multivariate testing requires more traffic on your test pages, or a longer time period to run the experiment.
Why Multivariate Tests are Essential
Multivariate testing is incredible rewarding when carried out, but complex and confusing if not approached correctly. However, in some scenarios multivariate testing may not be necessary, and A/B testing may suffice.
Multivariate testing is more suitable for businesses looking to make radical changes to their website on a variety of elements across each page.
For example, if you intend to change a title, image, form and headline all at once, there could be up to sixteen variations of a single page to test. Often, the results of multivariate testing are statistically smaller than with A/B testing. However, this is because of the smaller changes made to each variant.
Changes made during multivariate testing may seem more subtle, but the results are more specific. MVT can provide you with profitable business insights into how particular elements on the page work together to improve traffic, conversion rates, and sales. It is the ideal choice for optimising your landing pages and home pages.
Though multivariate testing requires more traffic, which often means longer tests, MVT is still a time saver. The process tests multiple variables at the same time, while still weighing the impact of each change against your company goals.
In short, it enables your website to be the best and most profitable version it can be.
Why Use Pivotal?
Multivariate testing is a powerful and highly profitable tool in the right hands. Without due experience, it’s easy for such complex tests to not live up to their full potential. Fortunately, we have the optimisation expertise you need to drive positive changes where you need them the most.
Running such complex tests requires time, effort, and knowledge to ensure that your MVT is as efficient and effective as possible. At Pivotal, we:
- Gather data from your existing website/marketing tools to form a solid hypothesis
- Develop multiple variations to test
- Determine the required sample size for statistically significant results
- Define your goals for conversion
- Run the multivariate testing by driving traffic to your site
- Analyse the results once statistical significance is reached and draw these into an easy-to-understand report
- Summarise the insights of the report and implement the required changes to fully optimise your site
“Great bunch to work with.”
Tom Hayden Director – Delocate Ltd