When it comes to your small business marketing strategy, most companies adopt an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality. They find something that works well enough and stick with it, never trying anything new.
We get it. New can be scary. But what if your mediocre marketing strategy could be good? What if your good strategy could be great? What if your awesome strategy could be … well, awesome-er?
There’s always room for improvement, but unless you put your small business marketing strategy to the test, you’ll never know the full extent of you potential.
Here’s how to get started.
This or That?
In its simplest form, A/B testing is … simple. And it works for nearly anything: blog posts, email content, subject lines, website landing pages or even the prices you charge for your goods and services.
Depending on what you’re testing, the process can range from showing half your audience one thing (the A) and half of your audience the other (the B) to actually creating separate blog posts, landing pages, etc., to see which performs best.
Did you find a clear winner? Great! But unfortunately, it’s not always that easy.
Analyzing the Data
Analytics and metrics aren’t the sexiest words in the English language. In fact, they sound – and can actually be – pretty darn boring. But once you figure out what they mean for your small business, the end results are pretty exciting.
What you look for, and how you interpret your results, will depend on what you’re trying to achieve. Do you want a better click-through rate on your emails, or are you looking for sign-ups instead? Are you trying to find a way to get more people to read your blog or act on the special offer you include in the last line of your posts?
Your data may provide conflicting reports, but when you know what results you want to see before you start testing, it’s easier to find the right strategy.
When it comes to your small business, good isn’t always good enough. Testing your strategy – even if you only test one variable per week – will lead to a more focused and successful campaign.
Is all this testing talk giving you anxious flashbacks to middle school math class? Drop Mischa Communications a line. We know what it takes to help your small business earn an A+ in small business marketing!