Insights · Convert · A/B testing
A/B testing for small businesses: how to run your first test
By Tom O, Senior Performance Specialist
Published · 3 minute read
The short answer
A/B testing shows two versions of a page or ad to different visitors at the same time and measures which brings more enquiries. For a small business, test one big change at a time, such as the headline, the offer or the form length, run each test for full weeks until you have enough enquiries to trust the result, and judge it on qualified enquiries rather than clicks.
I love A/B testing because it settles arguments. Instead of debating whether a shorter form would work better, you test it and let real visitors decide. Here is how to run your first test properly.
What is A/B testing?
Half your visitors see version A, half see version B, at the same time. You compare how many from each group enquire. Because both run together, seasonal and day-of-week effects affect both equally.
What should you test first?
| Test | Why it is a good first test |
|---|---|
| Headline | The first thing everyone reads |
| Offer | "Free consultation" vs "Fixed-fee quote in 1 hour" |
| Form length | Fewer fields often means more enquiries |
| Proof position | Reviews beside the form vs lower down |
| Call to action | "Book a call" vs "Get my quote" |
How long should a test run?
- Run for whole weeks, so every day of the week is included.
- Wait until each version has a meaningful number of enquiries, not just visits.
- Do not stop early because one version is ahead after two days.
- Use your testing tool’s confidence figure as a guide.
What if you do not have much traffic?
With low traffic, a true A/B test can take months. Instead, make research-led changes, using heatmaps, session recordings and what your team hears on calls, and compare results before and after over the same length of time.
Which tools can you use?
Google Optimize closed in 2023. Today, tools such as VWO and Convert run website tests, many landing page builders have testing built in, and Google Ads and Meta both offer their own experiment features for ads.
About the author
Tom O, Senior Performance Specialist. Tom runs campaigns across Google, Meta and LinkedIn and leads our landing page projects, making sure every pound a client spends has a clear commercial purpose.
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