A/B testing or split testing is a crucial way to compare two versions of your creative, website layout, ads, and other digital assets to understand what works best with your audience. But it can be expensive and unmanageable even if only using the tools focused on giving you the best results.

Your Facebook Page however, offers a unique opportunity to test your website’s offerings quickly and with little cost.

A typical method of A/B testing is often expensive, just to ensure they’re performed correctly. The results are often worth the cost, but it depends on what you’re testing.

For example, a site-wide overlay may be worth this level of testing if comparing two site layouts i.e. web design Birmingham or website design Coventry, as opposed to a banner you might only be using on one page of your website.

The time it takes to complete A/B testing can vary greatly. When testing two elements of your website, it’s better to have the test run for a longer period of time for the most accurate results.

Traditional A/B testing can take a long time and can prove problematic if you are on a tight schedule.

How could Facebook help?

A/B testing on your Facebook page can be extremely beneficial especially for smaller campaigns.

By posting two versions of a photo or new site layout on Facebook and asking your audience specifically which they like best, web design Birmingham or website design Coventry  for instance, you can quickly see what’s performing better with your audience.

It’s quick, effective and best of all free!.

Virgin Atlantic has become the first airline in Britain to offer in-flight mobile phone calls, texts and web access in the air.
This new service will initially be available only on Virgin’s new Airbus A330, flying from London to New York but will become available on at least 10 routes by the end of the year.
Steve Griffiths, Virgin Atlantic’s chief operating officer, said he expected full WiFi to be available on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which the airline hopes to have in service by the end of 2014. He added that the airline was “actively looking at what customers want, rather than simply installing technology”.
British Airways already offers their passengers in-flight texts and web access on a single route between London City Airport and New York but it does not permit in-flight mobile phone calls.

A good Web design is now even more essential!

While this increases the time current surfers can access the web, it also means more competition for your company. Is your site’s ‘web design Coventry’ top of Google’s search list? Is your ‘website design Birmingham’ topping Yahoo’s list? Regular updates and maintenance help insure your site stays current. The quickest way to lose a customer is an outdated site, is your ‘web design Birmingham’ site still advertising your Christmas plans in May?
A captive audience is an advertiser’s dream, so make sure it’s your site they are accessing while sitting for hours on a long haul flight and your company they are using when they get off!

As a web designer your primary role is as a ‘window dresser’ for the website. It’s your job to attract the ‘window shopper’ i.e. the net surfers.

With the endless supply of ‘self-help’ techniques available and endless web sites promoting ‘how to advice’ it’s easy to think all you have to do is set up a web site and customers will come flocking.

However, for a web site to work you also need a web developer, who works behind the scenes and ensures the smooth operating and quick opening of the site.

What a web designer does

A web designer is responsible for the design, layout and look of a website. They will establish the purpose of the website based upon its target audience. They will identify the type of content the site will host, determine any functionality that the site must support, for example, whether it will handle financial transactions or enquiries and determine the layout, colors and styles.
This will determine the type of technology to use and how complex the site will be. The web designer will then need the web developer.

What a web developer does

A web developer is involved with the technical and graphical aspects of a website – how the site works, the maintenance and updating of an existing site.
After establishing the target audience for a website and identifying the type of content it will host, a web developer will write the programming code to meet your business requirements. They will test the website and identify any technical problems. Upload the site onto a server and register it with different search engines. They will know how to use the relevant software programming and graphics to make your site a success.