Are you looking to optimize your website or app, but feeling unsure where to start? A/B testing is a powerful technique for improving key metrics like conversion rates, engagement, and revenue. But with so many elements you could test, it‘s hard to know which ones will actually move the needle.
That‘s why we‘ve rounded up 12 real-world A/B testing examples from top brands and businesses. These experiments demonstrate how simple changes to copy, design, UX, and more can drive incredible uplifts.
Whether you‘re a seasoned optimizer or just dipping your toes into A/B testing, you‘ll find inspiration and insights to apply to your own campaigns. Let‘s dive in!
What is A/B Testing?
First, a quick primer. A/B testing, also called split testing, is a method of comparing two versions of a webpage, email, ad, or other asset against each other to see which one performs better.
Version A is the control (the original), and version B is the challenger (with a specific variable changed). Half your traffic sees version A, half sees version B, and you measure which one gets better results.
The goal is to identify which changes have a positive impact so you can implement them permanently. A/B testing eliminates guesswork and allows you to optimize based on real user behavior.
Why You Need to Be A/B Testing
If you‘re not A/B testing, you‘re leaving money on the table. Here‘s why:
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Improve user experience: A/B testing reveals what resonates with your audience so you can create better digital experiences that satisfy and convert.
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Increase conversions and revenue: Even small lifts in conversion rates can lead to big gains in revenue, especially compounded over time. A/B testing is one of the highest ROI activities a company can engage in.
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Reduce risk: A/B testing allows you to validate changes before rolling them out permanently, mitigating risk compared to launching untested redesigns.
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Beat competitors: In crowded industries, A/B testing provides a data-driven competitive edge to differentiate your brand and offerings.
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Learn about your customers: A/B test results offer valuable insights into customer preferences and behaviors you can apply across your business.
With benefits like these, A/B testing isn‘t optional for growth-focused businesses – it‘s a must. Industry leaders like Amazon, Netflix, and Google have built a culture of experimentation and run thousands of A/B tests per year.
Now, on to the examples to inspire your next A/B test!
12 Successful A/B Testing Experiments to Learn From
1. Chrono24 lifts CTR 17% by optimizing PPC headlines
The problem: High-end watch retailer Chrono24 was struggling with low click-through rates on their Google Ads.
The test: The team hypothesized that more specific headlines calling out brands and prices would perform better. They A/B tested 3 variations:
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A) "Luxury Watches at Chrono24" (control)
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B) "Rolex from $3,500 at Chrono24"
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C) "Rolex & Omega up to -40% off"
The results: Variation B increased CTR by 17% while variation C saw a 14% lift compared to the generic control headline.
The takeaway: Specificity sells. Highlighting popular brands and starting price points pre-qualified traffic and boosted relevance for luxury watch shoppers.
2. BarkBox fetches 31% more paid signups with benefit-focused landing page copy
The problem: Subscription service BarkBox was getting lots of clicks on their PPC ads, but low conversion rates on their landing page.
The test: The team tested two different versions of landing page copy:
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A) Features-focused copy explaining what‘s in the box
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B) Benefits-focused copy highlighting how BarkBox makes dogs and owners happier
The results: The benefits-focused variant saw a 31% increase in paid signups and a 15% increase in total revenue.
Source: Barkbox
The takeaway: Selling benefits over features taps into customers‘ emotions and end goals. For BarkBox, dog owners care most about making their pups happy, not the granular box contents.
3. Upworthy boosts email CTR 131% by framing as a question
The problem: Viral media site Upworthy‘s daily newsletter open rates were solid, but click-through rates were underperforming.
The test: Upworthy tested a statement subject line vs. a question:
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A) "How The World‘s Most Brilliant People Scheduled Their Days" (statement)
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B) "How Did The World‘s Most Brilliant People Schedule Their Days?" (question)
The results: The question variant generated a 131% increase in CTR compared to the statement.
The takeaway: Questions pique curiosity and engage readers better than statements. They create an open loop that subscribers feel compelled to click through and close.
4. WallMonkeys swings to 550% more sales by offering free shipping
The problem: Wall decal retailer WallMonkeys was experiencing high cart abandonment rates.
The test: After surveys revealed shipping costs as the top reason for abandonment, WallMonkeys decided to test offering free shipping on all orders over $50. They set up three variations:
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A) No free shipping (control)
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B) Free shipping on orders over $50
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C) Free shipping on orders over $100
The results: Variation B drove a 550% increase in sales and 15% better AOV compared to the control. Variation C didn‘t perform much better than the control.
The takeaway: Shipping costs are a major point of friction. While offering free shipping does eat into margins, the substantial sales boost more than makes up for it – if you set the right threshold.
5. Hum Nutrition lifts mobile revenue 142% by optimizing for thumb reach
The problem: Healthy snack brand Hum Nutrition saw that mobile traffic and revenue lagged behind desktop.
The test: Using thumb reach heat maps, the team hypothesized the "Shop" and "Cart" CTAs were placed too high on mobile screens. They A/B tested moving these elements to the bottom nav bar instead:
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A) Top navigation, no icons
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B) Bottom sticky navigation with icons for Shop, Cart, More
The results: The mobile-optimized variant generated a 142% increase in mobile revenue and 32% increase in mobile conversion rate.
The takeaway: Designing for the mobile user‘s physical experience – like thumb reach – is just as important as visual design. Always QA test placements across devices.
6. HubSpot grows demo requests 35% by reducing form fields
The problem: HubSpot‘s demo request landing page was underperforming on conversions.
The test: The team tested reducing the number of form fields to lower friction:
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A) 9 form fields including "Website" and "Phone" (control)
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B) 4 essential form fields only
The results: The simplified variant with fewer fields increased demo requests by 35%.
The takeaway: Every additional form field is a potential conversion killer. Eliminate all but the most crucial fields to capture leads. You can always progressive profile later.
7. LessAccounting doubles paid conversions with a long-form landing page
The problem: Accounting software provider LessAccounting‘s short-form landing page was generating plenty of sign-ups, but few paid conversions after the 30-day free trial.
The test: The team tested a much longer landing page with detailed product information, customer reviews, and FAQs to better educate prospects before sign-up:
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A) Short landing page
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B) Long landing page with detailed information
The results: The long-form variant nearly doubled paid conversions. While sign-up volume decreased slightly, lead quality and free-to-paid conversion rates were much higher.
The takeaway: For higher-priced products, more information pre-signup ensures better lead qualification and ROI. A/B test short vs. long landing pages to find the ideal depth for your audience.
8. SurveyMonkey improves homepage conversions 16% by reducing anxiety
The problem: SurveyMonkey saw a pattern of users visiting their pricing and plans pages multiples times without converting, indicating anxiety about picking the right plan.
The test: The team added a "which plan is right for me?" tool to the homepage and tested two variants:
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A) No plan recommendation tool
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B) Plan recommendation tool
The results: The version with the recommendation tool lifted homepage conversions by 16%.
The takeaway: Proactively addressing fears, uncertainties, and doubts (FUDs) in the buying process boosts conversions. Quizzes and recommendation tools build trust and guide decisions.
9. Groove HQ raises free trial starts 53% with video
The problem: Help desk software Groove wasn‘t getting as many free trial starts from their homepage as projected.
The test: The team tested adding a product video to the hero section to better convey their value prop:
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A) No video, text CTA
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B) Product explainer video, text CTA
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C) Product explainer video, image thumbnail CTA
The results: Variants B and C both outperformed the control, with the video thumbnail CTA generating 53% more free trial starts.
The takeaway: Videos demonstrate value props and use cases that can be hard to convey through text alone. Test explainer videos on key pages like your homepage and product pages.
The problem: Clothing retailer Betabrand captured emails with an exit-intent popup but suspected they were missing opportunities earlier in the browsing session.
The test: The team tested showing the popup at different time triggers:
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A) After 15 seconds
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B) After 30 seconds
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C) At 50% page scroll depth
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D) On exit intent (control)
The results: The 15-second time trigger grew email sign-ups by 300% compared to exit intent. The other variants also outperformed the control.
The takeaway: Exit intent popups can work well, but you risk losing subscribers who never trigger it. Test earlier time and scroll-based popup triggers, which Betabrand found captured emails from more engaged users.
More A/B Testing Examples by Channel and Goal
Here‘s a quick reference table summarizing even more real-world A/B testing examples to inspire your own experiments:
| Company | A/B Test | Channel | Goal | Result |
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| Humana | Single vs. multi-column form layout | Mobile | Increase form completions | +24% form completions |
| 2Checkout | Remove navigation & simplify checkout | Website | Reduce cart abandonment | +15% checkout completions |
| Spreadshop | Homepage hero CTA above vs. below fold | Website | Increase CTA clicks | +606% CTA clicks above fold |
| Glow Recipe | Product shot vs. in-context ad visual | Paid Social | Boost ROAS | +30% sales with in-context visual |
| Bluewire Media | Plain text vs. video thumbnail in email | Improve CTR | +42% CTR with video thumbnail |
Sources: VWO, CXL
How to Run Your Own A/B Tests: Best Practices
Ready to start A/B testing? Here are 6 best practices to maximize insights, results, and ROI from your experiments:
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Know your number #1 metric: Identify the core conversion metric you want to optimize for, whether that‘s signups, sales, or something else. A good A/B test metric is specific, trackable, and tied to business goals.
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Start with big changes: A/B test substantial changes first, like completely redesigned CTAs, headline and copy rewrites, and new page layouts. If you see a big impact from a big change, then you can follow up and test smaller optimizations.
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Create a hypothesis for every test: Your hypothesis is your informed prediction of what you think will happen and why. Use this template: If [change], then [result] because [rationale]. Tying your A/B tests to a hypothesis ensures you‘re testing strategically, not just making random changes.
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Prioritize high-traffic pages: Focus on A/B testing pages that get the most traffic and influence your key metrics. Think Homepage, pricing, checkout, top blog posts, PPC landing pages, and high-volume emails and ads. Optimizing high-traffic touchpoints offers the most bang for your buck.
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Determine statistical significance: Statistical significance gives you confidence your A/B test results aren‘t just due to random chance. Use a sample size calculator to determine how many visitors you need to reach significance at a 95% confidence level.
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Always be testing: A/B testing isn‘t a one-off project. The most successful companies are always running multiple A/B tests across the entire funnel and customer journey. Build a robust experimentation roadmap with prioritized test ideas.
Wrapup: Unleash the Power of A/B Testing
A/B testing is a requirement for any business serious about growth. By continuously validating ideas, measuring impact, and challenging assumptions, you‘ll create a more effective, customer-centric experience.
The 12 examples here prove how even a single A/B test can massively move the needle. But they‘re just a small sample of what‘s possible.
To build an optimization engine, you need a strategic system for prioritizing, running, and extracting insights from A/B tests on an ongoing basis. Treat every A/B test as a stepping stone to better understand your unique audience.
The best part? A/B testing is a virtuous cycle. Every test sparks new ideas and hypotheses to test, compounding your learnings. Follow the best practices, stay curious, and make experimentation a competitive advantage.