There's nothing more frustrating than launching an ad campaign that doesn't convert, or doesn't convert well enough. Despite hours of work thinking up and creating your ad campaign. It just doesn't attract the expected crowd...

At the risk of disappointing you, the time and effort you invest in creating a campaign doesn't correlate with the results it will deliver. The same applies to the effectiveness of your banner ads.

To remedy this, there's a proven method: AB testing. It's a well-known method in digital marketing that enables you to improve the effectiveness of your campaigns. It consists in testing, iterating and repeating until you find a profitable visual or textual version.

In this article, we'll take a look at what AB testing is and how it works on banner ads. We'll then go on to explain the advantages of this technique when it comes to optimizing results. Finally, we'll explain how Abyssale simplifies this process, which can seem insurmountable for banner ads.

What is AB testing on banner ads?

AB testing is a method of comparing different versions of an element, such as banner ads, to determine which one converts best. It can be used to confirm or rule out hypotheses concerning the effectiveness or otherwise of a visual element.

In the case of banner ads, AB testing consists of creating and testing different variations of visuals to evaluate their effectiveness and impact on an advertising campaign.

Let's take an example. Suppose you want to create banner ads to promote a product. You create two versions of this banner* :

  • The first can highlight the price of your product.
  • The second can emphasize the product's unique features.

(*) We assume that, apart from the elements mentioned above, the two banners are exactly the same. This allows you to isolate a particular element to test its effectiveness.

Once created, you'll broadcast these two banner ads to your target audience at random. Then measure the results by looking at the click-through rate, conversion rate or cost per acquisition for each version of your banner ads. Ad serving platforms like Google ads or Facebook ads, for example, offer simple interfaces for measuring and reading this data.

Once you've compared the results, you can decide which one gives you the best results. Then you can continue to optimize it.

AB test and repeat...

Let's say the version of your banner ads featuring the product generates a higher conversion rate, you can continue to optimize it by looking at other elements of the visual.

AB testing on banner ads involves varying elements such as:

  • CTA button color
  • Text layout
  • Images used
  • Overall message
  • Fonts
  • Backgrounds and colors
  • etc...

If you test each element of your visual step by step, you'll be able to identify those that perform best. You can then integrate them into future campaigns.

In short, AB testing is a way of gradually improving the performance of your ads, based on concrete data. This enables you to make the right decisions and avoids false certainties based on simple intuitions or distortions of reality.

What are the real benefits of AB testing your banner ads?

If it weren't already so widespread, we might think of AB testing as a hack to boost the performance of marketing campaigns.

Boost the conversion rate of your marketing campaigns

We've already talked about this. But THE big advantage of AB testing on banner ads is that it increases the conversion rate. Varying fonts, colors, images and calls to action is not a trivial matter. It really helps to find the best formula for grabbing users' attention.

Propose targeted personalization and segment your campaigns

Every audience is unique. What works for one person, may not work for another. The more you practice AB testing, the more you'll be able to tailor your banner ads to your target audience's preferences. By iterating, you'll be able to further segment your campaigns to push personalization.

Not only will you increase your campaign's conversion rate. But you'll also get to know your target audience and their aspirations better.

Reduce financial losses

Imagine investing a large sum of money to run a banner ad that brings you disappointing results. It's one of the worst things that can happen to you.

To avoid this scenario, it's important to test the effectiveness of your banner ads on a smaller audience. During this test period, AB testing enables you to optimize your advertising campaign. This way, when the time comes to roll out your campaign on a larger scale, you'll be more serene and you'll be sure to get a real return on your investment.

Continuously adapt and stay competitive

As you know, marketing requires you to reinvent yourself every day and to be ever more imaginative. Your audience's needs and preferences evolve over time.

By practicing AB testing on a regular basis, you can keep in step with these evolutions. So you can offer variations to meet your audience's changing expectations and stay competitive in your market.

AB banner ads testing with Abyssale

If you've ever practiced AB testing in an "artisanal" or more industrial way, you probably know: it's a time-consuming task. It takes time to create visual variations.

Abyssale is a SaaS platform that lets you generate a multitude of variations for your banner ads quickly and easily. With no programming skills required, you can create HTML5 banner ads completely automatically.

From a simple form, you can modify the appearance of your visuals without having to write a single line of code or touch a single builder.

However, Abyssale's real strength in AB testing lies in its Split Testing solution, which simplifies the testing of all your images, including banner ads, across all your advertising channels. With this feature, your designers create a template and Abyssale takes care of automating everything else. You can generate a multitude of variations for your banner ads in total autonomy.

Finally, AB testing is an essential strategy for maximizing the effectiveness of your banner ads. You could almost say that not AB-testing your advertising campaigns, and banner ads in particular, is a malpractice as a marketing expert.

By testing different variations, you can optimize your message, improve your targeting and reduce your financial risks. And that's how you improve the ROI of your campaigns.

What's more, Abyssale simplifies the AB testing process by offering a user-friendly platform for creating, testing and optimizing your banner ads. With the Split testing solution, you can implement more effective advertising campaigns and push the performance envelope.

Now that you know all about AB testing and why you should use it, we hope your next banner ads launches will bring you the results you've been waiting for.