Stop stressing over digital experimentation and CRO

When it comes to any sort of popular digital marketing concept, there seem to be a lot of myths and misconceptions that just float around. You might have come across many of them yourself: “SEO is dead”, “social media is over-saturated” – the list goes on and on.

 

Here’s a good rule of thumb: you should always take these over-generalizing claims with a grain of salt, especially when it comes to digital experimentation and CRO. We’ve debunked five popular myths surrounding experimentation and CRO.

 

Myth #1: Experimentation is for validating opinions and decision-making

Executives often end up assuming that the goal of having an experimentation program is to validate decisions that are being taken purely based on intuition. It ends up becoming an activity to defer to whenever they’re unsure of what the best step could be. 

👉That’s not what experimentation is for. The role of experimentation in today’s day and age for a marketer is to fuel growth by running innovative campaigns, trying out newer channels, and everything in between.

 

Myth #2: Experimentation is arduous and expensive

Thanks to the growth of CRO as a lever within fast-growing (and successful) companies’ marketing mixes, experimentation has now become more convenient and inexpensive than ever. 

👉Today there exists an entire platform through which you can run your entire experimentation program whether you’re an army of one or have a full-fledged experimentation function. All you need to have to be successful with it is simply intent.

 

Myth #3: Experimentation’s be-all, end-all is running A/B tests

A/B tests are just one of the most popular ways of running experiments in the digital economy. When it comes to experimentation, savvy companies can, and have, experimented with everything from their business strategy, to their product offerings, to the geographies they serve, and more. 

👉What experimentation requires, for it to have value, is to be run methodically and scientifically. Otherwise, you might just be doing everything the wrong way. Check out our helpful whitepaper about the methods of experimentation here.

 

Myth #4: Experimentation requires deep technical know-how and cross-functional support

Marketing tech has evolved so much that you do not need more than anything but a willingness to try. 

👉Experimentation platforms such as Optimizely, VWO, A/B Tasty, and hundreds of others allow you to run CRO campaigns without your need for any additional resources or design/developer man-hours. Simply use the built-in drag-and-drop builders to create your test variations and you’re good to go.

 

Myth #5: Experimentation is for companies of a certain threshold

Nothing could be further from reality. If experimentation was only meant for big companies, they would never be beaten by a Goliath – but it happens all the time. On the contrary, companies of certain (read: huge) sizes are unable to get out of the complacency of silos so experimentation ends up becoming an afterthought, rather than a starting point.

👉Startups and smaller companies are typically better suited with their agile ways to make the most of what experimentation has to offer. 

There you have it: five popular myths on experimentation and CRO successfully debunked. (You’re welcome.) Now you have even more reasons to get out there to start testing your CRO theories. You never know what you might find. 

 

Today’s customers demand a brand experience that’s contextual, relevant, and personalized. The companies redefining brand experience are those that have embraced risk, innovation, and experimentation. It’s become the new playbook for growth. And it’s easier than you think. In our latest white paper, “The Case For Experimentation: The What, Why & How”, we’ll take you step-by-step through the entire process.