Proposed by Google in 2015, the Progressive Web Apps have captured the internet world in no time. As they offer the combined benefits of the website and native mobile apps, the Progressive Web Apps are becoming the ultimate solution for passionate business enterprises aiming to enhance conversions. 

The fantastic speed and intuitive user experience offered by PWAs give a firm a competitive edge as they boost customer engagement by 50% (as per Developer’s Stats). Multiple enterprises are investing in PWAs to stay ahead of the game, and some of the more prominent names leveraging its benefits include Forbes, Debenhams, Twitter, Uber, etc. 

However, it is not sassy to blind trust and merely launch a progressive web app without any scientific research. Expecting a decent ROI is among the utmost aims of web development solutions. Thanks to A/B testing via which you can gain precise analytical data backing your expectations.

The chances are high that the term A/B testing is not unheard of. However, we will discuss the following points to give you a clear guide of A/B testing for the progressive web app you are thinking to launch.

  • A concise brushing up of A/B testing definition.
  • How does it work?
  • Pros and cons of A/B testing, so you can decide whether you need it!
  • How to perform A/B testing for a PWA?
  • Popular A/B testing tools available for use.
  • Few relevant FAQs to clear the clouds of confusion.

It seems you have a lot to cover in this blog. So, without any hither and thither lets begin with the first point.

What Is A/B Testing?

A/B testing is also called split testing and bucket testing and mainly involves the comparison of two variants of the same digital product (in this case it’s a progressive web app) to find the best between them. The result is declared based on the dedata for a set of goals or parameters of comparison.

That was a quick definition of A/B testing. To gain better insights about it, you need to learn how it produces results.

Here’s how A/B Testing works?

The software development company or team working over the progressive web app designs and develops a modified version of the same to test it against the original. Let’s decode the process in simple steps:

  • There is an original version of the PWA developed by the firm.
  • This original version gets called as the Control.
  • The firm then modifies it, based on designs, CTAs, etc. to create another version of it.
  • Modifications can be simple or complex based on the client’s requirement.
  • The modified version gets called as the Variation.
  • A percentage of visitors, preferably 50%, is shown the Control (the original version).
  • The other half of the internet traffic is shown the Variation (the modified version).
  • The engagement of both versions gets recorded in an analytics dashboard.
  • A statistical engine is then used to determine the performance of the two.

Here’s a simple graph to give a clear idea how the statistical result looks like.

So how can A/B testing be beneficial or not so noteworthy an option for your progressive web app?

Here’s a Pros and Cons Table of A/B testing to help you decide

Pros of A/B Testing Cons of A/B Testing
It produces clear and conclusive results for the team. As the data is based on practical behaviors, you will have a clear answer who’s the winner or whether it’s a tie. Unlike other forms of testing, it requires a more significant amount of time.
It can get effectively used to test new innovative ideas. Cannot be used when the goals are not specific. 
Can be started for a particular web page instead of testing the entire product. As the modified version is a variant of the original, it may inherit the fundamental flaws.
Highly effective in determining the target audience preference for colors, designs, layouts, etc. The end-results are mostly meant for single-time use.

 

That was all about the pros and cons to help you make an informed decision about your progressive web app. Before we proceed to how can you conduct it for the PWA, have a look at the infographic below: 

Source: Statista

It seems nearly 35% of the leading e-commerce platforms are in-favour of PWA, while 36% is in confusion and another 29% is not interested in having PWA. The stats indicate that PWAs are leading revolutionary changes and thus established firms should hire an app developer to upgrade their old website to it.

The development team working on the progressive web app can conduct the A/B testing of the app based on your conversion goals. However, we have detailed the process for you.

Steps to perform A/B Testing of the PWAs

Step-1: Research your Goals- You can collect data from the analytics tool to identify the goals you want to achieve from the PWA. The objectives depend upon the business model, whether B2B or B2C and target audience. For example, an ecommerce firm may aim to boost the number of successful checkouts while a media firm may aim for high sharing of articles on social media platforms.

Step-2: Visualize the modifications- Once you have researched your ideas and are clear with the aims of the testing process, you need to visualize the changes that must be present in the Variation. In the case of PWA, you can either test it against your old website or go for a modified version of PWA to find the most effective between the two options.

Step-3: Develop the Variation- The team of hired web developers is responsible for creating a modified version of the PWA. The modifications can range from changes in colour to complete change in the overall layout of the content, CTAs, etc. 

Step-4: Kick Start the experiment- Once the modified version called as Variation is ready, you can start with the experiment. The visitors of the PWA will randomly access either the original (the Control version) and the modified (the Variation) version. To ensure no risk, you can start anywhere between 5% to 10% of the traffic.

Step-5: Check the results- As soon as the experiment ends up, you can start analyzing the output. The product will be simple or complex, depending upon the testing tools you have used. Based on the statistical difference, you can find the ultimate winner of the experiment. 

That was all about the process of conducting A/B testing for the PWA. To ensure simplified results, you need to choose the right testing tool for the project.

Here’s a list of Top 5 testing tools that can get effectively used for A/B testing

  1.     Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a complimentary tool that is effectively used to run A/B testing of the project. To run A/B testing using Google Analytics, you need to utilize the option of Content Experiments.

Pros of using Google Analytics:

  • Zero investment is required to use it.
  • It offers the option of advance reporting.
  • Can easily track the result.

Cons of using Google Analytics: 

  • The visual editor is not available.
  • Requires expertise to find the exact piece of data one is looking for in the experiment.

 

  1.     Crazy Egg

Crazy Egg is an affordable option for running A/B testing of the PWA. It works by tracking the clicks done by visitors. So, at the experiment’s end, you will find it easier to understand the behaviours of the visitors. 

Pros of using Crazy Egg:

  • The rates are cheap.
  • Several options are available for creating reports.
  • The visual reporting system is available.

Cons of using Crazy Egg:

  • The features are limited in the count.
  • Focused on click tracks mainly.

 

  1.     Optimizely

Optimizely is a bit costlier than the previous options, but it also offers a load of features to the investors. It is a user-friendly tool and comes with the advance visual editor. 

Pros of using Optimizely

  • Different packages are available to suit diverse needs.
  • Easy to understand and use without having specific technical knowledge.
  • Availability of efficient visual editor.

Cons of using Optimizely

  • Judging the results is not very convenient.
  • The basic plan offers limited features.

 

  1.     KISSmetrics

KISSmetrics is a renowned name among the testing tools and can be effectively used to perform split testing of the Progressive Web App. It has an added advantage of tracking real data from real visitors, making it a reliable option for diverse forms of testing.

Pros of using KISSmetrics

  • It comes with a simple user interface.
  • Availability of other useful KISSmetrics software for integration.
  • The reporting system is flexible.

Cons of using KISSmetrics

  • Usually not preferred for performing A/B testing as results are weak.
  • Expertise is required to find the exact piece of information one is trying to find out.

 

  1.     MockingFish

MockingFish is among the new options of testing tools available to the users. It offers a load of options to investors at a much lower rate. Besides using it for A/B testing, it can get used to performing multiple other tests.

Pros of using MockingFish

  • Can be used to track data from the real users.
  • It offers an outstanding trial period that lasts up to a year.
  • Audience targeting and URL targeting is also available.

Cons of using MockingFish

  • Interpreting some of the reports requires expertise.
  • Being new in the game it has limited community support.

Based on your PWA needs, you can choose either of the above testing tools to perform A/B testing. The team of hired software developers working on the Progressive web apps can help you find the best among them. There’s maybe some last-minute confusion regarding the testing process.

So, we have prepared a concise FAQS to clear your doubts.

Question: Is it possible to find the impact of PWA without trying the A/B test?

Answer: No, to find the overall impact over the Return on Investment an A/B test is necessary. However, it is essential to take a note that the results are only indicative, and the actual effects after 100% implementation may differ. It is because the testing is done, taking only 5% to 10% of the traffic.

Question: Is it advisable to run this test on special occasions?

Answer: No, it is inadvisable to run the test on special occasions involving high sales and higher than usual traffic. Doing so will produce an unreliable result. Moreover, there’s a bit of risk when it comes to trying a new digital product on such sales as regular visitors will want to proceed in the usual manner.

Question: Which is the best ratio of splitting the traffic for A/B testing?

Answer: You can try splitting in any ratio, but the best one that produces a highly reliable result is 50/50. 

Question: Is it advisable to modify the splitting ratio in between the experiment?

Answer: First, it is not feasible because the experiment will restart when you try doing it. Moreover, it will furthermore increase the interval of testing, making it inconvenient for you as investors.

Question: What should be the minimum time for which I should run this test?

Answer: Well, the exact answer will depend upon your usual traffic and business scale.  However, it is preferable to run the A/B testing experiment for at least two weeks of time. Firms usually run such kinds of tests for a period of a month to gain more accurate statistical data about the user’s behavior. 

Question: What should be the criteria to find the winner between the two?

Answer: As discussed earlier, it will depend upon your aim and target audience, but the following can be used as your key point indicators:

  • The overall difference in conversion between the Control and Variation.
  • The revenue difference between the two versions.
  • The difference in the Product View Rate of the two.
  • The difference in Add to Cart Rate.

Question: Which enterprises have enjoyed commendable growth using PWAs?

Answer: The following firms emerged victorious using PWAs as per the case studies of Web:

  • Forbes reduced its loading time from 3 to 12 seconds to a mere 0.8 seconds and witnessed a 43% rise in sessions.
  • Alibaba witnessed a 76% rise in conversions using PWAs.
  • Lancôme achieved a 36% spike in mobile revenue using PWAs.

Final Words

PWAs are clearly winning hearts as they are proving a win-win for both the investors as well as the consumers. Running an A/B test over your PWAs will furthermore benefit the firm with statistically backed data.

Web app development companies in India are viable options to opt for as they offer affordable development and launch products after dedicated testing. You can ask for A/B testing as part of the project to make the most of your progressive web app.