Can Infants Survive the FDA?

The bureaucracy begins to reveal the depths of its incompetence.

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BlackRock calls for blockchain to fix futures processing snags

Asset manager wants industry to move faster in adopting “single source of truth” model

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The 15 Best A/B Testing Tools That Are Guaranteed to Boost Your Conversion Rates

What is your website’s conversion rate? What about your paid ads, forms, and landing pages?

No matter your conversion rate, there’s a good chance it could be better.

That’s because user preferences change over time. People get burned out by seeing the same ads and images, and styles change. Even the platforms where users hang out can shift.

There’s only one way to know if your ad, landing page, CTA, or entire website could convert better—and that’s to test it.

According to Invesp, 71 percent of companies run at least two A/B tests a month.

A B Testing Tools - 71 percent of businesses run at least two tests a month

However, only one in eight A/B tests drive significant change. That means a lot of companies are running A/B tests but not seeing results. A/B testing tools provide the framework and data you need to run better tests.

Why You Need A/B Testing Tools

A/B testing tools streamline the A/B testing process by making it easy to design, launch, and analyze tests. Is it worth the investment, though?

If you want to see real results with A/B testing, I strongly recommend using A/B testing tools. They can help by:

  • Tracking data: It can be hard to track clicks, conversions, and other significant KPIs. Many A/B testing tools track the data to ensure you have access to the information you need to make critical business decisions. They’ll even generate snazzy reports, so you look smart to your boss or clients.
  • Protecting your SEO: A/B testing won’t impact SEO—if you do it correctly. A/B testing tools help ensure your tests don’t run afoul of Google’s rules.
  • Automating testing: The more full-featured tools leverage automation to ensure testing is as efficient as possible. For example, automatically turning off ads that aren’t performing well, so you have more time to focus on running your business.
  • Streamlining the test creation process: Creating A/B tests can be time-consuming. It’s easy to get caught up in the details (Should this button be blue or green? Is this CTA good enough?). A good A/B testing tool makes building, launching, and tracking your tests easier.
  • Increasing your conversion rates: The most significant benefits of using A/B testing tools? They can help improve your conversion rates, lower bounce rates, and drive more sales. That’s because most offer recommendations based on AI or proprietary data.

If you’re still not sold, let’s look at how subscription-based mobile phone provider Ben used A/B testing to drive conversions.

Why You Need A/B Testing Tools - Example Ben

Ben began offering its customers access to the latest mobile devices in addition to affordable data and voice plans. They wanted to make sure customers knew they could choose the color of their phone, not just the model.

However, the company wasn’t sure how to share that news with customers. Using VWO, they ran two tests—one with the color palette under the phone image, and another with a menu option alongside the subscription choices.

After running the test for two weeks, they found that allowing users to choose the color option alongside their plan increased conversion rates by more than 17 percent and reduced customer calls to change device colors.

One simple test resulted in a large increase in conversion rates. Now, imagine if you continually ran tests like this. A/B testing tools make that possible.

The Best A/B Testing Tools

There are a ton of options when it comes to A/B testing tools. In fact, the A/B testing software market is expected to be worth $1,151 million by 2025, which means finding the right tool requires sifting through dozens of options.

No single A/B testing tool will work well for all businesses. An enterprise e-commerce site, for example, has far different needs than a local plumbing company.

To help you find the right one, we’ve analyzed the top A/B testing tools to compare features, pricing, and ease of use.

1. Google Optimize: Free A/B Testing Tool With Solid Features

Pricing: Free

Google Optimize is Google’s free A/B testing tool. The platform integrates with Google Analytics, making it easy to see how changes have impacted site performance.

With Optimize, you can create, launch, and track A/B testing performance all in one tool. If you’re already using Google Analytics or other Google tools, it’s simple to launch and set up your first test.

Main features include:

  • Ability to run several types of tests, including, A/B, multivariate, split URL, server-side experiments, and personalization.
  • Visual editor allows you to easily create tests.
  • SEO features to keep your tests from impacting your ranking.
  • Detailed reporting tools, including customizable reports and an experiment summary for a high-level or granular view of test results.
  • Built-in or customized objectives to set goals for your tests.
  • Experiment manager to see how tests perform over time and schedule experiments in the future.
  • Integration with all other Google tools including Analytics, AdSense, and Search Console.

Getting started is easy. Simply head to the Google Optimize page and click “Start for Free.” Once you accept the terms and conditions, you’ll be prompted to create your first experience.

Select the type of test you want to run, choose the URL, and then design your test.

best ab testing tools google optimize

There are a few drawbacks to Google Optimize. For starters, you can only run five experiments at a time. A few reviewers say the A/B testing preview tool is difficult to use and has a few bugs, which is another thing to consider.

For smaller sites that don’t need to run more than a few tests at a time, however, Google Optimize is a solid option.

2. Optimizely: Paid A/B Testing + CRO Tool for Fast-Growing or Enterprise Brands

Pricing: Call for a custom quote. According to Capterra, plans start at $50,000 a year but may be less for smaller sites.

When it comes to full-features A/B testing tools, Optimizely is one of the best on the market. This powerful tool offers a wide range of testing and tracking features, including:

  • Ability to run A/B and multivariate testing.
  • Advanced testing, including coding.
  • Exclusion groups enable you to run multiple tests on the same page without impacting SEO or UX.
  • Targeting and personalization dig deeper into the customer journey.
  • Powerful visual editor allows marketers to create tests—no dev needed.
  • Drag-and-drop templates to make creating tests easier.
  • Detailed reporting tools to highlight which experiments impact performance.

Optimizely is powerful—but it can also be intimidating for first-time testers. If you don’t have a large site and haven’t run A/B tests before, Optimizely may be challenging to use. However, if you have a large site and want to dig deep into your data and find out what customers really want, it’s worth a closer look.

To get started, reach out to their customer support team. They’ll ask for information about your website and traffic and then explain the full scope of features. Their team can also provide a customized demo so you can see the tools’ true potential.

3. AB Tasty: AI-Driven A/B Testing + Experimentation for Enterprise

Pricing: Call for a custom quote. TrustRadius reports pricing starts at $40 per month.

AB Tasty is an AI-powered A/B testing tool designed to help your business drive more conversions while providing world-class UX. They are trusted by more than 900 enterprise companies, including Sephora, Papa John’s, Walmart, and USA Today.

While it might not be ideal for smaller sites, it’s a good fit for enterprise companies looking to improve A/B testing and run more out-of-the-box tests.

Core features of the platform include:

  • The ability to run A/B and multivariate testing on mobile, app, or desktop platforms.
  • AI-powered targeting allows you to create incredibly granular segments based on user behavior.
  • Drag-and-drop text editor makes it easy to test any feature of your site, from the navigation bar to coding.
  • A broad range of goals including actions like demo requests, browsing behavior, and conversions.
  • Bayesian statistics engine doesn’t just track tests; it helps you understand the significance of tests by offering gain probability and media value.
The Best A/B Testing Tools - AB Tasty

There are a few drawbacks. AB Tasty doesn’t currently offer heat map tracking, while Optimizely does. Personalization features are in a separate tool, so it could cost more. Since they don’t list pricing on the site, it’s difficult to say for sure.

They also don’t support testing for paid ads, while Google Optimize does.

Is AB Tasty right for you? I don’t recommend it for smaller sites or those just getting started. It’s a full-featured tool with tons of options and ways to test, so it’s a great choice for enterprise companies, especially those in e-commerce.

4. Apptimize: Omni-Channel A/B Testing for Mobile-Focused Customer Journeys

Pricing: Contact for custom pricing. However, they do offer a 30-day free trial.

Having an app is good for business. A recent study found that 57 percent of shoppers prefer shopping in an app over other channels. However, A/B testing on apps is more challenging.

If you have an app or a buyer journey that crosses platforms, Apptimize might be a good solution for A/B testing. Apptimize provides A/B testing tools for web, mobile, OTT, and in-store. They specifically focus on testing for companies with frequent product rollouts, such as software companies.

Is it the right fit for your business? If your customer journey crosses platforms, it’s a solid option. Features include:

  • Robust A/B, multivariate, split testing, including in-person, in-app, website, and mobile sites.
  • Access controls and permissions limit who can make changes.
  • Funnel analysis to see how your test impacts conversions and other goals.
  • Activity dashboard to quickly see historical testing stats.

In addition to A/B testing tools, Apptimize offers features for workflow management to make the entire process smoother.

Overall, the Apptimize website is a little light on specific features, but they do focus on helping product teams test and personalize rollouts and manage new features.

If your goal is to figure out which color CTA button to use, this tool isn’t for you.

If you are constantly rolling out new features, want to better understand who your customers are, and want customers to enjoy a personalized experience across all devices, Apptimize is worth a try. Plus, they offer a free trial, so you can see if it’s a good fit.

5. Adobe’s Target Testing Tool: Full-Featured, Enterprise A/B Testing + Personalization Tool

Pricing: Contact for custom pricing. Plans vary based on product options, volume, and whether you need omnichannel testing. No free trial.

Adobe Target is a full-featured testing platform that allows businesses to test the entire customer experience, including images, copy, UI, apps, layout, background colors, and more. It can also test personalization’s impact, which is essential considering personalized CTAs convert 202 percent better than default CTAs.

Adobe Target includes:

  • Strong A/B testing features allow you to test just about every part of the user experience.
  • Visual composer makes it easy to create and run tests.
  • Multivariate and multiarm bandit testing to funnel traffic to the most successful experience earlier in the process.
  • Easy to set up, guided workflow enables you to quickly set up, test, and launch.
  • The ability to test on the client-side, server-side, or both.

Target also integrates with other Adobe products in Adobe Experience Cloud, so this is a great option if you’re using Adobe for analytics, insights, and content.

According to online reviews, Target is not beginner-friendly, so it’s probably not ideal for those just starting out. However, if you’ve used other A/B testing tools or are familiar with Adobe’s suite of tools, you likely won’t have any issues. Adobe also offers plenty of training modules to get you up to speed.

6. Intelligems: A/B Test Pricing for E-Commerce Stores

Pricing: Contact for pricing.

Most A/B testing tools focus on titles, headlines, and button colors. When it comes to driving e-commerce conversions, however, pricing can have a huge impact on conversion rates. Intelligems is an A/B testing tool designed for Shopify store owners to test pricing changes.

Does dropping your price a few cents impact conversions? What about raising prices? The only way to find the perfect price point is to test.

With Intelligems, you can easily test how pricing and features like Subscribe and Save impact LTV, checkouts, and long-term growth.

The Best A/B Testing Tools - Intelligems

Features include:

  • Easy-to-use test creator so you can test and launch tests faster.
  • Sophisticated data collection is turned into an easy-to-read data dashboard where you can see results at a glance.
  • A flexible testing structure allows you to see how shipping, discounts, and pricing (or any combination of the three!) impact a range of data points.
  • Expert recommendations ensure you develop a solid strategy based on expert insights.

This tool is relatively new but could be a game-changer for e-commerce stores. They are accepting suggestions for new features, so hopefully, they’ll expand testing options in the future.

7. VWO: Similar Features to Optimizely, but More Affordable

Pricing: Contact for full pricing, but Capterra reports pricing starts at $199.00 per month, which is far below Optimizely’s rate.

VWO is another full-featured testing tool similar to Optimizely and Google Optimize. If Optimize isn’t quite enough for your needs, but Optimizely is too pricey, VWO may be the perfect fit. It offers sophisticated testing funnels that are insanely customizable at more affordable rates.

VWO features include:

  • Create and launch tests for a range of tests, including A/B, split URL, multivariate, abandoned carts, and landing pages.
  • Targeting based on audience, behavior, campaign, and context.
  • Drag-and-drop test creator.
  • Engagement tracking and goal setting.
  • Customized visual reporting tools.
  • Mobile website testing.

VWO also tracks more than just traffic and conversions. It also leverages advanced tracking methods such as heatmaps, pageviews, screen activity, and user interactions.

The platform offers three plans, with higher plans offering additional features like campaign scheduling and custom JavaScript targeting.

One drawback is the lack of data storage. Heatmaps tests, for example, only store testing data for 60 to 90 days according to some reviews.

8. Unbounce: Landing Page Builder With A/B Testing Tool

Pricing: Paid plans start at $90 a month for up to 500 conversions and 20,000 visits. Unbounce offers a free 14-day trial.

Most of the tools we’ve covered so far are stand-alone A/B testing tools. You add a tracker to your website, then you can build, test, and launch A/B testing.

Unbounce is a little different. It’s actually a landing page tool with A/B testing baked into its software. Want to test your PPC landing pages? Test the impact of personalization? You can do all that—and a lot more.

A/B testing features from Unbounce include:

  • Unlimited A/B tests on all landing pages.
  • Easy-to-use test builder. Just duplicate your current page, change the elements you want to test, and launch.
  • Performance comparison tool to determine which page wins out.
  • A/B test sticky bars to determine which offers drive better results.
  • Smart builder that creates landing pages in just a few minutes.

Compared to full-featured A/B testing tools like Optimizely or VWO, Unbounce definitely lacks features. However, if you already use Unbounce or are considering it for landing pages and sticky bars, the A/B testing features are a strong selling point.

Unbounce is also more affordable than other testing tools, making it ideal for dipping your toe into A/B testing.

9. Facebook’s Experiments Tool: Free Tool to Test Social Ads

Pricing: Free to test, though you will pay for ads.

Social media ads can drive conversions, build brand awareness, and drive traffic to your website. However, it can also be challenging to tell which headline, offer, CTA, or image is responsible for driving clicks (and conversions).

When you consider the average conversion rate for Facebook ads is 9.21 percent, it’s clear there is plenty of room for improvement.

Recently, Facebook launched their Experiments Tool, designed to make it easier to A/B test paid ads on the platform. Brands can test campaign groups, campaigns, or ad sets against each other and easily see which performs better.

The Best A/B Testing Tools - Facebook Experiments

To get started, create your Facebook ads first in Meta Business Manager (aka Facebook business manager). Then, head over to Experiments Tool. Click Tests to get started and then select A/B test.

You’ll be prompted to select the ads you want to A/B test, schedule your campaigns, and name the test. You can also determine how Facebook should choose a winner based on key metrics like cost per result, cost per conversion, cost per 1,000 people reached, and cost per purchase.

When you’re done, it will ask you to review your testing parameters before launching your test.

This tool is important for two reasons: First, it’s straightforward to use, which isn’t the case for some of the more full-featured A/B testing tools. It’s also one of the few tools that allow you to A/B test social ads to optimize performance.

Currently, the tool doesn’t appear to work on Instagram, but hopefully, they’ll add that feature.

10. Ominconvert’s Explore: CRO + A/B Testing for E-Commerce

Pricing: Plans start at $167 per month.

For e-commerce, A/B testing is about more than testing CTA button copy or seeing if a top sticky bar converts better than a bottom sticky bar. It’s about pricing, product pages, images, mobile vs desktop, and so much more.

While most tools on this list work in any industry, Ominconvert was built with e-commerce sites in mind. Features to check out include:

  • Ability to test more than one website at a time.
  • Fast, professional support with a four-hour response time.
  • Advanced segmentation using JavaScript, cookies, UTM parameters, data layer attributes, and more.
  • Exit-intent and triggered overlay testing.
  • A/B and personalization testing dig deep into the customer journey.
  • CDN cache bypass using a dedicated browser extension.

You can also set and track as many goals as you want and gain insights into why specific tests aren’t working.

It’s worth noting this is not a tool for beginners; it can be code-heavy at times and requires a pretty decent understanding of your site’s backend. However, it’s also affordable at $167 per month. Ominconvert is used by several powerful brands, including Samsung and ING, so they definitely know their stuff.

11. Nelio A/B Testing: Powerful A/B Testing Plugin for WordPress

Pricing: Plans start at $24 per month for up to 5,000 views.

More than 455 million websites use WordPress—and you might be one of them. If you’re looking for an A/B testing tool that plays nice with the most popular CMS on the market, you’re in luck.

Nelio AB offers powerful A/B testing tools right in your WordPress dashboard. No more switching tools, integrating a dozen platforms, or getting lost trying to figure out how to set up a split test. Instead, you can click and install Nelio AB in just a few minutes.

Here are a few features Nelio AB provides:

  • Unlimited experiments to test pages, headlines, menus, themes, CTAs, widgets, and more. Pretty much any part of your WordPress site can be tested and improved.
  • No technical knowledge is needed. You don’t need to know how to code, how to read Java, or even what makes a test statistically significant.
  • Easy-to-read reporting tool provides insights and results with the click of a button.
  • Test finer details of your site using CSS testing (if you’re into that kind of thing).
  • Track how users navigate your website using heatmaps, scroll maps, and confetti.
  • Define goals and conversions to track what actually matters on your site.
  • Integrate with most of your other plugins, including JetPack, W3 Total, and WooCommerce.

While it’s missing some advanced features (like detailed segmentation), it still offers plenty. The fact that it lives in WordPress makes it convenient to use.

12. Freshworks: A/B Testing for Multichannel Engagement + Automation

Pricing: Free for up to 100 contacts; paid plans start at $19 per month.

Want to improve conversion rates? Personalization should be part of your marketing strategy. According to Salesforce, 66 percent of customers expect companies to understand their needs and expectations.

Freshworks can help you provide the custom experience your customers crave. It’s not an A/B testing tool; rather, it’s a CRM with built-in automation features, including A/B testing, split testing, and segmentation.

In addition to running tests, Freshworks also provides:

  • email marketing campaigns
  • landing pages
  • event tracking
  • marketing reports
  • chat campaigns
  • CRO testing

Freshworks also offers A/B testing features such as split URL testing, landing page optimization, segmentation, and detailed reporting. While the tool lacks more advanced features like heatmaps, its built-in A/B testing features make it worth a look, particularly if personalization is important to you.

13. A/B Testing Significance Calculator: See How Much Different Tests Impact Sales

Pricing: Free.

A/B testing tools offer a ton of data. Unfortunately, understanding the data can be a challenge. Is Test A actually better or did it just get more traffic? Do you even have enough traffic to make a decision?

That’s where my A/B testing calculator comes to the rescue. Plugin your test results, and see exactly which landing page, CTA, headline, or website drives better results.

The Best A/B Testing Tools - AB testing Significance Tool NeilPatel

With the click of a button, you can see how much impact your recent test had on sales. Want to check the result of a multivariate test? Click the “Add Another Variation” button to see how three, four, or more tests stack up.

14. Title-Generator.com: Title Generator to Find New Titles or Headings to Test

Pricing: Free.

Testing titles and headlines is a sure-fire way to increase conversions and make sure blogs, landing pages, email, and web pages perform well. Coming up with snappy new titles, however, can be a challenge.

That’s where a title generator tool comes in handy. Simply input your main keywords and the tool will generate a list of 700 headlines.

The Best A/B Testing Tools - Headline Generator

Review the list, decide which fits your content or ad the best, and add it to your A/B testing workflow.

As you can see from the image above, many are adjustable based on the content, so use these as inspiration, not set headlines you have to use.

15. Ad Headline Idea Generator: Free Tool to Generate Paid Ad Headlines to A/B Test

Pricing: Free.

When it comes to paid ads, there are several areas to test—the headline, image, ad copy, and landing page. If you have trouble coming up with different ad headline options, this tool can help.

Inkforall’s Ad Headline Idea Generator uses AI to generate ad headlines and copy. Simply enter your current ad, log in via Facebook, Google, or Microsoft, and the tool will generate a new ad using the information you’ve provided.

The Best A B Testing Tools - Inkforalls Ad Headline Idea Generator

While the AI isn’t perfect, it’s an easy way to find new ad formats to test. I do recommend reading and editing the AI generation—they definitely aren’t perfect. If you’re struggling to develop different ad versions to test, this tool is good for inspiration.

A/B Testing Tools Frequently Asked Questions

How do A/B testing tools work?

A/B testing tools generally offer a visual interface and tracking features to help businesses set up, run, and track the performance of tests. Most tools require you to add a tracking pixel to your website to track test performance.

Can you do A/B testing on social media?

Yes, but it requires a different setup than A/B testing on your website. Most social platforms support A/B testing on ads in their business center where you can test ad creatives, copy, or images.

You cannot A/B test post engagement or conversion directly. However, you can test social traffic impact by using A/B testing on your landing pages.

How do you get started with A/B testing?

The first step of A/B testing is goal setting. What do you hope to improve? Do you want more traffic, higher conversions, more social engagement, or something else? Then, make a hypothesis to test.

What elements should you A/B test?

Simply put, any elements! Do you think changing the CTA will improve conversions? Do you want to see if a different landing page image will increase demo sign-ups? Once you know what you want to test, choose one of the A/B testing tools from the list above and launch your test.

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Conclusion: A/B Testing Tools

A/B testing is the cornerstone of building an effective digital marketing strategy. These 15 A/B testing tools will help you build, launch, test, and record the results. If you’re just getting started with A/B testing, you can’t go wrong with Google Optimize. It’s easy to use, works with other Google tools, and allows you to run up to five tests at a time.

If you need more features or want a tool that does more than just run A/B tests, one of the other tools on this list might fit your needs.

Did your favorite A/B testing tool make the list? If not, share it in the comments.

Release (YC W20) Is Hiring – Mid Level Full Stack Engineers

Article URL: https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/release/jobs/MUZ0IRm-mid-level-full-stack-engineer-backend-focus-rails-react-next-js

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31523300

Points: 1

# Comments: 0

Husband of teacher slain in Uvalde shooting suffers fatal heart attack: Reports

Joe Garcia, the husband of a teacher slain in Salvador Ramos’ attack on Robb Elementary school in Ulvade, Texas, suffered a fatal heart attack on Thursday.

Uvalde, Texas, parent who knew several children killed, injured filled with anger, sadness

A Uvalde, Texas, parent who knew several children killed and is related to two of the injured spoke with Fox News. He said he’s filled with anger and sadness.

New comment by domino in "Ask HN: Who is hiring? (May 2022)"

Clubhouse | San Francisco or Remote (US) | https://www.clubhouse.com/jobs

We’re building Clubhouse, a new type of social network based on voice—where people around the world come together to talk, listen, tell stories, learn and hang out together in real-time. As a team, we take pride in being small and mighty, with a relentless focus on our product and the community.

We have raised our Series A, B and C, all led by a16z. We launched in 2020 and began 2021 with about 10 people. Today we’re a team of just over 100 people. We love building and shipping fast, and creating delightful experiences for all to enjoy.

Check out our team blog (https://blog.clubhouse.com/tag/technically-speaking/) if you’d like to hear from some of the engineering team on their current projects.

Here are a few of our open roles:

• Software Engineer, Android

• Software Engineer, Security

• Software Engineer, Infrastructure

• Product Designer

• Product Manager

If you’re interested, we’d love to talk 🙂

New comment by rubenfiszel in "Ask HN: Who is hiring? (May 2022)"

Windmill (YC S22) | Founding Engineer (Rust/Svelte/Distributed Systems) or Internship | Remote or Paris | https://docs.windmill.dev/hiring

Windmill is an OSS developer platform (https://github.com/windmill-labs/windmill) to quickly build production-grade multi-steps automations and internal apps from minimal Python and Typescript scripts.

We are looking for our first founding engineers, stock options grant is generous.

New comment by lauraptrsc in "Ask HN: Who is hiring? (May 2022)"

CLOJURE job @ Reify Health + 100% remote + real-life impact through a SaaS in the health industry + the company’s dedication to current issues (e.g. Black History Month, Women’s International Day) + different levels of seniority available, from medior to senior staff + work from Ireland, UK, Germany, Canada, the US Check the senior … Continue reading New comment by lauraptrsc in "Ask HN: Who is hiring? (May 2022)"

25 Ways To Drive More E-commerce Store Traffic Without Buying Ads

It’s no secret that e-commerce is here to stay.

With more consumers shopping online than ever before, retailers must work hard to get noticed.

What if you don’t have the budget for ads? Are you doomed to fade into the online abyss?

Absolutely not.

Over half of consumers prefer to shop online. Great news for online retailers like you, right?

With the growth of online marketplaces and hoards of choices available to consumers, it’s tough to get the attention you need to drive traffic and revenue.

Today, I’ll share 25 e-commerce tips to get more visitors to your site—without spending a dime on paid ads.

Best of all, many of these tips are easier to implement than you might think.

What Are the Benefits of Using Non-Paid Strategies to Increase E-Commerce Website Traffic?

Many marketers focus on paid e-commerce strategy because they think it’s the only way to outshine the big brands, but that isn’t always the case.

With 95 percent of website traffic hitting the first page of Google, all the traffic you could hope for is there, waiting.

One of the most obvious benefits of non-paid e-commerce strategies is you don’t need to invest money to drive traffic. You’re not trading dollar-for-dollar; instead, you’re trading time or resources for sales.

Another benefit is focusing on non-paid traffic means building a better, easier-to-use website. According to a study done by Amazon Web Services, 88 percent of online shoppers won’t return to a site they had a bad experience on.

With all the options for e-commerce shopping, why would they?

We’re completely inundated with options. The threshold for mistakes and user experience problems is getting lower and lower.

Finally, thinking outside the box helps build a real business with long-term potential.With paid ads, as soon as you turn off your budget, your traffic will plummet.

SEO, email marketing, and on-page experience are long-term strategies that pay off over time.

25 E-Commerce Strategies to Drive Traffic (Without Paying for Ads!)

Overall e-commerce sales have grown steadily year after year and show no sign of slowing down. By 2025, e-commerce sales could hit nearly 7,400 billion dollars. If you’re having trouble getting the traffic you want, there are tons of opportunities to get a piece of the pie.

Here are some e-commerce tips you can implement today to get more traffic to your site.

1. Start a Referral Program

Leads that come from referrals convert at a 30 percent higher rate than any other marketing method. If you don’t have a referral program for your e-commerce store, it’s never too late to get started.

Keep in mind, it doesn’t have to be elaborate.

E-Commerce Strategies to Drive Traffic - Start a Referral Program

Take GetResponse, for example. You get a $30 account credit for every person you refer to the software.

Offer something of value to existing customers for every customer they bring to you; it’s as simple as that!

To get started, find a referral program platform, then use these tips to drive sign-ups.

2. Build Out Your Blog

Google controls more than 92 percent of the search market, which means if you want traffic, you need to invest in SEO. Investing in a blog and delivering valuable content is one of the best e-commerce tips I can offer.

Start producing content regularly whether you have to hire someone or write everything yourself. I’m definitive proof that this strategy works.

If you don’t currently have a blog on your e-commerce website, starting one is easy. Most e-commerce platforms like BigCommerce and Shopify have built-in blogging templates to help you get started.

3. Improve the On-Page Experience

Google makes it crystal clear that the on-page experience is one of the most important factors they look at when determining whether a site should rank.

On-page experience refers to (but is not limited to):

To use these e-commerce tips, start by running the reports linked above. Google will offer you tips and strategies to improve your on-page experience.

Improving these factors helps increase your e-commerce traffic because your site looks better in Google’s eyes, and it’s easier for users to navigate, which keeps them coming back.

4. Build an Email List

Repeat customers spend 67 percent more than new customers—and one of the best ways to bring them back is by building an email list.

Why?

You’ve already established trust with them, and they know what you have to offer.

Take a look at this example from Birchbox:

E-Commerce Strategies to Drive Traffic - Build an Email List

Offering a unique promo code encourages customers to return and makes the offer feel exclusive and like they’re getting something that isn’t available to everyone.

To build an email list, try these strategies:

  • Offer a small discount (10 to 15 percent) for users that sign up for your email list.
  • Make your list feel exclusive by promoting new products only in your email list.
  • Post teasers about an upcoming email announcement on social media to encourage followers to sign up.

5. Retarget Email Subscribers

Once you’ve built out an email list, you’ll want to retarget users based on onsite behavior. Retargeting, in this case, means sending an email to someone who has shown interest in your business but didn’t take the action you were hoping for. (It can also be used for paid ads, but in this case, we’re covering non-paid strategies.)

Abandoned cart emails are one of the most effective ways to leverage email retargeting. In fact, they’re responsible for recovering nearly 30 percent of abandoned carts.

You can also send current customers suggested products related to a previous purchase. As we already covered, it’s easier to go after customers you already have than find new ones.

Here’s a quick guide to retargeting your email subscribers:

  • Look for ways to retarget users in your email marketing platform. For example, MailChimp has a retargeting email guide that walks its users through the process.
  • Implement the easiest retargeting campaigns first. Generally, abandoned cart emails and recommended products are easy wins.
  • Test other retargeting campaigns to see what works. For example, ask for reviews a week or so after purchase or suggest a new collection.

6. Optimize Your CTAs

Only around two percent of your web traffic will convert on the first visit, so capturing email addresses through your CTAs is crucial.

You need to experiment a bit to see what works. Even something as simple as the color of your CTA button can make a difference.

E-Commerce Strategies to Drive Traffic - Optimize Your CTAs

For example, Performable found that switching their CTA button from green to red boosted their conversion rate by 21 percent.

Try different CTA buttons and phrasing to see what works and test them side-by-side using A/B testing.

Don’t stop at colors, though. You can also test your CTA’s:

  • copy
  • placement
  • font type/size
  • including images
  • landing page
  • Offer

7. Improve Your Checkout Process

Nearly 70 percent of people abandon their cart. This can be due to hidden fees, shipping costs, too many steps, and a poor overall experience. The best e-commerce tips build on what you’re already doing, and the checkout process is a great place to start.

While people are more comfortable than ever shopping online, they also have high expectations for the process. How do you improve the process? Here are a few tips:

  • Get rid of hidden fees and be upfront about pricing.
  • Share shipping fees early in the process.
  • Limit the number of clicks to convert.
E-Commerce Strategies to Drive Traffic - Improve Your Checkout Process

Scandiweb did a great case study of the steps to improve their checkout experience. You don’t need to go nearly this far, but it’s a smart e-commerce strategy to implement no matter how big or small you decide to make it.

8. Develop a Rewards Program

A white paper by Altfeld shows that when selling to an existing customer, the probability of closing that sale is as high as 70 percent.

What’s the most effective way to bring customers back? Loyalty programs!

Rewarding customers for returning and doing business with you again is a brilliant and timeless strategy.

Take Sephora for example.

E-Commerce Strategies to Drive Traffic - Develop a Rewards Program

For every dollar spent, you earn one dollar in rewards. The more you spend, the more rewards you’re eligible for, including discounts and free shipping. It’s so simple when it’s broken down this way, but the hard part is coming up with a smart rewards program.

To set up an effective rewards program, you’ll want to:

  • See what your most profitable customers have in common (location, products, interests, etc.)
  • Look at data to see what drives purchases. This will help you set up a reward program. Do they like free shipping? Discounts? Access to new product lines early? Use a survey to ask customers if you aren’t sure.
  • Look for e-commerce reward and loyalty tools and plugins to implement your program.

9. Add Internal Links to Your Site

I’ve mentioned SEO already, but this step focuses on internal linking within your e-commerce website. How can this improve e-commerce traffic?

Sites without proper internal linking don’t rank as high as those with a solid link-building strategy.

E-Commerce Strategies to Drive Traffic - Add Internal Links to Your Site

By creating a web of links on your site, you’re telling Google that you are an excellent resource for what people want to buy and you’re a wealth of knowledge in whatever niche it is you sell in. That will improve the user experience while also improving your worth to Google.

Here are a few tips for adding internal links:

  • Identify hub pages—these are important pages you know your users want to see. Add links where it makes sense that point to these pages.
  • Link to related products on your product pages. If you sell tents, link to other camping gear, for example.
  • Use “breadcrumbs” in the navigation to help users quickly navigate back to core pages.
  • Use easy-to-understand anchor text, like this: Here’s more information about internal linking best practices. It’s clear what you’ll get if you click the highlighted text.

10. Get Active on Social Media

Ninety-one percent of people read at least one review before making a purchase. Where is a great place to get a lot of customer reviews?

Social media, of course.

Are you using social media to drive traffic to your e-commerce store?

Are you using it as a place for customers to land if they have something positive or negative to say about your business?

You should be doing both things because it helps show customers that you’re a real business with real people and not just some brand.

Here’s how to build a social media strategy for your e-commerce business.

11. Incorporate Chat on Your Website

You need to be there for your customers. Sixty percent of people want to connect with someone during the sales process.

Remember that one time you were in a brick and mortar and wanted help finding something, but you walked around and couldn’t find anyone to help you?

How did that make you feel? Unimportant?

As people turn to e-commerce, they expect to have the same customer service experience they get in person. That means you need to be available to answer questions and assist throughout the sales process.

There are plenty of live chat software to make this process simple. Leveraging chatbot automation, which answers common questions before connecting users to a live person, can also make it more affordable.

12. Focus on Value Upfront

Your e-commerce strategy cannot revolve around you asking your customers to do things without making them feel like they’re getting the most for their time and money.

A great example of this is email marketing. We all know we need a lead magnet if we expect anyone to give us their email, right?

We’re getting to a point where just offering a product isn’t enough to make a sale.

You need to offer free shipping, free trials, fast shipping, bonus offers, and handwritten letters to drive sales.

Whatever you decide to offer, make sure it’s clear what you’re offering upfront so people can see the value before they click to buy.

This also extends to other areas of your site, such as:

  • product pages
  • landing pages
  • CTAs
  • social media posts

13. Improve Your Product Pages By Focusing on Benefits not Features

You could be losing a lot of money due to poor product descriptions.

Want to know an easy fix?

As you write about a feature, think about the benefit for customers and center that in your copy.

Look at this example from Gillette:

E-Commerce Strategies to Drive Traffic - Improve Your Product Pages by Focusing on Features

Every feature is tied to a benefit.

They don’t just explain what it does. It’s a razor, we know what it does, but they explain how it will make you feel.

Here are a few other ways to improve your product pages:

  • Cut the clutter so users can easily focus on what matters.
  • Use clear, concise calls to action to tell visitors what to do next.
  • Check your page speed.
  • Use high-quality product photos.
  • Add social proof to build customer confidence.

14. Implement Video

Eighty-seven percent of video marketers say that video helped increase e-commerce traffic to their website.

I could do an entire guide on video e-commerce tips because that’s how important it is right now.

If you’re not embedding videos into your product pages, you’ll want to start right now.

15. Add User-Generated Content

As much as 80 percent of people say user-generated content impacts their purchasing decision.

E-Commerce Strategies to Drive Traffic - Add User-Generated Content

User-generated content can be as simple as taking an image of a product in use that a reviewer left and putting it on your website.

People are more likely to trust you when they see other people enjoy your products. Here are a few other ways to leverage UGC:

  • Add reviews to product pages.
  • Create a branded hashtag and ask users to share their favorite products.
  • Embed product pictures from users at the bottom of your website.

16. Understand Customer Personas

If you don’t know what a customer persona is, you could miss out on one of the simplest e-commerce tips.

What is a buyer persona?

It’s essentially a representation of your customer. What do they do? How do they act? How do they think? What makes them click?

If you don’t have a specific avatar that you’re marketing to in your e-commerce business, you’re potentially leaving money on the table.

17. Use Trust Signals

According to TrustedSite, lack of business legitimacy causes 50 percent of cart abandonments.

What are we talking about when we say legitimacy?

E-Commerce Strategies to Drive Traffic - Use Trust Signals

Trust.

As someone works through the purchase process, they might start to feel uneasy. Are you a real site, or a scam? Is the quality going to match their expectations?

How do you avoid mistrust?

Add trust signals to the process. These include:

  • badges
  • third-party verifications
  • customer reviews
  • testimonials
  • HTTP

Adding a video of yourself or someone in the business is another great way to show customers you’re a real business.

18. Offer Free Shipping

Here’s a stat that could drastically change your e-commerce revenue: 66 percent of consumers expect free shipping on every single online purchase.

These people expect you to pay the cost of shipping their products no matter how much they spend. You can thank Amazon for that.

That said, offering free shipping isn’t the revenue buster you think. As an added bonus, if you do everything else right on this list, you’ve likely secured yourself that customer.

There are a few ways to make free shipping work for you:

  • Up your prices to cover the shipping cost, then make it “free.”
  • Offer free shipping as a loyalty program reward.
  • Ask for an email address in exchange for free shipping.
  • Offer free shipping only for purchases over a certain amount.

19. Keep User Data Safe (and Make Sure Your Customers Know It)

This e-commerce tip goes hand-in-hand with trust signals, but it’s important on its own.

E-commerce sites collect a lot of data about their customers, including onsite actions, banking or card information, addresses, and potentially even social security numbers on your website.

What are you doing to protect this information?

Here are a few ways to keep your customer’s information safe:

  • have an SSL certificate
  • track all orders
  • require strong passwords
  • make sure your data storage is encrypted

Make sure you let your customers know that you’re doing all of this. When asking them to input sensitive information, include all the steps you take to protect their data.

20. Use Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is when you pair up with another brand or influencer to help them promote your products.

We see this frequently on platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram.

E-Commerce Strategies to Drive Traffic - Use Influencer Signals

With the influencer marketing market growing to 16.4 billion in 2022, the potential is there.

Start reaching out to influencers in your niche and see if they sell endorsements. Send them free products to test out.

Dan-Os Seasoning is a great success story on TikTok, and now influencers all over the platform are using it in their cooking videos.

21. Research, Test, and Pivot

At this point, you’ve read through 20 e-commerce tips; all of which will help you drive more traffic to your site and convert at a higher rate.

If you want to succeed, you need to implement these strategies. However, not all strategies will work for every brand. Or they might work, but with a different approach.

For example, an e-commerce fashion website might get better results using influencers than a B2B manufacturing e-commerce company.

The only way to know is to research, test, and pivot. If something doesn’t work for your audience, try something new. It’s the only way to keep growing.

22. Create a Sense of Urgency

Visitors who leave your site without purchasing rarely complete the sale.

Urgency offers a compelling reason to complete the purchase now.

Maybe it’s “Act now! Quantities are low!” or “Buy now for free shipping!” or “This is a limited time offer!”

You can approach it from various angles, as long as the feeling of “don’t miss out on this” is created with your visitor.

Look at this example from American Apparel:

E-Commerce Strategies to Drive Traffic - Create a Sense of Urgency

Right there in red font, they warn shoppers that they are about to run out of this item.

There are so many ways to create urgency through exclusivity and FOMO, including:

  • Use popups to show other users who have made purchases.
  • Send “last chance” emails.
  • Add a shopping cart timer.
  • Display limited stock (like American apparel.)

23. Upsell the Customers You Have

Many smaller e-commerce stores ignore one of their arsenal’s most accessible selling weapons: upselling.

There is a false impression that it isn’t worth the effort, but that’s not the case.

Upselling can increase average order value, which adds up over time.

The very first year that Amazon tested upselling on their platform, they increased sales by 35 percent.

Here are a few ways to increase upsells:

  • offer related product sections on product pages.
  • suggest products on the checkout page.
  • offer free shipping for orders over a specific amount, say $25 or $50

24. Launch New Products

According to Nielsen, 63 percent of buyers like it when manufacturers offer new products. What does this mean for you as an e-commerce store owner?

You need to launch new products and make innovations in your industry regularly. The best e-commerce tip I can offer you is to focus on making a difference for people.

See what the competition is doing and figure out ways that you can take it to the next level.

If you don’t manufacture your products, there are still ways to innovate.

For example, if you’re selling home improvement products, perhaps you could find a way to bundle multiple items together? You could even create a bundle subscription box.

25. Spend Your Money Elsewhere

While this whole list of e-commerce tips focuses on how “not” to spend money, perhaps you could take whatever you would spend on paid ads and spend it somewhere else.

Spend it on outsourcing high-quality blog content, SEO strategy, or influencer marketing.

Every business should have a marketing budget regardless of how big or small it is. If you’re currently spending money on paid ads, think about what else you could do with that budget and experiment with other paid options.

E-Commerce Tips Frequently Asked Questions

How can I increase my e-commerce website traffic quickly?

Social media and influencer marketing are the two fastest ways to get more e-commerce traffic. Other methods like SEO are more of a long-term solution.

What percent of my e-commerce traffic should be from non-paid sources?

In years past, organic traffic had some of the highest rates of conversion simply because people are finding you naturally. This means you’re likely a solution to a problem the visitor has. It’s tough to put an exact number on this though because every business is different. However, you can succeed with nothing but paid traffic if your strategy allows for it.

How do I track my e-commerce website’s traffic?

There are many ways to track e-commerce traffic. You can use your site’s Google Search Console dashboard as well as tools like SimilarWeb and Ahrefs.

What is organic traffic to an e-commerce website?

Organic traffic is website visitors that find your site without the use of paid advertisements, often by searching on sites like Google or Bing.

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Conclusion: E-Commerce Tips

As you read through these 25 e-commerce tips, which ones resonated with you the most? Do you feel more equipped to drive traffic to your store?

The most important thing to understand is that you don’t have to do all of these things perfectly, you just need to gradually implement them to see results.

Figure out what is currently wrong in your e-commerce store and identify the low-hanging fruit. Perhaps you simply need to ramp up blog content or update your checkout process. Most of those changes can be completed in a few days or weeks.

With all of these tips and tricks available to you, the possibilities are endless.

What are some of the ways you boost e-commerce sales without spending money on ads?