Case Study: Split Testing Titles for an Outdoor Equipment Brand

Split testing or A/B Testing on Amazon is a great way to optimize your content by comparing the performance of different versions of specific metrics to see which one improves conversion rates.

Amazon itself provides a solution called Manage My Experiments for Brand Registered Sellers where you can split test metrics such as A+ Content, Titles, and Images. The different versions of the listing are shown randomly to Amazon Customers, and results are recorded. Read our best practices on Manage My Experiments here. 

Split testing is such an important digital marketing strategy that many companies have developed 3rd party tools that easily integrate with Amazon to ensure a seamless split testing process. One of those tools was developed by Sellzone, and we use it at BellaVix to assess and improve our clients’ pages. Sellzone offers split testing of Titles, Descriptions, Main Images and Pricing. 

Background

In this case study, the brand is selling sports and outdoor equipment on Amazon through Seller Central. They launched in July 2019, and the Seller Central account was managed by another agency before BellaVix took over in January 2021. The brand had successfully launched numerous products and generated strong monthly sales on Amazon, but felt they had reached a plateau. 

Challenge

When this brand started selling on Amazon, the aim was simply to generate additional income. However, when they reached multi-million dollar status, they were very hesitant to make any changes to the listings. They had achieved huge success and did not want to risk affecting that. And who can blame them?! However, we know that copy optimization plays an integral role on Amazon for both search results and conversions and wanted to ensure they were achieving the best possible results. 

Strategy

We decided to split test their best selling product titles. The client was very reluctant to make the changes we had recommended, and this was a great way to back up our suggestions with real data. We used Sellzone, the free split testing tool that any seller can use to run content experiments. 

Results

When interpreting the results, it’s important to remember that each copy metric serves its own purpose. Titles are relevant for search results and making sure the customers find your products, so the relevant KPIs when split testing the titles are sessions and pageviews – that is the traffic. When you’re experimenting with images and bullets, the KPIs you should be referencing are the conversion rate and units ordered as well as orders. 

 

Needless to say, the results were fantastic, and they exceeded our own expectations given that we were comparing results with Prime Month (June 2021) when traffic and window shopping generally increase. 

 

The following were the results of the BellaVix experiment:

Page Views: 

Sessions: 

Summary 

• Split testing was conducted in July 2021, and was competing against the result during Prime Month (June 2021).
• Sessions and page views increased for all of the SKUs tested.
• The best result showed a 400%+ increase.

 

Tips for Experiments

• Trial 2 different pieces of content – if the content is too similar, the results might be inconclusive. 
• Run the split testing for as long as possible – early results can be very promising, but they can also be misleading. 
• Don’t check the data too often during this time, as you may be disappointed early on, or come to the wrong conclusion on what works and what doesn’t. 

 

Don’t be afraid to experiment, but when you do keep in mind that it’s always best to measure the performance of one metric at a time. Otherwise, the results cannot be conclusive and you will be left wondering which of the changes you made led to the best results. Additionally, when you run split testing, it’s recommended to do it for as long as possible, again, to verify the data accuracy. 

 

Alternatively, if you are looking for faster results you can use the latest Helium 10 feature called Audience. All you need to do is create a custom poll, and instead of waiting for 7 or 30 days, this tool gives detailed market feedback in less than one hour, allowing you to make quick and effective changes.

 

If you also need a full-service Amazon agency to help you achieve great results and scale your Amazon Business, connect with the BellaVix team today! 

 

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