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A\/B testing is done in almost anywhere where marketing is involved. It is even done in various professional and personal fields. However, for the purpose of this discussion, let us specifically talk about A\/B testing your Apple app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In its simplest term, App A\/B testing is the method of comparing and testing two options (option A and B) and seeing which one delivers the best result. In some instances, A\/B testing is also called split-testing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why is A\/B testing important?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A\/B experiments are super important when it comes to marketing. With A\/B testing, you can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Understand the behavior of your target audience.<\/li>
- Improve download rates.<\/li>
- Improve app conversion rates.<\/li>
- Improve organic traffic.<\/li>
- Identify which screenshots work best.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/metrikal.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/AB-testing-and-its-role-in-ASO-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nYou see, in the competitive world of mobile apps, if even a minor change in your iOS app screenshots could cause people to download your app, then that\u2019s all the change you need. With A\/B testing, you don\u2019t simply identify one or two screenshots that will perform best, but you will also understand better what makes your users tick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can never ignore and underestimate A\/B testing. You need to perform A\/B experiments if you want to bring your app\u2019s success to a whole new level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How is App A\/B Testing done?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
As you can see, A\/B testing is a great way to determine which screenshots would work best. Of course, A\/B testing doesn\u2019t really mean that you are limited to two options. In fact, you can test as many screenshots as possible or as many combinations of them to your heart\u2019s content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, what happens is that you create various versions of your screenshots. You use each of them and give them equal time exposed to your potential users. You then measure the results each screenshot or option delivers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If one screenshot performs better than the others, then that\u2019s great. You just found out which screenshots you should use in your App Store page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through A\/B testing, you are able to stop guessing which screenshots would give you the best result and ensure that you make data-driven decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are the best practices you can apply when you need to A\/B test screenshots on iOS:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Establish A\/B testing goals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You can\u2019t simply do A\/B testing without any particular goal in mind. Not only that, but your goal should be specific enough so you can determine the right experiment you\u2019re going to have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, some app owners would like to answer this question with an A\/B test:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo my app screenshots improve my conversion rate?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
That sounds like a great question, but it is vague. You want to be more specific so that your question will lead to solid research data with less room for subjective interpretation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, instead, you need to try questions like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAre my app screenshots better with green or blue motif?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"A\/B](\"https:\/\/metrikal.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Ab-testing-apps.png\")
Source: SplitMetrics<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n As you can see, this question is perfect for A\/B testing. The more question like this you can formulate, the more A\/B testing experiments you can perform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Create variations of your iOS app screenshots<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Now that you have goals, it is time to proceed to the next step which is to create variations of your iOS app screenshots. Invest in creating awesome and impressive screenshots. Remember, your screenshots will dominantly represent your app, so it is something worth investing in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s take this question for an example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAre my app screenshots better with red or blue motif?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this case, you would need to create one set of screenshots with a red background and the other would be with a blue background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Source: AppRadar<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n Aside from the red and blue background, there\u2019s also a great design variation that you may take into consideration. This is the level of saliency. It means you\u2019re going to experiment whether having a generic and simple look would be better than having an eye-catching and dynamic look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Execute the A\/B testing experiment on iOS app screenshots<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
It is time to put your two screenshot designs to the test. The proper way of doing this is to ensure you randomly and equally distribute your designs to your audience. You don\u2019t want to create a bias toward any of your designs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, here\u2019s the tricky part. There are different ways to execute a successful A\/B testing. However, not all of these methods are equal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, how can you be so sure that your A\/B testing is not biased? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
What if you run one screenshot variation during the day while the other is during the night?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What if you unknowingly distributed one screenshot to more females than males?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What if one screenshot is live when users are more active while the other screenshot was live when users are not active?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What if your sample size is too small or you have run your test too quickly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You see, doing A\/B testing manually might lead to false results. That\u2019s why most A\/B testers rely on various marketing tools. Yes, this may cost you money, but it gives you better and more accurate results and you\u2019ll have stronger confidence that your test has been successful. Not only that, but you can even measure the success of your experiment with the right set of metrics tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are a lot of A\/B testing tools out there mainly created for apps. You may have heard about Storemaven, Splitmetrics, Mixpanel, Apptimze, and others. These tools come with great features to help you improve your screenshot selections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, these tools have one big limitation. None of them is able to create the real App Store experience. They only operate outside of the Apple App Store. Thus, if you wish to A\/B test your iOS app screenshots within the app store, then Apple Search Ads is your final destination. We will discuss this later. So, keep reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Evaluate your A\/B testing result<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s the exciting part. It\u2019s time for you to determine the winner. If there\u2019s a big difference between the conversion rates of your variations, then congratulations! You just found the winning screenshots for your app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Source: AppRadar<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Of course, there\u2019s always this chance that you get no result — meaning, there\u2019s really no big difference in the conversion rate between your two variations. Don\u2019t lose heart: you can always dig deeper, come up with other designs, and do further research. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maybe, along the road, it is not screenshots that could change your audience\u2019s behavior. That\u2019s the time when you can also A\/B test other elements of your app page, which include your icon, description, and video, to name a few. Of course, that\u2019s another good topic to be discussed in future articles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Apply your result<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Your A\/B testing effort would go to waste if you don\u2019t implement it, right? So, in this case, you need to use the winning iOS app screenshots immediately to obtain more results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keep experimenting with various iOS app screenshots<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You know that the only thing that\u2019s constant in this world is change. As you can imagine, the App Store is ever-changing. New competitors come in. New updates released. The needs of users evolve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With this in mind, you need to also regularly perform A\/B testing. There will always be new improvements you will discover, which you can use to push your app\u2019s growth further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Using Apple Search Ads for iOS app screenshots A\/B Tests<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Source: Apple App Store<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n If you are looking for a specific and effective tool in doing your screenshot A\/B tests, then you\u2019re in good hands as Apple Search Ads could be your friend here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To start with, Apple Search Ads, or ASA for short, is the main advertising tool of Apple for its apps. So, if you\u2019re a developer who wants to use ads to drive app awareness and downloads, ASA is what you need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What\u2019s cool with ASA is that you can actually use it for your A\/B experiments. So, how do you do it? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s discuss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Creative Sets and A\/B Testing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Source: Profitner<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n A\/B testing can be done in Apple Search Ads using Creative Sets. With Creative Sets, you can use screenshots and display them in various ways and combinations. Each Creative Set can be configured according to gender, age, location, and ad group keyword themes. With this capability, you can test different combinations of screenshots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On top of that, with Apple Search Ads, you can track the performance of each Creative Sets, thereby, allowing you to see which combination is the best, which allows you to perform plausible A\/B testing experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keep in mind that the new screenshots you want to use in your new creative set should already be uploaded and available in your listing’s gallery. If you don\u2019t, they will not be visible in the ASA dashboard when you try to create a new creative set. The best practice is to upload those new screenshots toward the end of the gallery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let us give you an example. Below are images from an A\/B testing experiment done by Square Invoices. In these images, it is evident that Square Invoices is A\/B testing their screenshots because the last 3 screenshots are totally different from the others. Basically, they are A\/B testing a brand new design concept with the last 3 screenshots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Square Invoices\u2019 Screenshot Gallery<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Below you can see how they created their creative sets on ASA. They\u2019re A\/B testing version 2 against their existing variation, version 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Version 1<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n Version 2<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n Effective Ways to do A\/B Testing with Apple Search Ads<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Now that you know that it is possible to perform A\/B testing with Apple Search Ads, here are a few of the best practices to ensure your creative sets would give you the best results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Understand how iOS app screenshots appear in Apple Search Ads<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Source: SplitMetrics<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n The first thing you need to understand when setting your Creative Sets is that the screenshots\u2019 order will follow the sequence of how they are uploaded to the App Store Connect. This means that if your screenshots need to follow a specific order, make sure that you upload them in that order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition, your ads would only display the first three screenshots of your Creative Sets. So, choose carefully which screenshots you want to readily show in your ads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A\/B Testing Your Creative Sets<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"A\/b](\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/nzb7-AP0gK1Ap6W1PgB0JClq-Q0yhapWAUxCBnJVQNy45BFpMuiONjgIJHJBzdUJjsyeCGmatCJfnGQ0wedshgMzgUA4zzOdGOXeD5aNRZ5LabVOz9NR4ft3GOM9nw\")
![\"A\/B](\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/KiQJIgCKgBu3XCR5G7xmhyw1zEWbfOlWf7Ad7zDdP7LXpxanaLDgYH3wnjKm8qssRl9PDQZqt3t2B8HEmXm4wiHbRhSI0sCWJsRka5ntlPJqy0NNIEv1wQZTdI5Mzw\")
![\"Apple](\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/VltUD-CcCi2zAyZakUh93kQFpF4-CoksYZwPiV0BszseUhYCFIYT86jCYu66oBiR4u7AD4_t1bzT4kMNtAf_1vb6MFXSzXu9_s10awo-iOJJb6WtgVRYBFnv-r1gJA\")
![\"A\/B](\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/qbqkgHOdH4pzPA6Ax-DZ9wMF8zBbILKlboQeXo5yteLweEQC4u5uSc0NTHe2CS2KAsfHKeuo6eXK6JRCNgJdQtzCIDIiHT64HL8tjQ10M0OdGviwBMh_dEBWWDuOSg\")
![\"A\/B](\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/c7uI-XqC3qm-HZo_TPyrDPhHIgtTe4KL-t4AiLNTf1dpIPXfy3F3tRnJOlmN0iSSveuA08LhzgA091MW5WF6AkZHMZ4nN2uaJQ8FxduISW8PvI8-ZNJapZFKBEMRjA\")
![\"A\/B](\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/0ahTzYta5xupwiWWSFIl28Xmj7THb3lX9wU_Jea0Nj6rr5ifTQbntCcU91BN8JWF8FGV8Mxs02Y4bX3u4kM9w0ZbwqFtF0Kc8UCdQZHWXQaW5POwtKJ0Kspr9t9PeA\")
![\"A\/B](\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/ROy6F3T7hO9c22ISEpsN7kO_EN65oowoODQIoJf8s_mUcFU7wCfzUZ779CpZEjgcg-0-LnLsIdFp9eu4bcWcPZGugeRnDqWRlNoBktQL15YHEZukleKSLW9JDgfgHQ\")
![\"Order](\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/YVSinGOUXyfob6ukZhKe9BEixtgjDkTP8bWg-NWgd2r6uUyNdeIouVtM7JwQ1J0j0cReCsaHC0WlBY-9yw8Wxz7M1TjTWkUojX8mIrdrTWIuXFMSp1miIfV3yT4sVQ\")
![\"An](\"https:\/\/uploads-ssl.webflow.com\/5e3b3ad7af6930fad8539619\/5eac8186661b3f8d2a2d00ad_Color%20Pop%20Example%20-%20Showcase%202%20sets.png\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/metrikal.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/iOS-App-Screenshots-1024x683.jpg\")
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