Did you know that in 2019, over 200 billion apps were downloaded globally? The user retention rate for mobile apps was 32 percent. These figures show that while getting your app downloaded is challenging, engaging and retaining users and getting them to return to your app is much more difficult. As a result, the user experience of your app could be the deciding factor in this circumstance.
However, consistently producing delightful in-app experiences is also difficult. So now the question also arises: How can you ensure that your mobile app’s every aspect, page, and feature contributes to a compelling experience and pushes the user down the conversion funnel?
One way to get there is to use experimentation to your advantage, where mobile app testing comes in.
A/B testing for mobile apps is a type of A/B testing in which different user segments are provided with different variations of an in-app experience to see which one gets them to do the desired action or has a positive impact on key app metrics. By determining what works and what doesn’t for your mobile app, you can systematically optimize it for your targeted KPIs and unleash endless growth potential for your company that was previously hidden.
Mobile app A/B testing is done on the server-side rather than the client-side, distinguishing it from regular web A/B testing. Unlike client-side testing, which requires delivering variants to the user’s browser (client), server-side testing allows tests to be performed and alterations to be made directly on the app server. The same is then rendered to the user’s device at a later time. Both have a wide range of applications and cater to a variety of corporate requirements.
Server-side testing is more robust and designed for tests that are fairly sophisticated. Direct server implementation allows you to experiment deeper within your stack and run more sophisticated tests that go beyond cosmetic or UI-based improvements. A/B testing for mobile apps incorporates all server-side testing capabilities, allowing marketers and product managers to optimize their end-to-end user experiences.
From testing high-impact app features before and after launch to experimenting with numerous combinations of in-app experiences, mobile app A/B testing allows you to do it all and optimize your app for increased user engagement, retention, and conversions.
Why should you perform A/B testing on your mobile app?
Mobile app A/B testing is necessary for optimizing mobile apps for the same reasons that client-side A/B testing is necessary for optimizing web and Mobile Testing. When it comes to mobile apps, however, A/B testing provides a few extra benefits that can be used to alleviate pain points in users’ journeys and improve app-specific KPIs. You should consider investing in A/B testing for your mobile app for the below advantages:
- The advantages of A/B testing on mobile apps are comparable to those of A/B testing on the web. A/B testing enables you to test multiple hypotheses for app experiences and make adjustments to your app experience based on evidence rather than gut instinct. A/B testing tools allow you to evaluate the impact of changes you make to your app with statistical confidence and measure how significant that impact will be.
- By doing tests on your mobile app regularly, you will be able to consistently improve the experience of your app and bring out new features that you know will boost your conversion metrics. It’s why leading companies like Facebook, Amazon, and Google do A/B tests on their mobile apps regularly. A/B testing is essential for mobile device experience optimization, conversion rate optimization, and personalization.
- Another advantage is that you can make updates to an app that has already been published to Apple’s app store without going through the app review process. This enables you to iterate on changes more quickly and make repairs and upgrades to live apps.