Google Optimize for A/B Testing is a tool that you've likely used to improve conversion rates on your website.
These tools enable you to test the content of a page by randomly showing it to different visitors.
Websites can avoid spending too much time and money on features that are not popular with users by using A/B testing.
If the page takes too much time to load, A/B testing may result in a slower user experience.
This can happen if you test the content too often, or if your code slows down the site.
Users may leave your site if your content is taking too long to load. This can increase bounce rates and lower your chances of converting them.
This blog will discuss how to stop A/B testing slowing down your website using techniques such as:
- Make sure the scripts are directly implemented into the head tag's top, and not through a tag manager
- Implementing the asynchronous GTM version (Google Optimize)
- Animations can be used in order to avoid test experiences loading too slowly or being disruptive to the user experience
Let's get started.
A/B Testing Can Slow Down Your Website?
A/B testing may add an additional step to loading and displaying web pages.
This is because users are shown two versions of the same content at random times. Data is collected to determine which page performs best.
This back-and-forth communication can cause a delay in page loading time.
It can also cause a flickering of original content (FOOC), which displays for a brief moment before the page finishes loading.
Three ways A/B testing can slow down your site:
- Slower loading times for your site
- Poor user experience can cause users to leave the site or prevent them visiting it again.
- Delaying other events like an email campaign because pages take longer to load and render.
Page load time is an important indicator for SEO and conversions.
Research shows that conversion rates are most affected by page load times within the first five seconds.
70 percent of respondents also believe page speed is a factor in their decision to purchase.
If you want your users to visit your site again and buy your products, your site must be fast.
Preventing A/B testing from slowing down your site
It's important that you take extra precautions to prevent A/B testing slowing down your website.
Backlinko reports that the average page load benchmark for desktop is 10.3 seconds and mobile 27.3 seconds.
These markers may not be hitting you, which could indicate a problem.
There are several ways to stop your website from slowing down, regardless of whether you use Google Optimize or another A/B test tool.
1. 1.
If you want to add A/B testing scripts on your site, ensure they are at the top and not in a tag manager.
This is crucial because scripts can be overwritten if you make any changes to your website.
Tag managers are external scripts that load in place of other scripts. They can be overwritten without warning and prevent scripts functioning properly when you make website changes.
If you're using the synchronous script, make sure it's placed after all your site scripts.
This will avoid any delays caused by third-party resource on your page such as ad network.
2. Use Asynchronous Tracking
Google Optimize comes in two versions: synchronous or asynchronous.
The synchronous versions stop any content rendering until it is fully loaded. This could prevent your A/B testing from loading within a reasonable amount of time.
While the asynchronous versions stop content rendering until it is ready for rendering, this does not mean that scripts on the page cannot be executed immediately.
Most users recommend the asynchronous version. It loads in a separate thread to the rest of website so that other important tasks can be executed before it.
Async versions will stop certain animations from slowing down test experiences, while still allowing other elements to be played.
It is important that you use a tag management system such as Google Tag Manager (GTM) or another JavaScript management software to implement these asynchronously.
Google Optimize should not cause delays in page loading time. This can be prevented by using the async version. Each script call is added asynchronously so that they don't hinder rendering.
This is especially important if there are no tests being run or if the tests are not interrupted across all pages.
3. To improve UX, incorporate animations
Google Optimize allows you to use animations to avoid slow loading and disrupting the user experience.
Animations can be used as a distraction to avoid A/B testing slowing down your site. They give users something to look at while they wait for content to arrive.
Animations can be used to keep users interested before the site loads fully.
This will inform users that their content is being loaded, and they can't leave the page.
Always center your animations where the user is most likely to be looking.
This is an example of a loading page, or a page that the user will be focusing on a particular part of the design.
Animations should not interrupt other tests. Make sure animations are correctly implemented across all pages.
4. Reduce the size of the snippet
Try to keep snippets as small as possible when adding them to your website.
This will stop the script from slowing down any other areas of your website, and it will also prevent other scripts from being delayed or disrupted on your page.
This can be done by using a tag manager such as Google Tag Manager (GTM).
GTM allows you to reduce the snippet length or limit the use of the snippet on certain pages.
Google Optimize does not require you to use a tag manager if you only want it to be added once across all your pages' head tags.
If you would prefer to embed the script directly into each page, make sure that they are placed at the top of your head tag.
5. 5.
The delay in A/B testing on different server sides is often less noticeable.
You might use PHP on your client-side instead of JavaScript to avoid content loading slow and interfering with users trying out the new design.
Different server sides work because the async will stop browsers from blocking a callback function. This would prevent any other content from loading while it waits for code to complete running.
This is because the server-side testing prevents users with slow connections and high latency from experiencing delays in loading content.
Google Tag Manager is recommended to load scripts asynchronously if you are unable to do so. This allows them to run after page rendering has completed and doesn't impact performance.
Keep in mind, however, that testing on different servers can make it more difficult to stop users from being interrupted by a slower loading experience. Since there is no way to call asynchronous JavaScript into action,
6. 6.
Optimizing and consolidating variation codes can prevent A/B testing slowing down your site.
Optimize uses Variation Codes to identify each variation.
Your website will load slower if it is more complex than you originally intended.
Too many changes can be made to a page at once and it can cause other scripts to stop running correctly or prevent the page even loading.
This can be detrimental to the user experience of your website and may prevent you from testing to improve your site.
JavaScript can be disabled or turned off by users. This will prevent them from reaching the optimized version. It can also slow down optimizations by several weeks.
It is important to consolidate all Optimize codes and scripts into your site's head tag.
7. All data should be kept in one file
Your website contains many assets and data that must be loaded before a user can view it.
These assets and data must be shared when you conduct an A/B testing. However, if not managed well they can cause serious problems.
Let's say that your old website used Font Awesome to create its icons. Your new website uses Google Fonts because it is more user-friendly. Your old website will need the same Google Fonts that your new site if you are running an A/B testing.
This can lead to a significant delay in page loading speed for users if you don't manage it properly.
Keep all data in one file to prevent A/B testing slowing down your website. This will prevent your page from making multiple requests for information.
It is important that all experiments are kept in one place so they can be easily accessed by everyone. This will prevent many problems from happening and make it easier to track each test's progress.
Common Questions about Preventing A/B testing from Slowing Down Your Website
Google Optimize can slow down your website?
Google Optimize has no significant effect on page loading times. It is important to consider the time taken for your page's load, latency and visitor connection speeds.
What should you do following an A/B testing?
You should evaluate your results after you have completed your A/B testing. Then, take the necessary actions based on what you found. You should also plan a new A/B testing to continue your learning.
How can I speed up my Google page?
Page speed is affected by many factors. However, optimizing your A/B testing can prevent your site from being slow.
An A/B test should not be used in certain situations.
An A/B test should not be used if you don't have enough traffic or the resources to test your hypothesis, lack traffic or aren't in need of more traffic.
Preventing A/B testing from slowing down your site: Conclusion
A/B testing is a powerful tool to drive conversions, and every website owner should use it.
It is important to understand how to stop A/B testing from slowing down your website. Slow test experiences can be disruptive to the user experience.
Sites that successfully use A/B Testing will experience increased traffic and better audience insight.
Have you ever used A/B testing for site performance improvements?
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By: Neil Patel
Title: How to Prevent A/B Testing from Slowing Down Your Site
Sourced From: neilpatel.com/blog/prevent-ab-testing-speed/
Published Date: Fri, 08 Oct 2021 13:00:00 +0000
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