4 In-App Elements You Should Be A/B Testing

App development is labor and time intensive, and the often onerous app store submission discourages app owners from changing elements in the app. What’s more, for product managers, understanding what to prioritize next is often done in darkness, devoid of a true understanding of how customers use the app and data to support their assumption.

That’s where A/B testing comes in. This practice has been at the core of product optimization since long before we had apps, and comparing variations has enjoyed a giant leap in the move from analog to digital because we can now measure what works much faster and far more accurately.

Here are 4 examples of app elements that you should A/B test, which could potentially dramatically improve your in-app engagement metrics, and the overall user satisfaction.

1. Alternative call-to-action (CTA) in your buttons

Testing CTAs is a hallmark of A/B testing pretty much in any medium. Users’ perception of what you’re asking to do can affect whether or not they click, and so testing different language can help you figure out what is the best way to make them act.

2. A background in a different style

You already know that showing photos of your products from different angles can entice users to buy them, but visuals can really affect the overall experience of the app, even when they’re not the main act. Think about ways to test background images or other visuals that might affect the overall experience of users in the app – perhaps a new background can keep them in the app longer?

3. Order of onboarding flows

Onboarding carousels are a great way to highlight the most important elements in the app to new users, or to those returning to the app after an upgrade. Try playing with the order of the slides of your carousel to see how the first impression alters your retention rates and adjust accordingly.

4. The way you ask for a rating

Good ratings are crucial for ASO, and you want to encourage app store ratings as much as possible. But getting users to leave the app and leave a rating is a big ask. Knowing when to ask is, of course, it’s own art, but knowing HOW to ask is just as important. Think about experimenting with the language of the rating request, the size of the message, and any visuals you might use.

With Pendo, you can quickly start A/B testing elements in the app to get users to tell you what works, taking the guesswork out of your engagement strategy. Using our platform you can build variants and make them live in your app in no time, so you can start collecting data and enhance the app experience accordingly.