A/B testing is one of the most critical experiments to run; not only to improve your mobile game performance, but to boost your mobile game sales and in-game revenue.
The concept of A/B testing is to compare feedback with multiple elements from a set of sample users–in our case, the players. It can be done through ad creatives, placements, colors of ads, a variety of ad formats –basically anything.
What follows is a list of five unusual ways A/B testing can help you boost your mobile game sales and revenue.
1. Split Test Impact on Customer Experience
If your game is Free to Play (F2P) and your only source of revenue is from ads; instead of placing out multiple ad units all at once, you can A/B test different locations.
Want to track here how different ad locations impact your retention? The winning placement is the one where your retention is the same, whether or not the ads are present.
Similar to ad placement, you can test for ad formats which players find unobtrusive while maintaining their interest in the game.
2. Testing User Sessions Times
Offer marketers the option to play with the game difficulty to test how many levels users are flowing.
A/B testing user difficulty directly impacts game revenue because the user tends to rack up higher session times. At the same time, it may decrease their interest in playing the game over the long term. So marketers must work with game developers to identify the sweet spot when it comes to testing out game difficulty levels.
3. A/B Test Social Proof
Frequently, marketers make use of social proof like ratings, social follower numbers or quick reviews from major game portals or celebrities. However, it is uncommon for social proofs to be A/B tested as much as creatives.
Nonetheless, the Call to Actions (CTA) split testing social proofs offers you a great opportunity to see what your target audience prefers. Keep in mind, all we try to do with game marketing is serve the right content to the right user. Understanding your user’s interest can help you provide them with an enjoyable experience rather than some random ads thrown on their screens.
4. A/B Test Video Ads
A/B testing video creatives offer you many elements to play with and in a much different way than static ad testing. The video is an incredible medium for storytelling which can quickly connect with players.
Test your various storytelling techniques. Sometimes the gameplay videos work and other times, it’s the live action. But a great mix of both live action and actual gameplay delivers the best experience to gamers. A well-timed and well-thought-out narrative can communicate much more than just lengthy gameplay. So make sure you spend enough time on A/B testing multiple elements of your video ads.
5. Split Test ‘The Timing’
There are multiple game elements like push notifications, interstitial ads, review pop-ups, free goodies which, when timed properly, can work magic for your game.
Marketers should split test the timing of these elements during the soft launch of the game to help the developer identify how frequently (or after what number or interactions) such engaging elements should be shown to users. A/B testing the correct timing can help you retain your customers longer than your competitors and boost your in-game revenue.
As most marketers split test ad creatives, demographics, interests, keywords and many other familiar advertising elements, they miss out on the opportunities mentioned above which can directly influence the player’s in-game experience, ultimately boosting sales and revenue.
