The Sun is Setting on Google Optimize. Now What?

On September 30, 2023, the world will bid adieu to the popular Google Optimize and Optimize 360 tools. While any experiments will continue running until then, many e-commerce businesses are wondering where to go from here.

Google’s website optimization tool was launched over five years ago, and has been widely used by online retailers to increase website conversions and enhance the customer experience. One of its greatest assets? Its ability for retailers to create and test various aspects of web pages and experiences to see which performs best.

If you’re an e-commerce retailer using Google Optimize or Optimize 360 to conduct A/B testing and optimize your website, it’s time to start looking for a suitable replacement. Fortunately, with every loss comes new opportunities for ways to generate conversions and improve engagement. Here are a few of our favorites to consider and prepare you for the transition:

Personalization

You can’t talk about e-commerce without mentioning personalization. Sound personalization strategies enable you to tailor every online shopping experience to each individual customer's needs, interests, and preferences.

One of the most important reasons to use personalization on your e-commerce website is because shoppers want it. Not only do 70% of customers expect a personalized experience, but they may get frustrated if they don’t receive it. Translation: They might exit your site and never look back.

By personalizing the e-commerce experience, your customers will be happier, and you’ll be able to reap the benefits, which include:

• Better Customer Experiences. When you make it easier for your customers to find what they’re looking for, they're more likely to enjoy shopping at your store—especially when you deliver to them across multiple channels.

• Increased Customer Loyalty
  Tailored experiences increase engagement, which will keep your customers coming back (and buying).

• Higher Conversions 
  Personalized content equates to higher click-through rates and sales, with 65% of e-commerce stores reporting an increase in conversions after implementing a personalization strategy. (Cleverbridge)

Personalization Strategies

A successful personalization strategy can be achieved by using a range of tactics, such as:

• Personalized product recommendations based on past purchases and browsing history
  
• Targeted email campaigns featuring customized products highlights and incentives
• Exclusive discounts and promotions, especially on special occasions like birthdays or anniversaries
• Loyalty programs that reward customers with points, exclusive offers, early access to special sales
•  Social content that shows your customers how others are using similar items they’re looking at

Related: How to Provide Personalization In A World Without Cookies

Seamless Integration

Seamless integration is the practice of connecting different software applications and platforms to work together without any disruption to the user experience. This can include everything from your website to your shipping software, social pages, and more.

By creating a unified system, online retailers are able to access information, analyze data, and make decisions more easily. It also provides other advantages, such as:

• Synchronized Data
  By connecting data across all your applications, you’ll be able to enjoy a timely and reliable flow of information and communication.

• Better Customer Service 
  Seamless integration ensures you’re able to retrieve information easily, resulting in faster responses and more satisfied customers.

• Higher Employee Productivity
  Say goodbye to manual processes like data entry, and hello to streamlined processes that not only open up time for other tasks, but reduce extra costs associated with operating on one single system.

Seamless Integration Strategies

There are countless types of software and systems you can connect to improve your e-commerce store, including:

• Integrating your inventory system to track items sold, identify popular products, and provide up-to-date information about products availability
• Integrating your shipping software to automate tasks like comparing shipping rates, printing labels, and tracking shipments, while also providing your customers with desirable shipping options. 
• Integrating your customer service system with your website to help customers get answers to their questions quickly and easily
• Integrating your social media software to streamline communications and provide customers with a more personalized shopping experience

Data Compatibility  

Analytics compatibility tracks and measures customer behavior from online activities such as website visits and e-commerce transactions. It also provides valuable insight into customer trends and preferences, empowering your e-commerce business to get ahead of your competition and modify your strategies accordingly.

By ensuring compatible data, you’ll be able to draw accurate conclusions on how to improve your marketing efforts, which can lead to some great results, including: 

• Greater Customer Understanding
  The data you accumulate provides insights on everything from pages viewed to products clicked on, which can all be used to optimize the customer experience.

• Improved Targeting 
  With the right analytics, you will be able to understand your customers better and target the, with relevant content.

• Increased Conversion Rates
  By identifying more opportunities to create personalized experiences and improve your website, more shoppers will convert.

Analytics Compatibility Strategies

There are a number of ways to utilize analytics compatibility, and here are just a few:

• Customer journey analysis to understand each customer journey as they interact with your e-commerce website
• Shopping cart analysis to pinpoint problems during checkout and elevate the process for a better customer experience
• A/B testing to determine which page(s) or designs function best for your website
• Conversion rate optimization (CRO) to identify which areas of your site need to be improved in order to increase conversions

Multi-Variate Testing

Multivariate testing (MVT) is the method of testing multiple variations of different elements on a page simultaneously to determine the best combination of elements to increase conversions. For example, an online retailer may test several adaptations of a product page with different headlines, descriptions, and images to establish which version converts more visitors into customers.

Unlike A/B testing, multivariate testing allows retailers to test more than two variables at the same time. This can lead to some advantages, including:

• Enhanced Efficiency
  Discovering the best way to improve your website from the insights you receive is a key step in setting yourself up for success while also saving time and money.
  
  

• Higher Conversion Rates
  Using the data collected, you’ll be able to make informed decisions to optimize your e-commerce site to boost customer engagement and revenue.

• Growth and Scalability 
  Performing multivariate tests regularly ensures you’re always providing an exceptional customer experience for your customers, even as your e-commerce business expands.

Related: How to Make Instant, Data-Driven Business Decisions

Multivariate Testing Examples

Online retailers can perform a variety of multivariate tests on their site, including:

• Page testing to see which elements—text, images, color, CTA—perform best
• Landing page testing to see which page produces better results
• Multi-channel testing to test different versions of an asset across multiple channels such as email, mobile, and web
• Personalization testing to customize a web page or email based on a user’s profile or behavior.

Split URL Testing

Split URL testing is the technique that tests webpage variations hosted on different URLs. Website traffic is randomly divided between the variations and conversions are tracked to identify which one performs the best. This type of testing is commonly used in e-commerce to measure how different page designs and content affect user behavior, such as click-through rate, conversion rate, and sales.

Though similar, split URL testing differs from A/B testing by dividing the website traffic between the existing variations instead of having them compete against each other for the same traffic. Its benefits include:

• Better Engagement
  Split URL test results can help you make improvements to your content that drive engagement and ultimately lead to a better overall customer experience.
  
  
• Reduced Bounce Rates
  The average bounce rate for retail websites is between 20 and 45%. Identifying high-traffic areas or low-converting pages will enable you to optimize your content to keep shoppers on your site longer. 
  
  
• More Revenue
  By finding out what content is more likely to lead a shopper to make a purchase, you’ll be able to generate more conversions and sales.

Split URL Testing Examples

Some of the most commonly used types of split URL testing include:

• Split testing different homepage layouts to determine which drives more traffic to product pages
• Split testing different product descriptions and/or images to see which resonates best with customers
• Split testing different pricing structures on product pages to establish which yields more sales
• Split testing different checkout processes to reveal which generates more conversions
• Split testing different types of loyalty programs to find out which encourages repeat customers

Artificial Intelligence

Last, but certainly not least is artificial intelligence (AI). Much like personalization, AI is going full force this year—and has been for some time. In fact, a study done by Oracle found that 78% of brands have already implemented AI tools in their e-commerce stores or are soon planning to. 

If you haven’t already climbed aboard the AI train, hurry up and jump on, because you definitely don’t want to be left behind by the wide range of benefits this innovative technology has to offer. Here is a handful:

• Personalized Shopper Experiences
  AI technology will enable you to deliver customized content and highly personalized product recommendations based on your customers’ preferences and user history.
  
  
• Targeted Marketing
  The data collected through AI can be used to target campaigns and other content across multiple channels, and can even predict which channels individual customers are most likely to use.
  
  
• Quick Automation
  Besides streamlining your operations and completing tasks efficiently, you’ll be to automate everything – from special promotions to first-time customers, to sharing new products during the checkout process, to identifying which pages receive the most site traffic.
  
  
• Enhanced Customer Service
  Through AI customer service tools, you’ll be able to provide real-time support on frequently asked questions and offer relevant recommendations to help shoppers find the information they need to make purchasing decisions.
  
  
• Increased Sales 
  Thanks to AI’s ability to provide valuable customer insights, improve customer experiences, and automate many e-commerce tasks, your online store will move forward with greater efficiency and higher revenue.

AI Strategies

The various ways AI can be used in e-commerce is limitless. Some of our top recommendations include:

• AI-powered recommendation engines that generate personalized product recommendations for higher conversions (like Granify!)
• Virtual assistants and chatbots that provide 24/7 customer support by answering questions, guiding customers through the purchase process, and reducing cart abandonment
• Automated marketing campaigns that target customers who are most likely to convert
• AI-powered inventory management systems to optimize inventory levels and reduce stock-outs
• Automated pricing to adjust pricing so you can maximize your profits

AI and Granify

With Google Optimize going bye-bye, it’s easy to resort to other A/B testing tools. The problem is that these tools can limit the level of personalization you offer to your customers. And as we’ve said before, consumers want personalized experiences.

Granify helps e-commerce retailers convert more shoppers by using machine learning technology to provide insights on customer behavior, allowing online retailers to make data-driven decisions that optimize the customer experience. Then, we target your shoppers with personalized messages and offers, increasing their chances of conversion.

The Granify Guarantee

Though we’re not about the bragging (maybe just a bit), we have a lot to offer! Aside from our good looks (the green really brings out our e-platform’s eyes), we care a ton about our clients. Some other sweet reasons to consider choosing us as your optimization platform?

• Our technology is cutting-edge.
  Not only do we utilize real-time data, but our layered technology makes it easy to implement on any site.

• We do all the heavy lifting.
  There’s no need for extra hands on your side since we take care of everything for you.

• Your customers will receive a better shopping experience.
  Between our killer product recommendations and the 7.1 Billion shopping sessions we optimized in 2022, it’s fair to say more customers will not leave empty-handed. (Farewell cart-ditchers.)

• Your revenue will increase.
  Last year, we generated over $688 Million in incremental sales for our clients.

• You won’t get a more devoted team of experts.
  Technology is great, but technology backed by a dedicated team of experts is even better—and we’ve got them both.

• There are no set-up costs or fixed fees.
  We only make money when you do and are compensated on the incremental revenue we help you earn—nothing else.

Endless Opportunities Await

Yes, Google Optimize is on its way out, but that doesn’t mean all hope is lost (not even close!)

Rather than counting down the months until its farewell, start planning now. Research alternative optimization strategies like the ones provided and prepare for the transition early, so you can put your feet up this September. Remember, with the right strategy, you can ensure that your website is optimized for success and ready to make the switch when the time comes.

Delight Customers with Granify

Ready to set aside A/B testing and discover better ways to enhance the shopper journey? By working with Granify, you’ll be able to maximize your conversions and increase revenue while providing a seamless and enjoyable shopping experience.