At the end of September, Google unveiled a number of new features and product tests for both the free and paid versions of Google’s analytics suite, including a free beta version of Optimize 360.
WHAT IS OPTIMIZE 360?
Optimize 360 is Google’s mobile-web testing and personalization tool that allows marketers to test different variations of a site and then tailor it to deliver a personalized experience for each customer and for businesses. It provides advanced statistical modeling and sophisticated targeting tools, and with its native Google Analytics integration, it allows marketers to run real-time tests using existing audiences and goals to quickly determine the impact on customer behavior.
WHAT KINDS OF TESTS CAN I RUN WITH OPTIMIZE 360?
Optimize 360 provides three different types of test:
1) A/B/n – test multiple versions of the same web page with one different element and find which one works best for defined customers
2) Multivariate – test two or more elements on a page to see which combination creates the best outcome
3) Redirect – test separate web pages directly against each other using different URLs (think landing page testing or page redesigns)
WHAT DOES OPTIMIZE 360 HAVE THAT OTHER TESTING PLATFORMS DON’T?
The main selling point for Optimize 360 is its native compatibility with Google Analytics (GA). Marketers can perform all optimize testing using established GA audiences (not available in the free version), goals, and metrics, and can then see results in both GA and Optimize. For example, in Optimize it is possible to run a test to target users that have previously spent $100 on a website, or users that have been to a website more than three times in a week.
When compared to other testing platforms, Optimize 360 cannot:
• run multi-page experiments
• schedule start/stop times for tests
• perform mobile app testing
If these are vital to marketers’ execution, consider exploring other testing platforms.
WHAT DO I GET WITH THE FREE BETA VERSION OF OPTIMIZE?
The free Optimize 360 beta version comes with many of the same capabilities as the full paid version, but is limited in a couple of areas. Both versions natively integrate with Google Analytics, provide A/B testing and most advanced targeting, and let marketers deploy experiments with Google Tag Manager. However, the free beta version does not allow you target Google Analytics audiences, comes with limited multivariate testing capabilities, and only contains certain pre-selected experiment objectives (as opposed to the paid version that allows marketers to create objectives).
Interested in signing up? Marketers can find more information and sign up for a free trial at: https://www.google.com/analytics/optimize/
