A/B Testing: WYSIWYG vs Javascript
If you’ve researched conversion rate optimisation solutions, you may have come across the acronym “WYSIWYG” (pronounced whizz-ee-wig) which stands for “What You See Is What You Get.” This is typically a tool which allows you to insert text or images, or to drag and drop elements onto a webpage without requiring any development - the software auto-generates the code based on what you insert or move on the website.
What You See Is What You Get
Both Conversion Managers and Marketers can benefit from a WYSIWYG solution. Optimisation software allows you to segment your audience so that your content or test is targeted to the correct customers, for example: advertising a sale on women's shoes to a female demographic, or encouraging new visitors to your site to create an account. In fact, some WYSIWYG software even comes with templates to help you insert the right kind of content in the right places so targeting personalised content becomes incredibly easy.
WYSIWYG solutions are great for companies just starting out with A/B testing. There is no need to hire a CRO developer because anyone can run a test or modify the website. They are intuitive and with correct audience segmentation can even be used as an effective CMS for a marketing team.
However, once you've run all the button tests you can think of (pro-tip, there are always more ways to test CTAs), you may wish to begin A/B testing more advanced features and ideas. This is where WYSIWYG may cease to be effective and you may need to delve into the code behind the website.
Javascript Development
Hiring a CRO developer can be a big decision, but if you’re ramping up your testing then you’re going to need someone with the skills to build more complex tests using front-end languages like HTML, CSS and javascript. Practically all A/B tests are built using javascript; WYSIWYG software generates javascript code too, but a developer will have more control over features and pages than a WYSIWYG. It's all about writing code which targets and modifies existing elements and reacts to user behaviour to build bigger A/B tests.
Javascript allows you to specify test triggers and segments to be very specific. It can modify whole pages or multiple pages across a website allowing you to test a whole new landing page or even a new funnel design, although you will find that the more complex a test is, the longer it takes to develop. You can create test elements that only appear after a user has followed a certain set of actions - something much harder to build in WYSIWYG mode alone.
A good CRO developer will have experience modifying existing webpages using javascript. They’ll want to dig into the code rather than use a WYSIWYG interface, and luckily, all major optimisation software offers them the option to do this so you shouldn’t need to change software providers when you hire a CRO developer.
Conclusion
Both WYSIWYG & javascript coded tests have their place within conversion optimisation. Suppliers have realised that companies require both options and develop their software accordingly.
Which method of test creating do you prefer? What complex tests have you built using WYSIWYG? Can you think of any other pros & cons to each method?
Elise Maile - Conversion Rate Optimisation & Personalization Consultant
