Log in or create a free Rosenverse account to watch this video.
Log in Create free account100s of community videos are available to free members. Conference talks are generally available to Gold members.
UX Lessons from running more than 1,200 A/B Tests
Summary
Key Insights
-
•
Nine out of ten AB tests at Booking.com fail, but the few that succeed compound into massive growth.
-
•
Execution often fails on good ideas rather than the ideas themselves.
-
•
Technical details like page load time can negate positive design changes if not carefully managed.
-
•
Edge case bugs in different languages or currencies can silently kill conversions.
-
•
Minor typography choices, such as switching from Times New Roman to Arial, have a large impact on conversion.
-
•
Using system fonts improves legibility and page load speed, positively affecting conversions.
-
•
Tracking should only include users exposed to the tested change to avoid noisy data.
-
•
Qualitative user research drives many experiment ideas by revealing real user challenges.
-
•
Guardrail metrics like customer service calls and loyalty prevent short-term wins from harming long-term value.
-
•
Products should be retested over time as technology and user behaviors evolve, since what fails today may succeed tomorrow.
Notable Quotes
"I’m actually a really big failure — nine out of ten tests fail with no positive measurable impact."
"Compound effect means good upon good upon good eventually builds to incredibly fast growth."
"If a problem keeps coming up, it’s usually the execution of the idea that’s failing, not the concept."
"Increasing page load time by three seconds can nullify all your design improvements."
"Picking the wrong size image can impact customer experience as much as what you see on screen."
"There are as many versions of the website as stars in the sky because of language, currency, and device variations."
"No tracking is perfect because numbers tell you what likely happened, but not why it happened."
"System fonts load faster, improve legibility, and outperform fancy brand fonts in conversion."
"Guardrail metrics help catch unintended consequences like increased customer service calls despite higher conversions."
"You can’t fail 90 times out of 10 without laughing at yourself to keep going."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Are you creative? Such a loaded question, isn't it?"
Dr. Karl JeffriesThe Science of Creativity for DesignOps
January 8, 2024
"You have to understand how the business actually makes money to align UX with it."
Amy MarquezINVEST: Discussion
June 15, 2018
"The core of it is really putting yourself in that other person’s shoes—it’s basic but essential empathy."
Steve Portigal Chris Chapo Kelly Goto Christian RohrerDiscussion
May 13, 2015
"It took a lot of relationship building and conversations to break down the perception that designers' time was owned by particular teams."
Alicia MootyDesign Staffing Models
September 30, 2021
"I believe there's really no such thing as a boring place at the state of mind."
Ana Maria Montero Barrantes Aditi Dhar Michelle Kaplan Nate Osborne Matt LaurenceThe Authentic UX Talent Show
January 8, 2024
"Junior team members don’t have to talk directly to executives; working effectively with peers can create grassroots buy-in."
Lada Gorlenko Sharbani Dhar Sébastien Malo Rob Mitzel Ivana Ng Michal Anne RogondinoTheme 1: Discussion
January 8, 2024
"Our principle is that whatever we build must help researchers avoid becoming a silo."
Sofia QuinteroThe Product Philosophy Behind EnjoyHQ
March 10, 2021
"Please don’t chop off that engine until the new one is built because you are not the only one on this plane."
Laura KleinUnique challenges of innovation in enterprises
April 23, 2020
"You’ve got to take control of the backlog and position your team as value-driven, not just servicing individual teams."
Andrew MichaelBuilding a Product Insights Team
March 10, 2022
