In order to be successful on the Web, digital professionals must keep up with the ever-changing technology and trends that have the ability to sway consumers' engagement on digital properties like websites and mobile apps.
The challenge, however, is knowing which trends and technologies will impact engagement in a positive way and which will do just the opposite. Luckily, the Web is full of testing and optimization platforms that can help digital professionals test and implement new strategies or features based on factual data. In addition to the 50 companies that were featured in Website Magazine's January 2014 issue, take a look at the seven testing/optimization platforms below:
SiteSpect offers A/B and multivariate testing tools, which can be run without code changes or IT involvement. Moreover, the company also has landing page and mobile Web optimization solutions, which can be used to test the effectiveness of a landing page and enhance the performance of mobile sites.
Keynote offers website load testing, as well as monitoring solutions for mobile devices and website performance. The company's DeviceAnywhere platform, for example, can be used to conduct manual and automated tests on mobile apps and websites. Conversely, the platform's website monitoring solution can be used to diagnose performance problems, while the Web load testing solution helps site owners prepare their websites for high-traffic.
This European company aims to help digital professionals optimize websites conversions. GlobalMaxer offers solutions for A/B and multivariate testing, as well as cognitive load testing. Cognitive load testing is designed to measure the cognitive activity in human-machine interactions. It is important to note, however, that in addition to multivariate testing, GlobalMaxer also offers Cultural Multivariate Testing for isolating factors that have a cultural impact on Web conversions.
Digital professionals can leverage Sitecore to conduct A/B and multivariate testing on everything from the home page layout to button design. The platform requires no coding and aims to help website owners continuously optimize their sites for an overall better user experience.
This testing tool's name is pretty self-explanatory, because FiveSecondTest enables users to quickly build and launch tests and review results. Once a user uploads a screenshot or mock-up, they simply need to set up questions and launch the test. Then, test takers have five seconds to view the mock-up and answer the questions. The platform then collects responses and extracts the most frequent keywords so that test administrators can easily review results.
Digital professionals can leverage ion to implement automated, real-time testing with A/B and multivariate tests. All tests can be launched without coding knowledge or a developer's help. Plus, the platform allows users to test just about anything, from page formats to segmentation options.
Akamai's AQUA Ion platform can help Web professionals optimize their digital properties. The platform is a "situational performance solution" that uses a suite of delivery, acceleration and optimization technologies to help site owners make smarter business decisions. Akamai aims to not only improve the user experience, but also to help site owners increase conversions, deliver engaging sites and ensure performance regardless of traffic numbers.