Unlocking the Power of Experimentation: A Marketer's Insight

Ever scrolled through the Optimizely Community blogs and felt like you’ve stumbled into a developer’s journal? Yep, well I’ve been there too. But guess what? I think it's time to shine a spotlight on the perspective of marketers.

Welcome to a series that delves into Experimentation with Optimizely from the lens of a marketing professional navigating the digital world of optimization – let the exploration begin! 🚀✨ 

Why a Series for Marketers? 

This short blog series aims to empower the analysts, the strategists, the curious, and the open-minded with the knowledge and tools needed to leverage experimentation effectively in their marketing endeavours. Whether you're embarking on setting up an experimentation program for the first time, implementing Optimizely’s Web or Feature Experimentation, on a mission to foster a culture of innovation or just want to learn more - this series is tailored for you.  

Demystifying Experimentation 

Taking it back to basics, experimentation is defined as testing ideas scientifically, just like how we did all those years ago back in school in our science labs. You attempt to answer a question by establishing a hypothesis, test that hypothesis through experimentation and analyze the results. In the digital world, we are doing exactly the same thing, but instead of bunsen burners and chemicals, we are testing and developing user experiences.

Digital Experimentation encompasses a variety of tactics designed to enhance the user experience through data-driven hypotheses. There are three types of experimentation:  

1. Experiment: To discover without fear of failure or expectation of an outcome. 
2. Test: To validate our assumptions and measure impact, predicting expected winners or outcomes. 
3. Personalize: To tailor the user experience based on defined criteria. 

Insights gained from experimentation enable organizations to make decisions backed by data. Optimization is the goal; experimentation is the mindset for how we get there. A great explanation of the experimentation mindset can be found in Kevin’s article here. The article emphasizes that experimentation is not limited to scientific labs and there is a VERY simple framework inspired by Sesame Street that helps lay the foundation:

• I wonder…
• What if…
• Let’s try!

Cultivating Curiosity 

You will often find the obstacles of experimentation are not tools or technologies but rather the behaviours and opinions of this who do not understand its value. I mean, there must be a reason why major players like Netflix and Amazon are dedicated to experimentation right? It is no longer just a strategy; it is a competitive advantage. As stated by the Harvard Business Review, "To successfully innovate, companies need to make experimentation an integral part of everyday life. That means creating an environment where employees’ curiosity is nurtured, data trumps opinion” and experimentation is embraced. Hopefully, this series will help you accomplish that! 

So, join me on a journey to unlock the power of Experimentation with Optimizely, enabling you to set your clients up for success. Welcome aboard! 👋