Beyond Google Optimize: How to Continue Your ‘Test & Learn’ Program After Google Sunsets Optimize

Despite its plans to integrate with GA4, Google Optimize will sunset on September 30th, 2023. After this date, Google Optimize will no longer be offered in any form. There have been talks about Google folding experimentation into GA4, however, there have not been any announcements on this and we do not foresee this being a solution before the sunset date. 

Understanding digital ecosystems, business goals and future initiatives/integrations will help marketers make an informed decision in terms of selecting a new Testing tool and continuing the evolution of “Test & Learn.”

Test & Learn: A Journey, Not a Destination 

A “crawl, walk, run” approach in which testing and personalization become the stepping stones towards optimization success is typically the best course of action. Think of this approach as more of a journey rather than a destination. Start with smaller projects, laying a foundation of a Test and Learn program and quickly iterating on those test ideas. 

Crawl

Quick tests that add value while also creating a foundation for a Test & Learn framework. 

Walk

Here we are stress-testing our goals and processes to ensure they can scale. When we start running multiple tests at the same time as user data increases, group or individual-level experiences are improved.

Run

The process is firmly in place at an individual-level, real-time data enables omnichannel experiences at scale. The use of AI becomes increasingly important as scale increases.

During testing, sometimes variation will win, sometimes control will win, and sometimes, results will stay flat. But no matter the test outcome, users will always leave the test with valuable findings.

Which Testing Tool Should I Use?

The short answer: it depends. Ask these key questions to guide this decision.

• Which features are most important? 
• What kind of testing is being performed? 
• How mature is the testing program?

Below is a list of considerations that can help users make a decision as to which tool is best for their business:

Testing and Personalization Capabilities

• Web-Based Testing
• App-Based Testing
• Server Side Testing
• Does your team have development knowledge or do you need a “Low” or “No Code” capabilities and make changes in a visual editor?

Reporting and Analysis

• Will you be connecting to Google Analytics 4 (GA4)?
• Do you plan on continuing to use GA4 long-term?
• Do you need to Push and Pull data from analytics?
• Do you want to report on multiple KPIs and/or custom KPIs based on events firing in the Data Layer?

Implementation

• Does your organization have strict rules as to what scripts can be installed on your website?
• Do you want the tool to only load on specific pages of your website?
• Can the tool only be installed via Google Tag Manager (GTM)?

Pricing

• Were you using the free version of Google Optimize and now you find yourself needing to provide the value of CRO? If you need a tool that will help you prove program value, don’t look for the best tool with all the bells and whistles—look for the tool that allows you to test and prove program value. Many tools have different tiers that allow for more robust functionality. We recommend starting with a lower tier and gradually scaling up as needed, especially when the objective is to demonstrate value and progressively leverage the capabilities of the tool.

Integration Support

• An integration establishes a link between your CRO product and another third-party tool (such as analytics, behavioral analysis or Customer Data Platforms). Once the link is made, both tools can communicate and exchange data, empowering your CRO program and saving you time. Do these tools allow you to save time in identifying and creating segments, implementing tests or reporting? 
• Or should you look for a tool that has this functionality built-in and allows you to trim some of the duplicative functionality? One example is Behavioral Insights: Do you currently leverage software for Heat Mapping/Session Recording/Surveys?

Be careful with this category. It’s easy to say “Our CRO tool integrates with your CMS.” Just because a tool has an integration with one of the tools you use, it does not necessarily mean it will always save you time or money. Your processes with your tools can differ from the purpose of the integration. Be sure to communicate your specific use case and how you use the tools in your Martech stack and ensure that the integration can actually help you.

Review Google Partnerships

Google announced “Optimize will remain available until September 2023. Ahead of that, we are collaborating on integrations with the following A/B testing providers (listed in alphabetical order):

• AB Tasty
• Optimizely
• VWO

We will make our APIs publicly available so anyone can integrate their A/B testing tool with Google Analytics in the coming months.”

Comparing Tools with Google Analytics

Testing and Personalization Capabilities

All three tools share the following features:

• AB Testing
• Multivariate
• Split URL
• Client Side
• Server Side
• WYSIWYG Editor
• Code Editor

In terms of Reporting Analysis, all three tools share the following features. However, Bayesian Statistics is not part of the Optimizely platform. 

• Cross Device Reporting
• Visual Dashboard, Multiple KPIs, Custom KPIs on Events and Data Layer Key/Values
• Push and Pull data to/from GA

Implementation has already begun, and on September 30th, Google Optimize will officially sunset. If you haven’t started your transition from Optimize to your next Testing tool, you still have time—and there’s no time like the present. Using the “crawl, walk, run” approach, along with reviewing Google partnerships, can help you determine which new testing tool is right for you.