ABX tests are one of the most useful features when choosing which strategy will work best with your customers. Test these three new use cases to show products in inline content and find out the optimal one to show your customers.
In this article you’ll learn how to optimize product recommenders with an ABX test.
Objective: Retention.
Difficulty: Intermediate.
When to use it: When you want to compare three or more recommendation strategies.
This strategy is part of our pool of templates. To implement it in your account, access your Connectif account and go to “Workflows Create new workflow”. In the Create from template section, enter the name of the workflow in the search engine (ABX Test to optimize product recommender) then click Select and Create.
How it works
To test the product inlines, we are going to create an ABX test in a workflow that compares the three use cases: products added to the cart and not purchased, automatically related to a contact, and purchased next to a list of products.
Workflow configuration
Before configuring your workflow, create the following elements:
— Three pieces of inline content, to show the products of each branch of the test on the website.
STEP 1. “Start” node
(This node will set the target audience for the action).
1. Click (Edit node settings) for the “Start” node.
2. Under Select limitation, check "All my list".
3. Under Select data source, check “All existing and new”.
4. Click Update.
STEP 2. “On page visit” node
(This node will detect contacts who visit any page).
5. Click (Edit node settings) in the “On page visit” node.
6. Under Limitations, uncheck the "Deactivate after triggering" box.
7. Click Update.
If you want to learn more about node limitations, click here.
STEP 3. “Start A/B/X test” node
(This node will start the ABX test).
8. Click (Edit node settings) for the “Start A/B/X” node.
9. Under Branches, click Add new path and set path C and 33.33% on each branch.
10. In Determine the winning branch, select "Time elapsed since the start of the sampling phase" and set a value of "7" Days.
11. Click Update.
STEP 4. First “Fetch products” node
(This node will fetch the last products added to the cart and not purchased).
12. Click (Edit node settings) in the “Fetch products” node.
13. To select use cases, drag "Last products added to cart and not purchased" to the right-hand block and "Most visited products" to the additional use case. Click Next .
14. In Main use case settings, select "10" in Number of products to fetch.
Click Next .
15. In Additional case settings, select "10" for Number of products to fetch.
16. Under Select the time period of the visits, choose "Most visited of the last month" and check the "Shuffle the fetched products” box. Click Next .
17. In Summary, locate the section Number of products to fetch and indicate “10”.
18. Click Complete .
If you want to learn more about the “Fetch products” node, click here.
STEP 5. First “Send web content: inline” node
(Inline content will be sent to this node with the latest products added to the cart and not purchased).
19. Click (Edit node settings) in the “Send web content” node.
20. Select the corresponding inline content and click Next .
21. In Configuration, add the appropriate selector to display the content.
22. In the Variables step, link any variables there may be.
23. Click Complete .
To learn more about inline web content, click here.
STEP 6. “On link click” node
(This node will detect the contact’s click on the inline with the products added to the cart and not purchased).
24. Click (Edit node settings) in the “On link click” node.
25. In Select the type of filter, choose "On clicking on a specific link in content" and select the corresponding Inline content to which it should react. Below, determine the link of the content you want it to react to.
26. Click Update.
STEP 7. First “Evaluate A/B/X branch” node
(This node will award a point to branch A if the contact's click on the indicated link is detected).
27. Click (Edit node settings) in the “Evaluate A/B/X” node.
28. Select "Literal value" and type "1".
29. Click Update.
STEP 8. Second “Fetch products” node
(This node will ftech the products automatically related to a contact).
30. Click (Edit node settings) in the “Fetch products” node.
31. To select the use cases, drag “Automatically related to a cart” to the block on the right and "Most visited products" to the additional use case. Click Next .
32. In Main use case settings, select "10" in Number of products to fetch.
Click Next .
33. In Additional case settings, select "10" for Number of products to fetch.
34. Under Select the time period of the visits, choose "Most visited of the last month" and check the "Shuffle the fetched products” box. Click Next .
35. In Summary, locate the section Number of products to fetch and indicate “10”.
36. Click Complete .
STEP 9. Second “Send web content: inline” node
(This node will send inline content with the automatically-related products to a contact).
37. Click (Edit node settings) in the “Send web content” node.
38. Select the corresponding inline content and click Next .
39. In Configuration, add the appropriate selector to display the content.
40. In the Variables step, link any variables there may be.
41. Click Complete .
STEP 10. Second “On link click” node
(This node will detect the contact’s click on the inline with the products automatically related to a contact).
42. Click (Edit node settings) in the “On link click” node.
43. In Select the type of filter, choose "On clicking on a specific link in content" and select the corresponding Inline content to which it should react. Below, determine the link of the content you want it to react to.
44. Click Update.
STEP 11. Second “Evaluate A/B/X branch” node
(This node will award a point to branch B if the contact's click on the indicated link is detected).
45. Click (Edit node settings) in the “Evaluate A/B/X” node.
46. Select "Literal value" and type "1".
47. Click Update.
STEP 12. Third “Fetch products” node
(This node will fetch the purchased products along with a list of products.)
48. Click (Edit node settings) in the “Fetch products” node.
49. To select the use cases, drag "Last visited products" to the block on the right and "Most visited products" to the additional use case. Click Next .
50. In Main use case settings, select "10" in Number of products to fetch.
Click Next .
51. In Additional case settings, select "10" for Number of products to fetch.
52. Under Select the time period of the visits, choose "Most visited of the last month" and check the "Shuffle the fetched products” box. Click Next .
53. In Summary, locate the section Number of products to fetch and indicate “10”.
54. Click Complete .
STEP 13. Fourth “Fetch products” node
(This node will fetch the purchased products along with a list of products.)
55. Click (Edit node settings) in the “Fetch products” node.
56. To select use cases, drag "Purchased next to a list of products" to the block on the right and "Most visited products" to the additional use case. Click Next .
57. In Main use case settings, select "10" in Number of products to fetch.
58. Under Select the origin of the products, choose "Imported data" and add "Fetch products".
59. Click Next .
60. In Additional case settings, select "10" for Number of products to fetch.
61. Under Select the time period of the visits, choose "Most visited of the last month" and check the "Shuffle the fetched products” box. Click Next .
62. In Summary, locate the section Number of products to fetch and indicate “10”.
63. Click Complete .
STEP 14. Third “Send web content: inline” node
(This node will send inline content with the purchased products along with a list of products.)
64. Click (Edit node settings) in the “Send web content” node.
65. Select the corresponding inline content and click Next .
66. In Configuration, add the appropriate selector to display the content.
67. In the Variables step, link any variables there may be.
68. Click Complete .
STEP 15. Third “On link click” node
(This node will detect the contact's click on the inline content with the most visited products of the last month).
69. Click (Edit node settings) in the “On link click” node.
70. In Select the type of filter, choose "On clicking on a specific link in content" and select the corresponding Inline content to which it should react. Below, determine the link of the content you want it to react to.
71. Click Update.
STEP 16. Third "Evaluate A/B/X branch" node
(This node will award a point to branch C if the contact's click on the indicated link is detected).
72. Click (Edit node settings) in the “Evaluate A/B/X” node.
73. Select "Literal value" and type "1".
74. Click Update.
Success!
Your workflow to set up an ABX test for the product recommender with three use cases is now ready.
Once the test has started, a sampling phase begins and, when the workflow ends, the winning branch is automatically selected. If you want to know more about ABX tests, click here.
Do you have questions?
Don’t forget, our Connectif specialists are here to help you. To contact them, open a Support ticket by clicking the blue “Help” button on your dashboard.
Keep learning!
To make the most of your Connectif account, we recommend reading these articles next:
- Product recommender for undecided customers, to show products related to ones they have visited.
- Offer recommender, to display a banner of products with discounts.
- Recommender on product sheet, to show relevant products recommended to the one visited in the product sheet.
- Home page recommender, to show the last products visited or recommended products on the website's home page.