Goodbye Google Optimize!

Google has recently announced they will be sunsetting Google Optimize and Optimize 360, effective from 30th September 2023. The announcement cited Google’s desire to provide a better user experience as the reason for the shutdown, as Optimize lacks many of the features and services that customers require for effective experimentation testing. Google has stated their focus is now on third-party A/B testing integrations for GA4. This news may have sent some testers into a panic if you have been relying on Google Optimize but no need to worry, there are alternative tools available to fill the gap left by Optimize’s departure.

Alternatives

One of the main benefits of Google Optimize is that it integrates seamlessly with Google Analytics, enabling businesses to measure the impact of their website optimization efforts on their website’s performance. To allow users to continue to access this feature post-sunset of Optimize, Google announced that they are collaborating on integration with three 3rd party A/B testing platforms: AB Tasty, Optimizely, and VWO. Google has also stated their intention to make their APIs publicly available in the near future so other A/B testing tools can be integrated with Google Analytics. However, no further information on this has been released so this blog will focus on evaluating AB Tasty, Optimizely, and VWO.

Each of these 3^rd party tools offer similar or more advanced functionality to Google Optimize and allow users to create, test, and deploy various types of experiments including A/B Testing, Split Testing, Multivariate Testing, Multipage Testing, and Predictive Testing. Each of these platforms use a quote-based pricing model, dependent on the number of monthly users and plan selected, however, all three platforms offer a discount for migrating Optimize 360 users.

AB Tasty

AB Tasty is a user-friendly A/B testing and personalization platform that offers a range of features including pre-configured and customisable user segment templates for target segmentation, customisable traffic allocation, and real-time results.

Optimizely

One of the most well-known A/B testing and personalization platforms is Optimizely, claiming to be the fastest experimentation platform with shorter load times allowing more experiments to run simultaneously in more places without affecting User Experience or page performance. This platform also offers real-time results, advanced targeting, and tools like test roadmaps to get a holistic view of running and planned experiments.

VWO (Visual Website Optimizer)

VWO is a comprehensive A/B testing and optimization platform, offering the widest range of features out of the three platforms that Google has partnered with. These features include an unlimited number of concurrent experiments and unlimited test duration, real-time results, campaign targeting and report segmentation, and an advanced visual editor. This platform also includes features such as heatmaps, surveys, and visual recordings to gain a better understanding of users.

The Next Steps

Overall, there are several alternatives to Google Optimize that offer similar or more advanced features for A/B testing and website optimization. A free demo can be scheduled with both AB Tasty and Optimizely, and VWO offers a free trial so it is worth trying a few different tools to see which one works best for your needs and budget. Prepare now so you are ready to make the switch!

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