January 20, 2023
Update: as of September 2023, Google Optimize has been deprecated. For alternative platforms, consider Convert, AB Tasty, Optimizely. Schedule a call with CXperts to find out which platform might be right for you.
Google Optimize is a totally free testing tool that many have used to get started in digital experimentation - and some are even running pretty high volume testing programs on the platform to test new ideas and make incremental, user-centric improvements to their digital UX.
That being said, the platform has always had some limitations like maximum goals or concurrent experiences. These limitations are minor in comparison to where things are headed for the platform; it was announced today that Google Optimize will be sunset on September 30th, 2023. As stated in the article, draft and running experiments and personalizations will continue to be supported until that date, but anything still actively running on that date will be concluded.
We heard rumors that this might be on the horizon, so although not a surprise to some, it’s time to start looking for alternatives.
So now what? Below is a quick summary of some of our favorite experimentation platforms:
• AB Tasty is a leading website optimization platform that allows businesses to run A/B tests, personalize website experiences, and track user behavior. With AB Tasty, businesses can easily create and launch experiments to test different variations of their website, and then use the insights gained from these tests to optimize the website for better performance. It also features a really slick widget library to use and re-use test components easily.
• Convert is another popular website optimization tool that offers similar features to Google Optimize. Convert allows businesses to run A/B tests and personalize website experiences and is the most budget friendly of our favorite tools.
• Optimizely is a category leader in website optimization platform that allows businesses to run A/B tests, multivariate tests, and personalization campaigns – both experience side and server side. It also provides businesses with a range of analytics and targeting options, and offers a visual editor that allows businesses to make changes to their website without having to write any code.
All of these platforms – AB Tasty, Convert, and Optimizely – offer a range of pricing options and feature sets, so businesses can choose a plan and platform that best fits their budget and needs.
Additionally, these platforms integrate with a variety of other tools, such as analytics platforms like FullStory, Contentsquare, Hotjar and so on, making it easy for businesses to integrate website optimization into their overall digital strategy.
It’s bittersweet to see this platform being wound down. It was great for professionals to dip their toes in the water of experimentation, gaining some wins and then graduating to more full-feature platforms. That said, its no-cost barrier brought potential harm in allowing people who aren’t skilled in experimentation or understand the importance of the approach to build out some unsound or broken experiences.
If you’re on Google Optimize – or if you’re just getting started with experimentation – we’d be happy to have a chat to talk through options and alternatives – send a note to hello@cxperts.io to start a conversation.
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