Segmentation, personalization, and dynamic content tests

Segmentation, personalization, and dynamic content tests are different words used to describe the same testing technique?

Segmentation, personalization, and dynamic content tests are similar to each other. But they are not exactly the same. Each test method differs in how it works, what it looks at, and how it’s run.

Segmentation and personalization tests can be thought of as running along the same continuum. But they are different.

Segmentation tests play off the idea that not every visitor coming to your site is the same. Visitors are coming from different devices, locations, and may even speak different languages.

WhichTestWon’s State of Online Testing Report found 12% more segmentation tests were run this year, compared to last year. That’s an impressive gain that shows the testing industry is maturing.

Personalization tests take individual visitor segments -- like device used, or language spoken, or even 'affluent dog owners in the market for a late-model Toyota' -- to uniquely address visitors differently. These tests look for ways to serve different visitors very specific, personalized content. Personalization tests are based on the principle that the more you know about your visitor, the more successfully you can tailor their web experience. This year, WhichTestWon found  41% of testers ran personalization tests. As personalization technology develops, we expect this number to continue rising.

Dynamic content tests are the most complex because they’re most based around your site architecture. A dynamic content site is always changing. It looks different for each web visitor and each time that visitor comes to the site. The site is completely attuned to who the visitor is and what they’re after. Social media sites, with targeted ads – like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn -- are good examples of dynamic content sites.