Can you imagine a company like Netflix, with millions of members using the service, updating the platform without applying A/B testing? Most likely, it would be a “disaster”.
No matter how well the development team performs, the user can be unpredictable. They are not experts in the product, they have not been trained, and they behave in unexpected ways . You’ve seen this happen before, right?
On a smaller scale, it is obviously easier to solve. However, even if you probably don’t operate with millions of users, you should aim to scale your business.
Furthermore, with well-applied costa rica mobile database tests, you will save time, customer stress and unnecessary expenses — even if you don't reach Netflix's numbers.
Continue reading, understand how they operate and take advantage of it in your business.
How does Netflix operate with A/B testing?
Every product change that the company considers implementing undergoes A/B testing. Whether it's a complex algorithm overhaul or a simple image layout change, everything is tested according to the methodology by a team of engineers.
Testing allows us to prove that the user experience has improved with the change, that they can now find what they want more quickly, that a title is now more visible with a new image, and so on.
This policy ensures that changes are not made based on team assumptions . It also helps to create a culture that values customer experience and the voice of the customer within the company.
Nowadays, the biggest challenge for companies is to involve the customer in development. In this way, the customer becomes part of the decision-making process indirectly.
What is the testing methodology?
The central idea is to create a control group and one or more groups, which Netflix calls cells. One of these is designated as the “default cell” and receives the same experience that is running in the current version.
Once the test begins, it is tracked using metrics such as streaming hours and retention. Once enough participants are gathered, the results of each cell can be compared to the standard cell, which allows us to identify which cell provides the best experience. At the same time, potential issues are identified.
Furthermore, members are allocated in two different ways: batch and real-time. In the first case, a fixed set of members undergoes testing, and in the second, members are selected according to the information need.
For example, let's say you're testing a new feature for tablets. In this case, members will be added to cells based on the device they're using or other criteria you specify to meet the testing goals.