Google Content Experiments (discontinued) vs. Harness

Do you already have Google Analytics? If so content experiments is a good, free, starting point to dip your toes in A/B testing. Do you need to run Multivariate experiments? If so, Google Content Experiments is not going to fit your needs.

Incentivized

• Quick and easy to create and set up experiments
• Results are presented in a way that is familiar and easy for any Google Analytics user to understand. So is great for beginners to conversion testing
• Already integrated into Google Analytics and can measure results against your existing conversion goals
• Allows nine possible variants to be A/B tested
• Features more than one testing methodology, Bayesian (Multi-Armed Bandit,) and Full Factorial
• Allows the user to select one of three possible confidence thresholds to ensure that experiment results are robust
• Great value, it is free!

• Their documentation is not the best and it's quite a steep learning curve.
• They also don't tell you particularly well what sorts of things you should be testing.
• Compared to other suppliers of A/B testing tools- it needs a simpler interface. Optimize is starting to answer that - but is still quite Beta-like.

Incentivized

Content Experiments just makes it is simple and easy to implement A|B tests. We will be evaluating other tools in search of a more robust system for multivariate and cross-page testing, such as Optimizely or Visual Website Optimizer. However, for basic testing, you can't really beat it.

Using the free tool, overall "live support" is limited. However, there are plenty of online resources to get started. If you need handheld support, it is best to upgrade the service or hire a developer through one of Google's partner agencies. There could be more support for understanding what makes a test useful or not.

Incentivized

Google Website Optimizer was a better product but has been discontinued. We have also used Test and Target , which has more features but we have been doing fine with Google Content Experiments. Most testing situations can be handled with Google Content Experiments.

Incentivized

• CE has made efficient time use easy and fool-proof when it comes to learning the software
• Because it integrates with other Google programs there is a benefit to track with Google Analytics
• The learning curve can create initiate time investment that may go beyond what companies are willing to dedicate.