With its native integration with Google Analytics and the wider Google marketing platform, Google Optimize is undoubtedly one of the best free tools for CRO specialists and marketers. Recently, news came out that both versions of Google Optimize, Free and Paid (for 360 customers), will no longer be available after 30th September 2023.

Google Optimize has 61% of the global market share, so it’s certain to impact the CRO market and we will see more new players emerge.

Starting a conversion rate optimization (CRO) practice from scratch can be hard, especially with limited resources and buy-in from across the business. But don’t let these barriers detract from the benefits CRO can bring, such as enabling you to make changes to your website that you can be confident will increase ROI and customer experience. Using a free testing tool can be a great way to show your stakeholders the benefits of CRO –  a common CRO challenge, and the impact it can have on the business, while having low investment.

If you have been using Google Optimize to run A/B tests over the past few years, that time is coming to an end. To help you plan for that, here to help you prepare with our tips and considerations.

Why is Google Optimize being decommissioned?

The Google Optimize service will soon cease operations (also known as sunsetting ). Google has stated that Google Optimize “does not have many of the features and services that our customers request and need for experimentation testing and have decided to invest in solutions that will be more effective for our customers”.

What should you do to prepare?

There is a possibility that some will adopt a wait-and-see attitude. These are the steps we recommend you take;

1. Begin exploring alternative experimentation platforms

No CRO practitioner should wait until the cliff edge to tell their business about a pause in their experimentation program, the ability to gain crucial learnings, or even worse – to continue to drive meaningful benefit and therefore experiment results appear to have been dropped. You want to aim to be running tests on an alternative platform by August at the latest. In reaction to this news, top A/B testing platforms are revamping offers in a bid to hoover up new customers – from alternative free plans to offering compelling migration services. 

2. Start exporting your reporting data from each test

Depending on the volume of tests, start downloading the data now and then repeat at the end of September – before the 30th, to gather any final test results. 

3. Move any personalizations and winning test variants that you have deployed in Google Optimize to your product backlog

Work with your development team to prioritize winning variations into Sprint cycle before August, or else you run the risk of not benefitting from them once Google optimize is shut down. 

4. Consider usability testing and consumer feedback surveys

Our approach at Tryzens is to take a holistic view, using qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze all aspects of the customer experience when looking for opportunities and solutions that have quantifiable impact on growth.

Our Perspective

Google Optimize has been the number one free A/B testing solution for many organizations. It has been the longstanding tool of choice for free all-in-one A/B testing and personalization.

A clear direction has now been set, meaning all CRO practitioners should evaluate the impact on their activity and plan accordingly.

In our next article, we’ll go over key considerations you should take before choosing your next A/B testing platform.