This document discusses server-side testing and provides guidance on getting started with it. It covers: 1) The benefits of server-side testing like improved user experience and ability to test backend changes. 2) Best practices like defining success metrics, laying foundations through separation of concerns and middleware, and targeting experiments through attributes. 3) Examples of server-side experiments like algorithms, onboarding flows, and trial durations.

1. Getting started
with server-side
testing
Dennis Pavlina and Thomas Davis
WiderFunnel Strategist and WiderFunnel Web Developer

2. ● The presentation deck and recording will
be available to you after the webinar.
● Feel free to ask questions during the
presentation, using the Question panel.
Housekeeping

3. Dennis Pavlina, WiderFunnel Strategist
● Oversees experimentation strategy
for some of WiderFunnel’s most
notable full stack clients
● Guest lectures at local design and
tech institution, RED Academy
Your Presenters
Thomas Davis, WiderFunnel Developer
● The go-to guy for server-side
experiment development
● Instructor and mentor at local coding
bootcamp, Lighthouse Labs

4. ● Why adopt server-side testing?
● Laying the foundation for server-side testing
● Technical best practices
● Fostering server-side testing long-term
What We’ll Cover

5. Why Server-Side?

6. What is Server-Side Testing?

7. What is Server-Side Testing?

8. The Possibilities of Server-Side

9. The Possibilities of Server-Side

10. The Possibilities of Server-Side
● Improved user experience
● Ability to open up testing to back-end changes
● Feature testing
● Faster implementation of winning variations

11. Server-Side Experiment Example:
Algorithms
Displaying “Other Products
You Might Be Interested In”
as opposed to “Frequently
Purchased With” products

12. Server-Side Experiment Example:
Onboarding flows

13. Server-Side Experiment Example: Trial
durations
Identifying whether more
users sign up when given a
7 day trial versus 14 days or
30 days.

14. Evaluating Opportunities for Server-Side
Accessibility Depth Goals Channels
WYSIWYG vs. Dev team Styling vs. Functionality Engagement vs. LTV Web vs. Multi-Channel

15. Laying the Foundation for
Server-Side Testing

16. Define your success metrics: Identify new goals
Server-Side
● Rate of visitors who complete all onboarding steps
● Rate of visitors who convert to paid signup within 24 hours
● Rate of visitors who follow 5 or more people during onboarding
Client-Side
● Signups
● Blog subscriptions
● Visits to key pages

17. Define your success metrics: Place value on feature
testing

18. Define your success metrics: Set the right timeline
expectations

19. Full Stack Best Practices

20. ● Eliminate the difficulty of integration
● Principle of “separation of concerns”
● Easily testable
● Doesn’t intrude on feature builds
It’s all about Middleware

21. Activate the experiment
Monkey Patch the res.send
method
Serve the correct variation
Original Route method remains
untouched

22. ● Moves targeting to the Optimizely tool / Optimization specialist
● Can target anything from pages to device types
● Experiments become more dynamic (Not hardcoded)
Targeting through Attributes

23. Find the current page, return as
an object
Send attributes and return the
correct variation

24. Working with SPA’s
● Use getVariation() to get users into variation without tracking them
● Route to activate user later / Front End JS SDK
https://www.myawesomesite.com/activate?test=wf_test&user=xxxxxxxxxxx
● Create top level A/B testing components if using React or Vue

25. ● Setup all global events first (i.e. page visits, revenue tracking)
● May need a ‘AJAXable’ route for UI component goals /
Alternatively use the client-side JS SDK
● Make naming conventions specific and namespaced
products-index/add-to-cart-cta
Custom Event Set up

26. ● Have a roadmap for the installation process
● Use cookies or webhooks when dealing with page caching reverse
proxies
● Random string vs. database user ID to identify the Optimizely user
● Test Driven Development (TDD)
Tips and “Got ya’s”

27. Get Optimizely X Full Stack
Get the Resources You Need
Gather and educate the right talent
Coordinate the effort via dedicated team leaders or an agency partner

28. Identify the Best First Experiments
Hypotheses Potential Importance Ease PIE Score
Hypothesis #1
Web analytics
Heuristic analysis
Voice of customer
Cost
Traffic volume
ROI
Technical
“Political”
8 7 7 7.3

29. Hypothesis 2
Displaying a free trial countdown timer on the dashboard will increase the rate of
users who convert to a paid account.
Identify the Best First Experiments
Hypothesis 1
Removing all optional steps from the onboarding flow will increase the rate of users
who convert to a paid account.
Hypothesis 3
Automatically filling in location-specific information in the paid signup form fields will
increase the rate of users who convert to a free account.

30. Identify the Best First Experiments
Hypotheses Potential Importance Ease PIE Score
Remove optional steps
Countdown timer
Pre-filled form fields
8 9 9 8.7
6 8 8 7.3
6 8 5 6.3

31. The Long-Term Vision

32. Combining Client-Side & Server-Side

33. Work to establish a “We should test that” culture:
● Dedicated brainstorming sessions
● Regular lunch and learns
● Review assumptions and status quo
● Company-wide results/insights updates
Experimentation Culture

34. Q&A

35. Thank you!