This is some brief documentation on the split_test module I created for Drupal. Please check the split_test project page on drupal.org for the latest code.
Introduction
This module is an initial attempt at multi-variant testing functionality for the Drupal Platform. Many of the available split testing software packages handle static HTML pages very well, but tend to choke when applied to dynamically generated web pages.
Usage
The split_test module currently implements AB split testing. This is a version of split testing which tests the conversion rate of page A against page B, using a specific action URL to detect a conversion. It is limited to testing a pair of pages against each other. The implementation in this module allows the user to create 2 themes to be tested against each other. Ideally these themes would be very similar to each other. Commonly only one element, such as a headline or a colour would be changed.
The module sets two themes against each other. Once the split test is running, the first visitor will be assigned theme A, and the second visitor is assigned theme B. The next visitor is assigned theme A and so on. When one of the visitors hits the Drupal URL specified in the action for the test, the conversion for that theme will be increased by 1. Once the number of unique visitors reaches the number defined in Hit Limit is reached, the test is over and will be deactivated. You can then decide which theme converts better, make that the A theme, and create a new B theme. Gradually you will increase the conversion of your site.
When the module is enabled in Drupal 5, you will see the split test link appear in the administration. When you click the link you will see the reporting interface. There is a tab available to add a new split test. You enter the following:
- theme A and theme B – The 2 themes that will be tested.
- action - an action page such as a thank you page, or where ever the user is sent after they make a purchase
- hit limit - how many people should be tested.
On the reports page you should check that the split test is activated. Only one test can be activated at a time. Also, you should have disabled caching for it to work correctly.
Development Information
This module sets a session variable (custom_theme) when the user first enters the page. This is setup using hook_init. On every node load, the split_test table in the database is checked to see if the current node is the action page. If it is, the conversion for the theme is recorded. This is set setup using hook_nodeapi. Once the user has converted a session variable called stconv is set to the value of 1, indicating to future page loads that the user should be ignored.
Technorati Tags: Drupal| Attachment | Size |
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| split_test.tar.gz | 3.92 KB |
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