Have You Outgrown Your WYSIWYG Experimentation Tool?

A/B testing has a long history, with successful companies like Booking.com and Microsoft leveraging experimentation to build their brands and grow revenue. The mainstream adoption of A/B testing can be linked to the advent of WYSIWYG-driven, browser-based tools that allowed marketing teams across various industries to conduct rapid iteration. However, temptation arises when companies use these testing tools as solutions for every problem. This article discusses the limitations and risks associated with using visual editor tools for experimentation, such as circumventing safe development practices, page flicker issues, longer lead times to release, and limited personalization capabilities. It emphasizes that while visual editors have played a significant role in popularizing web-based experimentation, they hold a limited space in the field of experimentation as a broader practice.