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Pretotyping and A/B tests in the shop: when each method fits.
An A/B test in the shop optimises variants of an existing offer with live traffic. Pretotyping decides whether an offer holds up at all before it is built. Horizon runs pretotyping as a painted-door test.
Compared
Two methods, two strengths.
Both compare variants on behaviour. The difference lies in the timing: optimising what is already live or deciding before investing.
Context
Where the methods differ.
Timing
An A/B test requires a finished offer. Pretotyping takes place before the investment.
Question
An A/B test answers the how. Pretotyping answers the whether.
Environment
An A/B test runs in your own shop or app, with organic or paid traffic. Pretotyping runs on dedicated test pages outside your infrastructure and reaches precisely the target group in question.
Combination
Combining both methods.
Pretotyping
Test offer, price and value proposition before building.
Decision
Build the leading variant.
Launch
Take the offer live.
A/B test
Optimise pages and flows in live operation.
More comparisons
Pretotyping compared with other methods.
Method
Pretotyping and conjoint
Weighting features in a survey or testing variants on behaviour.
To the comparisonMethod
Pretotyping and surveys
Stated willingness to buy or measured purchase intent.
To the comparisonMethod
Pretotyping and Van Westendorp and Gabor-Granger
Stated willingness to pay or prices compared on behaviour.
To the comparisonMethod
Pretotyping and concept tests
A rating in a survey or measured purchase intent in the online environment.
To the comparisonMethod
Pretotyping and synthetic respondents
Simulated answers or the behaviour of real people.
To the comparisonProvider
Horizon compared with providers.
Provider
Horizon and Prelaunch
Reservations with a deposit and a behavioural test without payment.
To the comparisonProvider
Horizon and Veylinx
An auction within the study flow and a behavioural test in the buying situation.
To the comparisonFAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Isn't pretotyping also an A/B test?
In its set-up, yes: variants are split randomly and one variable changes. The difference is the timing: pretotyping does not need a finished product.
Does Horizon optimise our existing pages?
No. Classic conversion optimisation of pages is the domain of agencies and A/B tools. Horizon comes from the product side.
Is anything sold with pretotyping?
No. No contract is concluded and no payment is taken. Anyone who chooses an offer is then told transparently that the offer is not yet available.
How long does a test with Horizon take?
Around four weeks from question to data analysis, depending on the target group and the number of variants.
Which method fits your question?
Bring your decision question and we will show you which method fits and how the two work together. Your insights team is welcome to join.
You will speak with Daniel Putsche
Founder & CEO, 30 minutes
Read more