Any marketer knows that data has revolutionized the way we work. Once, we built campaigns and hoped for the best; today, we can see exactly how each campaign tactic performs. But all of that data means nothing if we're not using it to keep improving - which is where optimization comes in.

Last month, Alice Avery, our Content Marketing Analyst here at Salesforce, attended a conference hosted by San Francisco-based A/B testing company Optimizely. In a recent post on Medium, she highlights 7 key takeaways from the conference.

Marketers, listen up!

1. Set goals before you start

"It's pretty important to decide what success is before you start your experiment," Avery writes. "'Make the page better' or 'help people find what they're searching for' are not clear, actionable goals. A good hypothesis has a variation (the B to your A) and clearly defined metrics."

2. Think big, not small

Advises Avery: "Take a step back, and think about the big picture for your site. One of the best use cases for A/B testing is site redesign - test the alternative design against the original and, based off results, hone in on details as you progress."

2. Keep it simple

"There's a statistical reason to keep it simple: error rates are affected by the number of variations running at a time, and the more tests you have, the longer it can take to determine a winner/loser," Avery shares.

4. You're probably wrong

Put aside your own preconceptions (and other people's, too). The point of a test is to uncover solid facts, not confirm what you already think you know.

5. Failure is OK

"Just as you're getting excited about all the cool stuff you can test, we have bad news: most tests end in a statistical tie," Avery writes. But aspects of the test might spur new ideas: "Maybe one segment like mobile or existing customers could have determined a winner/loser, and you can dig into that a little further to develop new hypotheses."

6. Start with qualitative testing

Not sure what you want to optimize? Start with a simple survey to see what your readers are thinking about your website or blog.

7. Find a stats platform that fits your needs.

Want more insights on building a killer digital presence? Click here to read the rest of Avery's post, or download our free e-book by clicking the button below.