Common things to test and personalize
Where to start
You know how to build a hypothesis. The harder part is often figuring out what to test in the first place.
This lesson gives you a few common places to look for ideas. They’re not guaranteed wins, but they can help you spot opportunities worth exploring.
As you go, use the same process from the last two lessons: turn an idea into a hypothesis, compare it with your other opportunities, and measure it against a clear goal.
Think of these examples as a starting point for your roadmap.
High-value things to test
Tests answer “which variation performs best?” These are common high-impact places to start:
Headlines & value propositions
The first thing most visitors read, and often the highest-leverage change on the page. Small wording shifts can produce outsized swings in whether people keep reading or act.
Primary CTAs
The copy, placement, size, and color of your main button. This is the moment of action, so changes here sit closest to the conversion.
Above-the-fold content
What's visible before anyone scrolls. Reordering or simplifying what a visitor sees first shapes their whole impression of the page.
Forms
Test meaningful changes to form layout, field count, or how much information you ask for up front.
Social proof
Where you place testimonials, logos, and reviews, and whether they show up near the decision point.
Test the idea, not just the element
You can also test the framing behind the message, not just the page element itself. For example:
Feature vs. benefit
“Automated reporting” vs “Spend less time building reports”
Risk aversion vs. gain
“Avoid costly mistakes” vs. “Move faster with confidence”
Quantitative vs. qualitative value
“Save 5 hours a week” vs. “Make reporting feel effortless”
Plain language vs. jargon
“Manage your team’s work” vs. “Centralize cross-functional workflows”
These themes can apply across headlines, CTAs, supporting copy, and social proof.
Waste Connections uses Webflow Optimize to test messaging, CTAs, and other page elements across its sites.
In one experiment, the team tested the CTA “Get prices” against “Start rental.” That single copy change produced a 36% lift in conversions.
They’ve also tested simplified hero copy, emphasized key services, and shortened mobile descriptions — using the results to shape future pages and templates across their broader web program.
The takeaway: you don’t always need a major redesign to find a meaningful improvement. A focused test on a high-impact message or CTA can reveal useful signals about what resonates with visitors.
High-value things to personalize
Personalizations help you tailor an experience to a specific audience. They pay off when different visitors genuinely want different things. Building on the audience signals from earlier in the course:
Location
Show region-specific offers, currency cues, or language to visitors from different places.
Traffic source or campaign
Match the page to the ad or email that sent the visitor, so a campaign about one product doesn't land on a generic homepage message.
New vs returning visitors
Greet a first-time visitor with your value proposition and a returning one with a next step, like "compare plans" or "book a demo."
Firmographic (for B2B)
Tailor messaging by a visitor's industry or company size, so an enterprise buyer and a small business don't see the same generic pitch.
Choose what to try first
If you’re looking for the single best version, test it. If you already have a reason to believe different audiences should see different experiences, personalize it.
Then pull a few ideas onto your roadmap and rank them by impact and effort. You don’t need a long list to start. A few focused ideas, shaped into clear hypotheses, are enough for your first optimization cycle.
Ready to continue?
You’ve got a shortlist of high-value ideas and a way to decide which one to tackle first. Continue on to move from planning your optimization strategy to building your first test.