UK marketers eye AI to tackle experimentation challenges

Nearly nine in ten marketers (87%) believe experimentation is important for achieving their goals in 2024, yet one in five (20%) feel their current web experimentation approach is not effective. That's according to the latest research report from Optimizely, which assesses the current state of experimentation practices and how marketers plan to use artificial intelligence (AI) to address changing business and consumer expectations.

The "Tested to Perfection" report, based on a study of 100 marketers and 1,000 consumers in the UK, highlights that two-thirds of marketers (65%) in the UK use AI within their experimentation approach, with almost half (45%) having adopted the technology within the past year. The report indicates a significant belief in AI's potential among marketers, with 89% saying AI will help them overcome barriers to experimentation. Furthermore, over two-thirds believe AI will help make experimentation faster, and 62% believe it will enhance accuracy.

The research underscores a growing reliance on AI to refine marketing strategies. "In today's ever-evolving market, the role of AI in driving effective marketing strategies cannot be overstated," said a representative from Optimizely. "Our findings suggest that marketers are increasingly betting on AI to address critical barriers and improve their experimentation approaches."

However, despite the optimism around AI, there are considerable challenges. Lack of budget is a hurdle for almost half of the marketers (43%), while a lack of resources, time, and focus affects 39% of respondents. Additional challenges include a lack of effective tools or technology (25%), silos between relevant teams (25%), and the small scale of experiments (18%).

Nearly a quarter (23%) of marketers describe their current experimentation approaches as unsophisticated. Despite these challenges, AI is seen as a promising solution. Almost half (48%) of the marketers surveyed plan to use AI to create more targeted and personalised content in the future. Forty-one percent intend to use AI to generate headlines, images, and call-to-actions (CTAs) at scale. Over a third (37%) plan to utilise AI to dynamically allocate traffic between test variations, and 32% will use AI to create hypotheses for experiments.

The report also highlights the consumer side of the digital experience, indicating growing discontent with personalised content among UK consumers. Marketers are, hence, pressed to refine their experimentation practices to cater to evolving consumer expectations.

In an age where every business decision is scrutinised, many organisations have yet to perfect their experimentation practices to improve personalisation and drive more conversions. According to the findings, combining the power of AI and experimentation can allow marketers to see with certainty what type of content resonates with specific customer profiles and adapt as needed to enhance digital experiences.

Optimizely provides testing, AI optimisation, and customer data capabilities to assist marketers in creating tailored experiences that drive revenue and brand loyalty. The company supports over 10,000 businesses, including H&M, PayPal, Zoom, and Toyota, to optimise their digital strategies.