Google has announced the closure of its longstanding service, Optimize. Google Optimize and Google Optimize 360 will not be accessible any longer after 30 September 2023.
Google declared that all the personalization and experiments of the users end on that date. The users can use Google Optimize and Optimize 360 up to 30 September this year.
What did Google Announce?
According to Google, it introduced the services five years back to offer businesses, irrespective of their size, test user experience and improve it. Google will still dedicatedly enable businesses to develop the user experience. It will invest in a third-party integration for A/B testing to serve that purpose.
The tech giant considers Optimize to lack features that can amaze customers. Therefore, it intends to work with more effective integrations and solutions. It also stated that it is looking forward to Google Analytics 4 with much enthusiasm now.
Google announced a collaboration with other A/B testing providers in October 2023. Those are: –
- Optimizely
- AB Tasty
- VWO
Google has allowed users to download their data from Optimize before 30 September 2023.
What is Google Optimize?
Optimizing means testing variants of different web pages to understand how they perform. The performance is tracked against an objective you have specified. In short, optimize monitors your experiment or test results to tell you which variant is the most effective.
Google Optimize is a free tool for web page analytics and testing. Web designers and CEOs largely use it for the improvement of their sites. The tool enhances user experience, which results in higher conversion rates.
Why Google Closed the Services?
The main reason behind the closure, as stated by Google, is its limited facilities. For instance, users can conduct five experiments only. Moreover, regarding reporting data and audience segmentations, Google Optimize has some restrictions. It can run only five tests simultaneously.
You have to go for Optimize 360 if you need unlimited testing. It can’t use Google Analytics segments, either. For this, too, you have to go to Optimize 360. Then why did Google decide to close Optimize 360?
The consequence of Optimize 360 is that it’s not free. It costs approx. $150,000 annually. The price may suit big businesses but not small and medium ones. But several other tools provide the same service at lower prices than Google Optimize 360.
These reasons fueled the intentions of the tech giant to integrate the tools into Google Analytics 4.
Google Optimize 360 Cost is too much
Many large enterprises used this platform as a trusted A/B testing tool for their site’s improved user experience and increased conversion. Now, the announcement of its sunset by Google has opened a new horizon for other paid platforms. They are offering discounts to attract customers so that they migrate to their lower-priced plans.
What’s next?
Google plans to move forward with Google Analytics 4, which is incompatible with Optimize. Optimize runs through another tool, namely Universal Analytics which is going to be closed soon as well. Google is probably planning to introduce new software for A/B testing, as it always loves to experiment.
There are speculations that Google can even acquire one of the key players in the market. Experts won’t be much surprised if this becomes Google’s way of keeping a hand in experimentation and testing.
Alternatives
VWO
Soon after Google announced to sunset of their optimizing platforms, VWO declared a free plan. The free starter plan from VWO offers testing for up to 50k visitors per month. You have to pay $199 monthly to increase the number of tested visitors to 100k/month.
The plans offered by this platform are better than Google Optimize in various ways such as: –
You can run through innumerable experiments. There is no limitation in VWO, unlike Optimize.
Troubleshooting your problems is easier with the efficient and helpful support team of the platform.
You will be able to integrate your tech stacks, like Google Ads and Google Analytics, with VWO.
Limitations of VWO
VWO limits itself in areas like three variations for each test, minimal segmentation and up to five goals only.
Optimizely
Optimizely is trying intensely to pull the customers of Optimize with a special price deal and useful experimentation.
Web Trends Optimize
This platform also has a free plan for small and medium businesses. You can benefit from this plan if your monthly sessions don’t exceed 10k. But the free account has unlimited variations, which you can use to pull the maximum traffic. Users can get all the testing capabilities as users of a paid plan. But they can access it for free only for 12 months.
Adobe Target
It has similar functionalities to Optimize. But this leading platform has more attractive features. Adobe Target works by integrating with Adobe Analytics.
Thereare other options, too, such as AB Tasty, Dynamic Yield and Visual Website Optimizer. These options are also good to choose from.
Where to migrate?
If you have to switch from Google Optimize 360, choose a platform that meets the requirements of your business. Making a decision based on the discount rates won’t be wise at all. Factors you should check before migration include: –
- An easy interface that will be convenient for your team
- Scaling implications
- Availability of integrations
- Capabilities of segmentations
- Capabilities of reporting
- The assistance provided during the switching
- Costs
Overall, the platform should not only be cost-effective but appropriate for your business too.
Final Words
However, Google Optimize is an excellent free tool for those who need basic A/B testing for their businesses. It offers an in-depth and easy-to-understand report with the help of Google Analytics. So, at least some small and medium businesses will miss Google Optimize after its sunset on 30th September 2023.
Whatever you choose as an alternative to Google Optimize, conduct thorough research. There are numerous free tools which also offer premium services. But you have to tally the functionalities to get the best service by paying the least price.
While some businesses would prefer waiting before choosing a platform, others would soon go for an alternative.
Every sunset means there is a new dawn awaiting. So, there must be something even more exciting coming your way.
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