How to Build a Testing Roadmap
Planning a thoughtful, strategic approach to testing is critical to getting reliable insights. This guide walks through how to create a learning agenda, prioritize your tests, and plan a calendar that avoids disruptions—so your results are clean, actionable, and business-relevant.
✅ How to Prioritize Your Tests
When deciding which channels and strategies to test first, consider the following:
- Spend Levels
Channels with larger or growing budgets should be prioritized—small inaccuracies here can lead to big consequences. - Suspected Low Incrementality
Tactics like remarketing, brand search, and affiliate often appear to perform well but may not drive net-new conversions. These should be tested to validate their true impact. - No Other Measurement Available
For hard-to-measure channels like print or influencer, testing may be the best way to evaluate performance in the absence of attribution or MMM. - Conflicting Measurement Results
If attribution and MMM results don’t align for a channel, testing can help uncover the reason for the discrepancy.
📆 When (and When Not) to Run Tests
To ensure your tests are as clean and unbiased as possible:
- Avoid peak promotional periods like BFCM, Prime Day, product launches, sponsorships, or major distribution events.
- Avoid known competitor events if you know their promo calendar.
- Aim for normal periods in your sales cycle—between promos or seasonal spikes.
If you must test during a promotional window, it’s possible—but it must be carefully scoped to avoid major revenue impact.
🔁 When to Retest
You should consider retesting if:
- Your brand awareness or strength changes significantly
- The media platform or strategy has evolved
- Your competitive landscape shifts
These changes can all impact how media performs, and retesting ensures your insights stay accurate.