To test a landing-page headline before buying traffic, ask two separate questions: which headline is clearer, and which makes people want to know more. Run them as two asks. A headline can win one and lose the other, and one blended question hides that.
This is a first filter. It removes weak headlines cheaply. It does not replace a live test.
Why test before paying for traffic
A live A/B test needs visitors, and visitors cost money. Every visitor who sees a weak headline is wasted spend.
A quick preference test with a small group lets you drop the obvious losers first. See A/B testing vs preference testing for how the two methods fit together.
Two questions, not one
| Question | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Which headline is clearer? | Whether people understand what you offer |
| Which headline makes you want to know more? | Whether it earns the next scroll or click |
The first is about comprehension. The second is about interest. A clever headline can interest people and still confuse them. A plain one can be clear and dull.
Ask each as its own question. Each goes to its own group of heads, so don't treat the two results as answers from the same people.
How to run the test
- Write two to four headlines. Change one thing between them, such as the benefit or the wording, so you know what drove the result.
- Write one neutral question per criterion. For example, "Which headline is clearer?" See how to write a question that does not lead people.
- Mind the length. Options on 50heads are up to 40 characters. For a longer headline, put it in a picture of your page's top section and use an A or B images question. Images add €0.10 an answer each.
- Don't add a slogan or brand name to one option only. Keep the presentation equal.
- Choose who answers. Target the people the page is for. Each trait adds €0.05 an answer.
- Ask fifty to start. Fifty Tier 1 answers to a short question cost €12 before any images and typically take about ten minutes. Tier 1 means each person has a verified phone.
A worked example
You have two headlines for a savings app:
- A: "Save without thinking about it"
- B: "Automatic savings from your spare change"
Ask one group: "Which headline is clearer?" Ask another: "Which headline makes you want to know more?"
Say B wins clarity, 36 to 14, and A wins interest, 29 to 21. The first result says B led by 44 percentage points among these 50 answers, which is a strong lead for a sample this size. The second is a narrower lead, so treat it as close.
You might then write a third headline that keeps B's clarity and A's pull, and run both questions again.
The numbers in this example are made up to show how to read a result. They are not from a real study.
What a headline test does not tell you
- Whether people will click or buy. Stating a preference is not behavior.
- How it works next to your page. Visitors see a headline with an image, a price and a button.
- Whether the traffic you buy will respond the same way. The group may differ from your visitors.
- Why a headline won. Ask 20 Tier 2 heads, people who have also passed an ID check, for a short written reason.
Next step
Write your headlines and see the price first. See pricing and try the estimator. It charges nothing. For the method behind this, read what is preference testing.