We rebuilt our A/B testing program management software and are now offering it for free. Here’s why.

Last week we announced the re-launch and redesign of illuminate®, our program management software for A/B testing leaders. As a game-changing part of this launch, illuminate is now free, forever. I’m excited to share why. 

First, a little background: illuminate began in the way that many SaaS products come to be: it was something we built for ourselves. This was back in the early days when much of Brooks Bell’s client work focused on the end-to-end management of A/B testing programs. As we started to run more tests for more clients, more often, we realized we needed a tool to stay on top of things. 

More specifically, we needed to record and transition A/B test ideas into a prioritized test roadmap; we needed to keep track of which tests had been run and their results; we needed to be able to track our impact on the company’s stated revenue goals, and we needed a place to store case studies and any resulting customer insights for easy reference and continued iteration.  

Initially, we tried to use our existing tools to accomplish all of these tasks, but we inevitably ran into some major issues. Storing this data in a spreadsheet or deck, for instance, did not make for easy lookup and retrieval. It also made evaluating a testing program at a macro- and micro-level quite difficult. In addition, any key insights, big wins, or major discoveries were often buried in the minutiae of data surrounding any individual test. 

Our shared folder systems quickly became crowded and disorganized. Adding to this problem, any time a member of our team left, we’d lose all the precious institutional knowledge of their clients’ testing programs, which was buried across many documents or simply lived inside their heads. 

Attempting to use traditional project management tools felt like using a hammer to nail in a screw — we could make it work, but the tool really wasn’t made for that purpose. It took a lot of time and effort to get it just right. 

So, with mounting test volume, our internal file system descending into chaos, and no easy solution in sight, we threw our hands up and decided to build one ourselves. Thus, illuminate was born.

Today, while technology has allowed companies to tap into testing, many are still not fully maximizing the potential of experimentation to build relevant, personalized digital experiences. Additionally, many experimentation leaders are finding themselves in the same position we were in years ago — they need to scale their testing programs but need to do so in a way that is organized and efficient. 

So given this clear and widely-felt need in the market for illuminate, you’re probably scratching your head as to why we would now offer it for free.

At Brooks Bell, we live and breathe experimentation. At the heart of our work is the belief that a test-and-learn culture is critical to insight-driven, customer-centric innovation. illuminate sets the foundation for this culture of experimentation. 

Armed with a centralized resource for test ideas, results, insights, and program performance, testing leaders will be better able to show the value of experimentation, to share insights and results across teams, and to increase buy-in for and alignment around testing. This also better positions you, the testing lead, as a catalyst for data-driven decision-making at your company.

And that’s really the first step toward building that culture of experimentation. If you can do that, we can help you with the rest. 

Want to see illuminate in action?

Create an account! Invite your team members, add some tests and case studies, and let us know what you think.