If you’re running a startup or scaling SME, you’ve probably hit this wall: you reach out to an A/B testing tool like AB Tasty, Optimizely, or VWO — and get met with silence, a sky-high price tag, or a push toward their “enterprise” tier. So why is it so hard for smaller businesses to work with the big players in Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)? And more importantly, how can you still run great experiments without breaking the bank?
Let’s unpack it.
Why Big CRO Tools Don’t Want to Work with Small Companies
1. Their Revenue Model Is Enterprise-Centric
CRO platforms like AB Tasty, Optimizely, and Dynamic Yield are built for large-scale organizations. Their pricing reflects that:
- Contracts start at £20k–£100k+ per year
- Sales reps prioritise enterprise accounts with longer CLTV
- Feature sets are tailored to companies with in-house dev teams, legal/compliance reviews, and dedicated experimentation roles
Small businesses just don’t move the revenue needle enough.
2. Support and Onboarding Is Resource-Heavy
High-touch onboarding and support can be expensive. For many CRO platforms, it’s not worth assigning customer success teams to small accounts if the margin isn’t there.
3. Complexity Discourages Light Users
Many of these platforms were designed for complex experimentation at scale — multiple audiences, custom JavaScript, deep integrations with CDPs and DMPs. Smaller teams often need simpler use cases (e.g., headline tests, form optimizations), which these platforms don’t actively promote.
So What Are Your Options as a Small or Growing Business?
1. Use Lightweight, Affordable CRO Tools
There are excellent tools that offer the core functionality without the enterprise baggage:
| Tool | Ideal For | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Convert.com | Mid-market CRO | GDPR-friendly, generous testing capabilities |
| Freshmarketer | SMB-focused | Part of the Freshworks suite, simple UI |
| Zoho PageSense | Budget-friendly all-in-one | Good for landing pages and heatmaps |
| PostHog | Product-focused teams | Open-source, self-hostable, includes A/B testing |
2. Lean on Visual Editors + No-Code Testing
If you don’t have a developer, look for tools that offer WYSIWYG editors for simple A/B tests, such as:
- VWO Testing (entry tier)
- Unbounce or Instapage for landing page tests
- Microsoft Clarity + manual A/B via URL split
3. Combine Heatmaps, Analytics & Manual Testing
Use tools like:
- Microsoft Clarity or Hotjar for heatmaps & session recordings
- Google Analytics 4 for user behaviour flow
- Run A/B tests manually using URL variations, UTMs, and performance comparisons
Not glamorous — but very possible.
4. Start with Email or Ad Testing
If you can’t yet justify full-site testing, start where traffic is cheap and data is clean:
- A/B test subject lines or content blocks in Mailchimp, HubSpot, or Klaviyo
- Run split tests in Google Ads, Facebook, or LinkedIn Campaigns
It’s faster, cheaper, and often just as insightful.
Final Thoughts
Big-name CRO platforms have real strengths — but they’re not built for early-stage or resource-lean teams. That doesn’t mean you can’t build a culture of experimentation.
By starting small, using flexible tools, and focusing on high-impact areas like landing pages, email, and ads, you can still generate insights and boost conversions — without burning your entire marketing budget.
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