A page variant is an alternative version of a landing page — same URL (via A/B testing) or different URL (for audience segmentation). Variant A might have a headline focused on speed, Variant B on reliability. Variant A might lead with a product screenshot, Variant B with a customer testimonial. The goal is to learn which approach converts better or to serve different content to different audiences.
In A/B testing, variants are how you move from opinions to evidence. Your VP of Marketing thinks the headline should emphasize ROI. Your head of product thinks it should emphasize ease of use. Instead of debating for two weeks, create two variants and let the traffic decide. The data is the tiebreaker.
Common variant strategy mistakes
The biggest mistake: testing too many small changes at once. If Variant B has a different headline, different hero image, different CTA color, and different testimonial — and it wins — you have no idea which change mattered. Start with one meaningful change per variant. Headline tests are usually the highest-impact starting point because they affect the entire page experience.
The second mistake: creating variants for traffic you don't have. A/B testing requires statistical significance, which requires traffic volume. If your page gets 500 visitors per month, a two-variant test needs 2-4 months to reach significance. You're better off making one strong page based on research and saving testing for when you have the traffic to support it.