If you frequent our blog, A/B testing is something you have likely heard us mention repeatedly. To ensure you become a master of A/B testing and never miss a chance to optimise your email metrics, Email by Design has broken it all down below.
What Is A/B Testing?
If you are new to email marketing, you may not be too familiar with the term A/B testing just yet, and that is okay. A/B testing is essentially sending slightly varied content to a portion of your database to see which version performs better. It could be slightly altering your copy or changing the images in your emails. But that is not all. It also involves testing different offers, phrases, colour schemes and even sending times to see what makes your customers more likely to purchase.
One audience, two versions
Send each version to a slice of your database, then let the metrics tell you which one wins.
A/B Testing Your Sign-Up Forms
Starting from the top, your sign-up forms can be A/B tested in many ways to track what works best to increase the opt-in rate.
📝On your sign-up forms
Design elementsDifferent colours, fonts, shapes and design elements show which imagery customers respond to best. Some audiences prefer bright colours and time urgency.
CopyTest different language. Does urgent copy work, or a gentler nudge? Spell out the perks of subscribing, like first access to new products and sales.
OffersThe biggest offer is not always best, and customers do not know what your biggest is. Try 10% off, $5 off, a free gift, and link each to the right welcome branch.
Delays & targetingOften forgotten. Test delay times and how forms show. Does a 15-second delay beat an exit-intent pop-up?
A/B Testing Your Emails
Once you have finished testing your sign-up form, you can move over to your emails. Some ways to test them include:
✉️Inside your emails
Subject linesTest urgency between versions, emojis versus none, and using first names in the subject line.
ImagesTry different styles. Do lifestyle images beat product shots? Do images with people outperform those without?
Graphic designThe smallest tweaks surprise you. Different button colours, GIFs instead of static images, a sleeker layout.
Send timesPlay with days and times. Some databases respond any time, others only at specific moments of the day.
The smallest tweaks can surprise you. A button colour or a send time can change everything.
A/B Testing Your Email Flows
A/B testing flows is similar to A/B testing campaigns, so you can take all of the above into consideration. But you can also A/B test your flow structure.
🔗On your flow structure
Delay timesTry one day between emails in one version and a longer gap in another. Does the harder-hitting, more urgent approach change the rate of purchase?
Number of emailsTry a minimal version (1 to 2 emails for an abandoned cart) against a longer one (5 or more). Does it impact your rate of purchase?
