You've put a great deal of time and effort into your email campaigns, but are they really as effective as you'd hoped? More importantly, do you know which type of email is most likely to attract the interest of your customers and lead to conversions? If you aren't conducting regular A/B testing on your email campaigns, you're missing out on an opportunity to better engage with your customers and increase the success of all of your campaigns.
A/B Testing: The Basics
In any form of A/B testing, you split your customers into two equal groups. These two groups should be approximately equal in every way--that is, they should include a mixed segment of buyer personas, be around the same size, and be essentially indistinguishable. Then, you create two emails. Ideally, you don't want to create two entirely different emails; rather, you change one key thing about them. Make sure they have unique landing pages so that you can tell which group drove incoming traffic! Then, sit back and collect data to see which style of campaign was most effective in reaching your goals.
Deciding What to Test
In any A/B testing environment, it's critical that you test one factor at a time. Your goal is to determine how each item impacts your customers, from the subject line to the call to action. There are several elements of your email campaign that you might want to evaluate.
How does personalization impact your customers? Do they notice when you add that extra touch, or is it virtually ignored? You might also test how the way you address your customers--as Mr. Jones versus as Jonathan--impacts whether or not they open the email.
How does the layout change the way your customers respond to your emails? Are they more likely to read through an entire single-column message, or do they prefer more than one column? Do they like it when there are images scattered throughout the message, or do they prefer a single image in one location? It may take several tests in order to determine which email layout most appeals to your target audience.
What phrasing works best in your call to action? Creating a great call to action is critical to convincing your customers to do what you want them to do. You can write the best email in the world, but if customers are confused about what is expected of them, they might never follow through! Test your call to action in several different formats to determine which one is most likely to appeal to your specific customer base.
Examine your subject lines. An interesting, intriguing, or exciting subject line is one of the best ways to convince customers to open your emails--and if they don't open them, they'll never have the chance to see the rest of your content. Use A/B testing to try out several types of subject lines. Remember that customers traditionally do not like the "bait and switch" tactic of promising one thing in the subject line, then failing to deliver it in your content. From there, see which types of subject lines most appeal to your buyers. Do they prefer formal subject lines that let them know exactly what to expect from the email? Are they more likely to open it and respond if it offers them a sale or coupon? These simple pieces of information can transform your email marketing efforts.
What type of offer is most likely to draw a response? Many customers join email marketing lists specifically for the coupons and deals that they'll receive--ideally those that no one else gets. The type of offer they receive, therefore, can significantly impact whether or not they proceed to make a purchase--or even remain part of your email list. Try out different types of offers: percentage off coupons, dollar off coupons at a specific purchase level, and free shipping offers, for example.
What type of content are your customers looking for? When you send an email, are you engaging your customers or boring them? Do they prefer industry news and information, or are they looking for details about specific products? Carefully consider how your content has the potential to influence your customers, then test accordingly.
When should you send out emails? Some emails are more likely to get the right response if you send them out at the right time of day--but what time of day is right will depend on your buyers. Are you sending out emails for upper-level business management? The middle of the business day might be the best time for them to make those decisions. On the other hand, you might find that they're too busy to deal with emails in the middle of the day and that sending your communications out after five is better. Conduct several tests to see what time is most effective for your buyers.
How often should you email your customers? Some companies take the volume approach: they connect with their customers by sending several emails a day to make sure they catch the right time. Others prefer to connect with their customers only when they have a new sale, promotion, or item release to announce. If you're ready to find out which technique works best for your customers, A/B testing is a great way to discover how often your customers want to hear from you.
Evaluating Your Results
When you conduct A/B testing, you'll carefully examine the elements you've adapted to determine which strategy is most effective. Then, you have to wait for the results to come in! Consider these tips when evaluating the effectiveness of your A/B tests.
- Send out both sets of emails at the same time (unless, of course, you're measuring what time of day is most effective to send out emails!) This includes both the same time of day and the same season. You want to be sure that timing isn't influencing your results.
- Make sure you know what type of difference is statistically significant. Consider what results you would ideally like to achieve, then make sure that any differences in your two emails are effectively communicating those differences.
- Pay attention to small elements as well as big ones. Little things may have a big impact on buyer decisions!
- Evaluate results as far down the sales funnel as possible. Click-through rates are great, but ultimately, you want satisfied customers, not just website visitors. Make sure you're paying attention to how your email campaigns are actually driving results.
- Make sure you're only conducting one test at a time. You don't want to end up with confusing or skewed results on the basis of several tests being conducted at once.
A/B testing is one of the most effective methods for learning more about your customers and how to connect with them. By conducting regular A/B tests of your emails, you'll quickly discover what methods work best for your specific buyers. Ultimately, your own data is more effective than anything market research can show you simply because your tests deal with your unique customer base--and as a result, you'll be able to make future changes to your marketing efforts that will allow you to meet your goals more effectively.
