What is A/B Split Testing?

A/B split testing is a refined and enhanced email marketing strategy that has been shown to increase open rates, click-through rates (CTR) and conversion rates with minimal risk. So what is it and how does it work? With an email A/B split test, two versions of the same email are produced, with one variable change such as the subject line which is different from the first version. These two emails are then divided equally between a small group (normally 20%) of selected email subscribers with similar qualities on your list.

Why should you A/B Split test your Email Campaigns?

The simple answer is, because it helps you improve your campaigns. When you A/B split test a campaign the results are carefully tracked and monitored to help you produce a more desirable result. The “winning” email helps you draw conclusions on how to optimise your campaigns better. For example, if your variable was your subject line, you’ll be able to see which kind of subject line resonated with your audience more and use this information to create your future campaigns.

A/B split testing is often done on an on-going basis, and the format is commonly referred to as the ‘champion/challenger’. This ensures that campaigns are continuously improved on, so results are up to date and representative of your target audience at any given time.

Although it might be time-consuming to test separate variables individually in your campaign, it is the best way you can determine exactly which element is having the desired (or undesired) effect.

What variables can you test during an A/B split test?

The list below identifies some common variables that can be tested during an A/B split test:

Subject Lines:

Subject lines are what draws your subscribers in and will determine whether or not your subscribers want to open your email. You’ll want to make sure that you are testing various subject lines to see what style of subject line draws your audience in more. If you are running a sale you may want to test variations such as:

• Up to 40% off Summer Sitewide Sale now on - hurry while stocks last
• Our Summer Sale is now on. See how you can save today

Calls to Action (text vs. buttons):

Calls to action (CTA’s) are crucial to help you direct your subscribers and show them what you want them to do next, or what action you want them to complete next. Often email marketers use standard CTA’s to direct their subscribers such as Buy Now

Headings / Greetings:

Headings or greetings are common parts of an email campaign that some email marketers prefer to include when sending their campaigns. Some examples include: Dear sir/madam, Hi, Hello, Hey there.

Body Content

Body content is the so-called nuts and bolts of your email campaign, doing an A/B split test on this area of your email can lead to greater engagement and steer you in the right direction. You could test out various aspects of your body content by trying:

• Bullet Points in your copy
• Numbered lists
• Question and answer formats in your body copy
• Simple one sentence copy with a strong CTA.

Long vs. Short Copy

A common question people have is how long their copy should be. An A/B test could be done to see whether long or short copy works better for your audience.

Landing Pages

Where you send your subscribers to via links and buttons makes the world of difference. You can test whether you have better results by sending your audience to unique landing pages vs common pages on your website.

Colours and Images

Testing different images and colours are a great way to improve your campaigns. Colours and images can evoke certain emotions from your audience and therefore it’s important to use imagery that resonates with them. Remember to only test one variable at a time.

Personalization

Playing around with personalisation elements you have can help you improve your campaigns.

Layout

The layout of your campaign can have a big impact on how your audience interacts with your brand. Testing different layouts can help you establish how to best organise your content.

Banners

You can test different banners in your campaigns to see how people respond.

Numbers of products promoted at one time

Often e-commerce campaigns contain product grids that group products together in a beautiful way. You could use an A/B split test to see what the best product ratio should be in your email campaigns.

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Always test one element at a time and keep testing. It’s important to remember that although you have a variety of elements that can be used to test the strength of your email campaign, not all elements produce the same results. The value of A/B split testing is that it allows you to identify those elements that consistently produce the best results.

A/B split testing benefits

Besides increased open rates, click-through rates (CTR) and conversion rates, A/B split testing can bring the following benefits to your campaign:

• It allows marketers to better understand their audience behaviour and habits. What motivates them to convert? What makes them tick (and click!) on links?

• Easily determines which variations improve the performance of your campaign

• You know exactly what changes you need (and don’t need) to make

• You’re able to quickly and easily identify and implement the best combination based on test metrics and analysis

• Email campaign optimization leads to improved user experience (UX)

• It’s inexpensive because existing resources and tools are used

• It’s a low-risk approach

With these benefits in mind and the fact that nearly every aspect of your email campaign can be tested, there is no reason why you shouldn’t be conducting A/B split testing on your email campaigns.

By taking the time to truly understand your subscribers and optimizing your campaign to the fullest, you have the opportunity to target your customers with an email message is hugely relevant and beneficial to them.