A/B testing in email marketing

A/B Testing in Email Marketing

Every marketer dreams of high Open and Click through rate and does everything to achieve it. There exists many strategies to get better open and click through rates but testing your emails before starting the email campaign.

The best way to test your emails is running A/B tests.  A/B testing is the best choice to test you email marketing campaign and get the best version of your email.

In this article, we will show you what A/B testing is. Its types and how to run A/ tests on your campaign to get the desired results.

What Is Email A/B Testing?

A/B Testing is a method where two different versions of a website pages are sent out to users at the same time. After some period, the number of people who click on each version of the page is counted. Based on these results, the best performing version of the page is chosen and implemented across the site.

Web designers to determine which design performs better commonly use this technique. In email marketing, A/B testing is often used to compare the effectiveness of various email campaigns.

A/B testing is a great way to test different variables at once. You can use it to compare two things at once, or you can use it to compare one thing over time.

Types of A/B Testing

There are three types of A/B testing:

A) Split Testing

Split testing is where you have two versions of something (e.g., two websites), and you want to know which version performs better. To do this, you randomly assign users to either group 1 or group 2. Then, you track how many people click each link. If one version gets more clicks than the other does, then you know which version performed better.

B) Time-Based A/B Testing

Time-based A/B testing is similar to split testing except that instead of having two groups, you only have one. In this case, you want to find out if one version of something performs better over time. To do this, again, you randomly assign users either to group 1 or group 2, but this time, you do not stop tracking them after they click the first link. Instead, you keep track of their behavior until you reach some predetermined end. At that point, you calculate whether the version-performing better was the original one or the one you switched to.

C) Multivariate Testing

Multivariate testing is a combination of both split testing and time-based testing. You start with a single variable (e.g., website design). Then, you randomly assign users into one of two groups. Next, you measure how well each group does on that particular variable. Once you have measured performance, you switch the assignment method and repeat the same steps. Keep doing this until you have tested all possible combinations of variables.

Things to Note before A/B Testing

• You should always test your email before starting the campaign.
• Always use the same strain and grow method.
• Use the same amount of emails.
• Do not overfeed.
• Test at least three times.
• Make sure you have enough time to wait for results.
• Be patient!
• Do not forget to document everything.
• If you do not know what to do, ask someone who does.
• Have fun!

How to Set Up Your A/B Test Email Campaign for Accurate Results

1. Decide Which Variable to Test

The first step is deciding what variables you want to test. You need to know what you are testing before you start collecting data. If you do not have any idea about how to choose the right variable, then you should ask yourself some questions. What is the purpose of your experiment? Why are you doing it? What is the goal of your experiment? Do you want to find out if the price of your product affects its sales? On the other hand, maybe you want to find out whether the quality of your product affects its popularity. Whatever the case may be, you need to make sure that you understand the purpose of your experiment and the question you want to answer.

2. Pick the Right Sample Size

Once you have decided what you want to test, you need to figure out how many samples you need to collect. There are two ways to go about picking the right sample size. One way is to use a statistical formula called the “rule of thumb”. Another method is to use a simple rule of thumb. The rule of thumb says that the number of samples you need to collect is equal to the square root of the number of factors you are testing. Therefore, if you were testing three different variables, then you would need nine samples. However, this method is not always accurate. That is why we recommend using the statistical formula instead.

3. Choose Your Timing Window

Timing windows are the timespan over which you collect data. You need to consider the following things when choosing your timing window. First, you need to know how long you want to keep collecting data after you begin collecting it. Second, you need to think about how much data you need to collect. Third, you need to think of how often you want to collect data. Fourth, you need to think if you want to collect data at regular intervals or just once. Finally, you need to think how long you want to wait between each collection period.

4. Determine Delivery Time

Delivery time refers to the amount of time it takes for your message to reach its destination. You need to determine how long you want to send your messages to your customers. In addition, you need to think whether you want to deliver them immediately or later.

5. Consider Only One Variable at a Time

You need to decide whether you want to test one variable at a time or all of them together. Testing one variable at a time is easier than testing all of them together. However, if you test one variable at a given time, you will not get a complete picture of how they affect each other.

Email Components You Can Test

An email is a great way to communicate with customers and prospects. However, not all emails are created equal. There are many different types of emails that you can send out to your audience. Each type of email requires a specific set of components to make sure it reaches its intended audience.

There are many different email components that you can test to determine how they perform. These components include subject lines, preview text, and body text. Each of these components have their own purpose and are tested differently.

Subject Line Testing

The first step in testing any email component is to make sure that it performs well. To do this, you need to know what type of content you want to send out. If you are sending emails about products or services, then you should use the product/service title as the subject line. If you’d rather not mention the product or service at all, then you can still use the title as the subject line and add a call-to-action (CTA) to encourage people to click through.

Preview Text Testing

Next, you’ll want to test the preview text. This text appears before the recipient opens the email. When testing preview text, you want to ensure that it does not look Spammy or pushy. In addition, you want to make sure that it is not too long or short. Longer previews tend to get cut off, while shorter ones don’t give enough information.

Body Text Testing

Finally, you’ll need to test the body text. This is the actual message that you are sending out. Make sure that it is clear and concise. Also, try to avoid using too much jargon or industry terms. Instead, stick to simple language that anyone can understand.

Testing length automation

Automating the length of your email is a huge benefit to your business. When you automate the length of your emails, you can save money and increase conversions. By automating the length of your emails you can test different lengths of content and determine what works best for your business.

Timing

Timing is another factor that you need to consider when sending out emails. If you send out emails at the wrong times, they may get lost in the shuffle. Sending out emails at the right times can help you reach your target audience. You can test the timing by sending out emails are different time using A/B test method.

Buttons vs Text

Buttons are great for converting visitors into buyers. But if you have a lot of buttons, it can be overwhelming for users. On the other hand, text is easier to read and understand than buttons. So, if you want to convert visitors into buyers, use text over buttons. You should test this feature before starting the email campaign.

Long copy vs short copy

Long copy is great for getting attention. However, long copy can be difficult to read. Short copy is easier to read and makes it easier for people to digest information. It depends on the type of email you are sending, which type of email copy you need. You can test short copy and long copy using A/B testing to make sure which will work best.

Images

Images are great for grabbing attention. But, if you don’t know how to use them, they can be distracting. Make sure to choose the right image size and placement. Using A/B testing you can try out different images or no images in different emails to check which email performs better.

Call-to-Action

Call-to-actions are the final step before someone converts into a buyer. Your call-to-action should be clear and concise. Also, make sure to add a link to your website or landing page. You can try different call to actions in your email and try them out. You will get a good idea about the call to action you need to put in your email campaign.

Email Testing Softwares

Spam Filtering

Spam filtering is a critical component of any email system. Without spam filters, we would have no way of knowing if our emails were being sent to the right people or not. There are many different types of spam filters out there, including those that are free and paid options. Paid options tend to be more effective at stopping spam than their free counterparts, but they do cost money. In order to test your current spam filter, you need to know what type of spam you receive. If you don't know what kind of spam you get, then you won't be able to effectively test your spam filter.

Email Client

An email client is a piece of software that helps you manage your email messages. These clients range from simple text editors to full featured applications. To test your current email client, you'll want to send yourself an email message. Then, open the email in your client and read it. Does the email look correct? Do you notice any formatting issues? Is it easy to navigate?

Tips for Running More Effective Email Tests

Choose the right test

A/B testing is a great way to find out what works best for your audience. However, if you don't choose the right test, then you may end up wasting time and money. So before you start any A/B testing campaign, make sure you have chosen the right test. Here's how to do it:

• Make sure the content is relevant to your target audience. If you are trying to sell a product to people who live in California, then you should probably not run an A/B test comparing two different products that only appeal to people in New York.

• Make sure the content is not biased. You want to avoid having one version of the content be positive about your brand while the other version is negative.

• Make sure the content does not violate Google's guidelines. If you're using AdWords, then you need to make sure that the keywords you use aren't banned.

• Make sure the content fits your budget. If you're doing A/B testing for free, then you'll want to keep your budgets low. But if you're paying for ads, then you'll want them to be targeted at the right audiences.

• Make sure the content has enough variation. If you're going to compare two versions of the same piece of content, then you need to ensure that they vary significantly enough to be considered separate pieces of content.

• Make sure the content gets seen. If you're going after a specific keyword, then make sure that you're targeting that keyword well. And if you're going after a broad term, make sure you're reaching out to people searching for that term.

• Make sure the content converts. If you're going for conversions, then make sure that the content is converting well.

• Make sure the content performs well. If you're going with a conversion goal, then make sure that your content is performing well enough to convert.

• Make sure the content works across devices. If you are going mobile-first, then make sure that both desktop and mobile versions of the content perform equally well.

Conclusion

Email marketing cannot be successful without testing. You just cannot ignore the importance of A/B email testing. A/B email testing helps you to get the best version of your email.

A/B testing is neither mysterious nor difficult, you just need to understand the method. We have mentioned all the important steps to do A/B testing more effectively. We hope you will implement all these steps to test your email marketing campaign and tell us about the outcome. We will be waiting to hear from you. You can comment below or send your feedback at info@massmailservers.net.