You’ve done the work and started your email list, you’ve picked an email marketing platform, and have sent your first email newsletter to your budding subscribers – let’s take a moment to acknowledge just how far you’ve come. You may be wondering what is ab testing in email marketing?

As you further your journey in email marketing, there’s a piece of you that knows something can improve… 

Maybe your welcome sequence emails aren’t performing as well as you’d like or you know that the engagement on your marketing campaigns can be just a bit higher. 

How do we continue with that forward momentum and create an email list that’s profitable and engaged? 

We are going to do this with A/B testing. 

Have you heard of A/B testing as a part of your email marketing strategy?     

If you’re not doing A/B testing you’re really missing out on gaining more clarity on your ideal client. Additionally, this testing can improve user engagement and decrease bounce rates. 

A/B testing isn’t a marketing tool you have to fear or feel overwhelmed by. 

Imagine giving your business a microscope into what’s working and what isn’t working – that’s what A/B testing can do for you! 

Also, AB testing in email marketing take a little bit of experimenting and trying out new things to see what YOU and your audience jive with. 

It’s not a plug-and-play strategy. You need to understand your metrics, tracking, and analytics. 

First, let’s start with: What is AB testing in Email Marketing? 

AB Testing in email marketing is an experiment where you take two or more variables and pit them against each other to determine a response from your audience. 

You can A/B test subject lines, call-to-actions, tone, graphics, etc. The list goes on. 

A/B testing helps you understand the type of content your email list subscribers want to receive and engage with! Also, it is the quickest way to figure out what your email list wants. 

Figuring out how to implement A/B testing into your email marketing doesn’t have to be a daunting challenge. In fact, you could start A/B testing today with just a few steps! 

Want to know from your fellow email marketing strategist one of the places where you definitely should implement A/B testing?

Your welcome sequence emails. 

If someone has taken the time to sign up for your email list, you will want to ensure that you have strong, well-written emails that welcome new subscribers and keep them engaged and invested in your business for the long haul. 

So if you don’t already know how your new subscribers interact with your email welcome sequence emails you’re only hurting your future conversion rates and overall email performance. 

Let’s break down step by step how to conduct A/B testing for your email marketing strategy – 

Step 1 

You’ll need to pick ONE variable to test. In email marketing, this could be:

• Placement or color of a CTA button 
• Email subject lines and preview text 
• Time of day email is sent 

This is important to ONLY do one variable when running a test. 

Why? Well, let’s say you change the subject line and the CTA and the email performed significantly better…was it the subject line or was it the CTA that actually moved the needle? 

It’s harder to validate a test result with multiple variables. 

Step 2 

Now it’s time to create two different versions of your email. In some platforms like Convertkit, ActiveCampaign, Mailchimp – you can set these up using their A/B Testing Features. 

Click the platform below to dive deeper into their features: 

ActiveCampaign

MailChimp 

Convertkit 

Step 3 

After the emails have been sent, the test will run for a determined amount of time and you will want to assess the performance to figure out which version of the email performed best. 

This is usually determined by open and click rates. 

An example could be: 

• After 24 hours which email CTA has the highest Click Through rate. 
• After 24 hours which subject line resulted in the highest open rate. 

Step 4 

Once you know which email performed better, that is the email version you can choose to send to the remainder of your subscribers. 

Sounds pretty easy, right? It’s not a complex process and one that will prove to be a huge ROI for you if you are willing to put in the work and implement a few A/B tests. 

What are the benefits of A/B testing? 

• Higher conversion rates and better metrics 

• Increased website traffic 

• Lower cart abandonment 

And so much more! A/B testing is an incredibly powerful tool you should be utilizing in your small business marketing strategy to make it successful. 

A successful email marketing strategy isn’t just about creating a sales funnel for an upcoming launch or sending out a weekly email. 

Having a successful email marketing strategy means – 

• It’s been validated by your audience (through testing and experimenting) 
• It aligns with how YOU want to show up 
• It supports your goals and lead generation 

I’ve seen business owners mirror their favorite accounts and other business’ email marketing strategies thinking that success can be easily replicated. But most of the time they don’t get the results they want because their audience didn’t resonate with the same message.

That’s why it’s important to conduct your own research and figure out what works for you and your business. This is how you’ll speak to your email list and create sustainability. 

At Gal, I can help you with your A/B testing and I have strategies for businesses in all stages developed to help you build, convert, and create engaging relationships in your mailing list. 

I have helped all sorts of businesses grow and implement a strategy for their success. Book a free consultation today.

Learn more about Gal’s services here.

Posts Related to AB Testing in Email Marketing

• The Importance of an Email List