As your business grows and evolves, it’s important to do A/B testing on your email newsletter. A/B testing is a diagnostic testing method to help you find what works and what doesn’t.
In case you’re not familiar with the term, an A/B test (also sometimes called a split test) is an experiment in which you use two variants. One is the control (i.e. nothing is changed), and one is the treatment (i.e. something is changed). Afterward, you compare the results from both A and B to determine which worked better.
Here are some ideas of things you can test:
1. Day of the Week
Figure out the best day of the week to send out your email newsletter by splitting the send into two different days. Track the open rates and sales on both days and then run other A/B comparisons to see which one of the seven days ultimately turns up the better results.
2. Experiment with Calls to Action
There are many ways to include a call to action in your email. It will take some A/B testing to find the right one. Buttons are one great resource to try. You can vary the size of the button or its color to see which works best.
3. Time of Day
There’s been lots written about the best time of day to send your email newsletter, but what works for other companies may not work for yours. You will need to try different times to see when you get the best response. Try morning and afternoon to start. Those are the starkest differences when you want to reach people during the workday.
4. Use Images
Having a visual always helps draw people in. This is also true when you are trying to sell a product.
By showing a picture of what you are trying to sell, you can answer people’s questions about the product while also giving them an idea of what to expect when they purchase it. Send out emails with and without photos to see what elicits better reactions.
When you try these A/B tests, you will not only improve your email newsletter response rate, you will also convert more prospects into clients !