A/B testing might sound like something only data scientists do, but it’s actually a simple game changer for any email marketing strategy. 

You might also hear it called split testing, but no matter the name, the idea is simple: you compare two versions of something to see which one performs better. 

But why should you bother with A/B testing, and how do you get started?

Why Should I Even Do A/B Testing?

Using data to guide your decisions can make a huge difference in your results.

You might think that your snazzy graphic or witty slogan is the best choice for your audience, but the real question is: do your users agree? A/B testing can help you find out, and in the process, it can boost your sales and conversions while saving you time and energy.

With a little effort, A/B testing can give your email data a serious boost. 

How to Gather Data with A/B Testing

If you’ve never done an A/B test before, don’t worry. It’s pretty straightforward.

Here’s the basic idea: you change one thing in your email and send two different versions to see which one performs better. 

Name one version “Email A” and the other “Email B.” Then, tweak one (and only one) thing in version B.

Here are a few ideas for what you might change:

• Subject line length, tone or personalization
• Call-to-action (CTA) text, color or size
• “From” line (the sender’s name)
• Time of send (day of the week or time of day)
• Including multiple images or just one
• Email length
• Font style and size 
• Background color
• Emoji use
• Including testimonials

But we’ll go over some of these in more detail in a second. 

Once your email is ready, split your send list in half. Ideally, you’ll have a sample size of at least 1,000 people, but you can still get insights with a smaller group. 

If your email marketing platform — like MailChimp or Hubspot — offers A/B testing features, there will usually be a tool that splits your list for you!

Things Your Email Contacts Want You to Know

What Should I Test?

Each of these variables can have a big impact on your email’s success. 

There are a lot of ideas out there — see the list above — but let’s go over some ways to test your emails and a few best practices.

Subject Line

Testing your subject line is pretty simple. Just mix it up a bit.

You could try adding personalization (like including the recipient’s first name with a custom token in your email software) versus going with something more generic. Personalization often leads to higher open rates (in fact, emails with personalized subject rates are 26% more likely to be opened), but you can test different approaches, like:

• “(Friend), did you hear about our sale?”
• “Did you hear about our sale, (Friend)?”

Test adding emojis, starting with a verb vs. not, using a pun vs. not — the list goes on. 

Call-to-Action (CTA)

Your CTA button is ripe for testing. You can experiment with its size, color, shape, and text. Just remember these best practices:

• Does it look clickable?
• Is there a clear value to clicking?
• Is it the logical next step on your page?

“From” Line (a.k.a Your Sender Name)

You’ve got options when it comes to the “from” line, too.

42% of users say that the sender name, or your “from”, is the first thing they look at.

That’s an easy A/B test to run right there!

Time of Send

The timing of your email can be just as important as what’s in it. It’s hard to pinpoint the best time for every audience, so it’s important to test different times with your audience. 

Try sending at different times of the day or on different days of the week. If you’re emailing people at work, early mornings might be perfect. But if you’re targeting personal email addresses, the ideal time could vary more.

Why Stick to One Testing Variable?

You might be tempted to test multiple things at once, but here’s the thing: if you change too much at once, you won’t know which change made the difference. 

Was it the new CTA color, or was it the personalized subject line?

If you want to know which one actually changed results, you need to test just one thing at a time. 

What Should I Do With Results?

Keep track of your results in a spreadsheet. For each test, note down stats such as:

• Open rate
• Bounce rate
• Unsubscribe rate
• Click rate

The more you test, the better your insights will be. One test can give you a solid idea of what your audience prefers, but multiple tests will really help you fine-tune your strategy.

Once you’ve identified the best option for each variable, use that in future emails. 

If you discover that your customers are more likely to open an email at 6 a.m. on a Tuesday, then start scheduling more emails for that time.

3 Email Metrics to Watch — and 2 More Metrics to Check

A/B Testing Isn’t Perfect

At the end of the day, people are unpredictable. Even with all the data in the world, there will always be some mystery to what drives them.

Maybe some folks open every single email just to keep their inbox clean, or maybe they didn’t even read the subject line. 

We can’t account for everything, but A/B testing gives us a solid, data-driven way to improve our marketing efforts.

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