A/B tests are a valuable tool for keeping your marketing campaigns fresh and improving open rates and click-through rates. But splitting your database in half and hoping for the best is not a strategy.
Here are four tips to help you stay focused and get the most out of your A/B tests.
Know why you're testing and what you're testing for
Marketers are often swept up in the thrill of change, charging off in a new direction without thinking it through. A/B testing requires the opposite approach. Before you set anything up, decide exactly what you want to test and what you want to learn from it.
You also need to know how you will measure success. Pull the stats from your previous campaigns before you start, so you have a baseline to compare against. Know which metric you are trying to move.
One more thing: you are testing with real people on your live database. Take it slow.
Run one A/B test at a time
Once you know what you are testing for, resist the urge to test everything at once. If you change multiple variables in a single campaign, you will not be able to tell which change drove which result.
The rule is simple: one variable per test. In one campaign, test two different subject lines. In the next, test whether personalisation affects your click-through rate. Run them separately and your results will mean something.
Have an action plan for your results
Results without action are just numbers. Before you run a test, decide what you will do depending on what you find. If you have been testing two subject lines on a sample of your list, the plan is straightforward: once you have a winner, send that version to the rest of your list.
Knowing your next step in advance keeps momentum going and stops good data from sitting unused.
Keep testing
One successful test does not mean you are done. Subscriber behaviour shifts constantly. Time of year, public holidays, economic conditions, and changes in your audience all influence how people respond to your campaigns.
Testing is a continuous process. As your subscriber base grows and changes, your testing should too. The only way to stay current is to keep running tests, learning from them, and applying what you find.
Frequently asked questions
- How many variables should I test in a single A/B test?
- Only one. If you change multiple elements in the same test, you cannot reliably tell which change caused which result. Test subject lines separately from personalisation, send times, or content changes.
- What should I measure before running an A/B test?
- Pull the key stats from your recent campaigns before you start. Open rate, click-through rate, and conversion rate are the most common baselines. You need a reference point to know whether your test actually moved the needle.
- How often should I run A/B tests on my email campaigns?
- There is no fixed schedule, but testing should be ongoing rather than a one-off exercise. Subscriber behaviour changes over time, so what works today may not work in six months. Build testing into your regular campaign process.
- What do I do with A/B test results once I have them?
- Act on them. If you tested two subject lines on a sample, send the winning version to the rest of your list. Decide your action plan before you run the test so the results do not sit unused.