A/B testing. It’s been around for a while and is one of the most effective tools in ensuring your digital marketing is performing.
So what is it exactly?
Let’s just talk emails for now. A/B testing is where you have two versions of your email, with one difference between them. For example a different subject line, a different header image, a different layout or copy. You build your two emails, and once they are ready select the size of your database as your test - 30% is a good place to start. Once you send your test out, you generally have a 24 hour period before the actual send goes. And the beauty of it is that you can set them to automatically send the winning version out to the remainder of your database.
When can I use it?
Anytime! And every time if you wish! There’s always opportunity to improve on your marketing. Use it to see which image type resonates most with your audience. Or which subject line is the moist enticing for people to open your emails. There is no limit to testing! And it doesn’t just have to be limited to two versions. Test 3 or 4. But sometimes the simpler the better.
So what else can I test?
Your website is another key channel where testing can prove to be invaluable in driving traffic and conversions. A lot of web platforms have built in testing, which allows you to change out images or copy for different visitors to your site. There are also a large amount of third party testing software out there, depending on what it is you want to do.
One important thing to know too is that it doesn't matter what size business you are. Even if you're a small business with a small database, testing and selecting the best performing email might be the difference with getting the sale or not.
