What Is Email A/B Testing?
Definition
To have an effective email campaign, you need to know what works best with your target audience. This is where email A/B testing proves to be a valuable tool and strategy. This method compares two variations of an email to determine which one performs better.
By sending version A to one group of recipients and version B to another, marketers can test specific email elements like subject lines, visuals, or call-to-action buttons. The goal is to identify the combination that brings in the highest engagement rates. Once the specific combination is found, marketers will be able to create the most effective email.
Example
For example, an online retailer may test two promotional emails: one with a single large product image and another with a collage of smaller images. The collage email could receive a 20% higher click-through rate than the other email type. Given this data, the brand can adjust its email strategy and center it around collage-type emails.
Key Elements to A/B Test in Emails
- Subject Lines: Test how different tones or messaging styles perform. You can compare a time-sensitive tone like “Don’t Miss Out on These Savings!” with a more personalized approach like “Exclusive Deals Just for You” to see which one drives higher open rates.
- Email Design: Test layout changes to see what grabs your audience’s attention: a clean, minimalist design versus a visually dynamic one with multiple images or sections. You can also test out the placement of key elements like CTAs, like putting them above the fold or near the footer.
- Content Length: Compare short, punchy emails with concise messaging versus longer, detailed emails. Here, you can find the right balance between providing sufficient information and avoiding overwhelming your subscribers.
- Send Time: Experiment with delivery times to see when your audience is most active. For example, you could test the engagement of morning emails (8–10 a.m.) versus evening emails (6–8 p.m.).
Why Email A/B Testing Matters
Email continues to be a powerful driver of sales and delivers strong ROI. However, you need proper and effective messaging to successfully close a sale. A/B testing helps marketers make data-driven decisions rather than relying on assumptions of what works with their audience.
With email A/B testing, you can better optimize your campaigns through valuable audience insights. This helps you achieve better outcomes, like higher click-through rates, more conversions, and increased engagement.
Related terms
Related articles
Verify 200 emails for free. For lists over one-million emails, we will beat the price of any competitor, guaranteed.